Viator Newsletter 2011 Fall

Viatorian Community

Fall 2011

Volume 16, No. 3

Kankakee and Bourbonnais Teens Reach Out to Pembroke Pembroke Township has been called the “lost corner of Kankakee” and was described in a 2002 New York Times article as one of the poorest areas within the United States.

Located just 10 miles southeast of Kankakee beyond miles of corn and soybean fields, Pembroke Township lies somewhat hidden.

But it is not forgotten.

For the past eight years, Viatorian Associates Ken and Michelle Barrie have led teens from the Kankakee/Bourbonnais region on a weeklong mission trip to Pembroke. They call it the “Hearts of Hope Mission,” naming it after the historic Sacred Heart Church there, which a group of religious sisters, the Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary, started. Three of the sisters continue to live and work there, led by Sr. Mary Beth Clements, SCCM. “It’s holy ground,” Michelle says. “We want to take the kids to other places, but they want to come back here. They have a heart for this place – and the people.”

This past July, the Barries returned with 40 high school and college age students who committed one of their summer weeks to helping Sacred Heart Church and its parishioners. One group veteran was Sarah Olofsson, 19, of Kankakee and a member of St. Patrick’s Church. She returned for her sixth time, even though she is a college sophomore. “I 2

Teens build a storage area for a children’s day camp in Pembroke.

wouldn’t miss it,” said Sarah. “Some of my best friends are from this youth group.”

Sarah attended her first mission during the summer before she started high school and since that time she’s learned a thing or two about serving others – and operating power tools. “My claim to fame is that I can operate a jig saw,” Sarah says, “but last year I even learned some plumbing, when we put in a new sink for one of the homeowners. I’ve learned to do so much since coming here, and I feel like we’ve accomplished a lot.”

Continued on page 2

Teens Reach Out... continued from page 1

Alex Bollwitt and Bradie Vaubel, both of Kankakee, returned this year as student leaders. “Basically, when it comes down to it,” Alex says, “we do it for the people.”

built a pavilion, which offers a brick-paved floor and shade for extended outdoor activities, and they added play equipment.

This summer, they added a storage area to the pavilion, while repairing some of its picnic tables and refurbishing the area. When the teens returned at the end of the day, they gathered for their meal before participating in prayer services at night and journaling their thoughts. The services ranged from Taizé prayer to a foot washing service on their last night.

Four years ago, the teens began helping at a day camp operated for children in the area by Reggie and Brenda Stewart. Runaway Buckers Cowboy/Cowgirl Camp offers local children a chance to ride horses, do arts and crafts, and experience life on a working farm. Hearts of Hope Mission teens pitch in with building and maintenance projects each summer. "I get teary-eyed when I think of how much they have helped us,” says Brenda, a registered nurse.

“These are things I’ve wanted to get done. It’s been an answer to my prayers. God does provide.”

Michelle thinks the nighttime events may be more powerful than the work the teens carry out during the day, but the combined experiences make an impact. “They’re seeing the faith of the people out here and answering a need that’s bigger than themselves,” she says. “They come back with new hearts on fire.”

Teens call the site “the ranch” and ride in the back of a pick-up truck or in the parish van to get to the camp. Three years ago, they

Eileen O’Grady Daday

A New Reality of Community: Viatorian Assembly 2011

Fr. Robert Egan, CSV, reports back from his small group discussion during the assembly.

would continue to have a distinct identity within the congregation, but the broader community would consist of an equal status between the associates and professed. “It’s an important statement of how we understand the baptized,” Fr. Francis said, “and how they fit into our mission.”

Summer assembly means one thing to members of the Viatorian Community: a rare chance to come together in spiritual renewal with other Viatorians from throughout the Province of Chicago.

It happens every July, when professed gather with lay associates for three days of meetings, discussion, reflection, prayer, celebration and renewal. The assembly took place at Saint Viator High School and at the Viatorian Province Center.

Fr. Francis' statement set the tone for a profound way of thinking as participants discussed how this new community would move forward – in terms of members, leadership and areas of ministry.

“It’s a unique opportunity to stop for a moment and look toward the future,” said Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, provincial. “We’ve come a long way, rather rapidly. This assembly gives us an opportunity to evaluate where we are and where we want to go.”

This summer, however, members at the assembly began with a new, provocative, starting point. Fr. Mark Francis, CSV, Viatorian superior general, opened with an extraordinary premise: “Our associates and professed members enter into the community – on an equal basis.” He stressed that the Viatorian professed members

Eileen O’Grady Daday

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Viatorian Associate Makes Liturgies Sing You won’t find Mary Finks’ name on the staff directory at St. Patrick Church in Kankakee, but she holds an important role. “I’m the oldest cantor in the parish,” she says with a laugh. Indeed, Mary has served as a cantor for nearly 25 years, since the Diocese of Joliet began incorporating more music into the church's liturgies.

It’s a role she has worked at, she says.

more well-read.

It called me into a deeper spiritual life and more prayer. Plus, becoming an associate surrounded me with other spiritual people who felt as passionately as I did about the Catholic faith.”

At this past summer’s Viatorian assembly, Mary served as a cantor at the daily Masses and prayer services, including the special celebration for the Viatorian jubilarians. At one point during the Mass, Mary Finks and Francesco Castaldi, a 2009 Saint Viator High School graduate, sang a moving version of the Litany of Saints.

Mary confers with Br. John Eustice, CSV.

Her role with the Viatorians has worked its way into her daily life as well. For nearly 10 years, she has worked as a nurse for Hospice of Kankakee Valley, the only nonprofit hospice provider in the area.

While she now serves as the agency’s long-term care facilitator, she formerly worked as a caseworker at the Illinois Veterans’ Home in nearby Manteno. “That’s where my role as a Viatorian came in,” Mary says. “Many of these veterans had no families visiting them.

I found myself walking in the footsteps of Fr. Querbes, ministering to those accounted of little importance.” Most recently, she was elected to the new Viatorian Community Council, as one of four representatives from the Bourbonnais/Kankakee region.

This past July, Mary attended the National Pastoral Musicians’ Conference in Louisville, which she found engaging, informative and empowering. Participants discussed the importance of the words they sing, speak and pray; and their role of bringing worshippers into a fuller participation of the liturgy.

“I’m not a song leader,” Mary insists. “I’m a cantor, and there’s a huge distinction in my mind. Anybody can be a song leader and tell people which page the next song is on. A cantor sings the Word of God,” she added, “and that’s special to me because I get to profess the Word of God through my singing.”

Mary grew up in Omaha where she was taught by the Servite nuns and attended a parish run by Redemptorist priests. Both orders played key roles in her development. “I never had any formal music training,” Mary says, “but I was taught by Servite nuns in grammar school and high school and they taught me to sing chorally.”

Mary was among the first group to make a commitment as a Viatorian associate in 1999 with Mary Jane Bucher, Marilyn Mulcahy, John Ohlendorf and Reisha Raymond. Fr. George Auger, CSV, asked her to consider the invitation to become a Viatorian associate. “It was such an invitation,” Mary says.

“I’ve always been a spiritual person, but this gave me a reason to look beyond myself and be

Worshipping in a parish run by Redemptorists also had a distinct feel, she adds, and it reinforced her insistence when she and her husband, John, moved to Kankakee that they look for a parish run by a religious order. They found one in St. Patrick Church, where the Clerics of Saint Viator have served since 1931. Fr. John Peeters, CSV, is its current pastor. “No matter what type of liturgy she’s at, whether it’s a Mass, a funeral, or a wedding,” Fr. Peeters says, “her leadership as a cantor makes it more meaningful.”

Eileen O’Grady Daday

Fr. von Behren presents Mary with a St. Viator statue after making her definitive commitment as an associate.

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spiritual gift

Fr. Dan Belanger Stirs Things Up at St. George Parish Fr. Daniel Belanger, CSV, finds himself in a rare predicament: his religious education classes at St. George Church in Bourbonnais are full, and he has to cutoff enrollment. “It’s a first,” he declares.

“We’ve never had these kinds of numbers.”

Fr. Belanger describes himself as an “extrovert” who has so many ideas and unlimited energy that at times he has to force himself to slow down. “They call me Fr. Tornado," Fr. Belanger concedes.

However, coming into the parish in his first assignment as a pastor, he took a thoughtful, measured, approach. “I started with the liturgy,” he says. “I felt if people were nourished spiritually, they would come.”

The growth in students reflects the overall expansion of the parish. Since Fr. Belanger was assigned as the pastor of St. George, the number of families Fr. Dan Belanger, CSV registered has nearly tripled. When he arrived in 2009, there were 105 families in the parish. At last count, according to Viatorian Associate Susan Surprenant, the number has grown to more than 275 families. “It’s his enthusiasm,” Susan says.

“It’s infectious.”

And come they did. Fr. Belanger started a garden committee, which undertook sprucing up the landscaping on church grounds. Now they are in the process of adding a memorial grotto and rosary garden.

He also started an art and environment committee to enhance the church interior. They immediately acted to have the stained glass windows installed, which had been obtained from an abandoned church. The next project included bringing in a new organ and redesigning the choir loft that surrounded it. “With improved liturgy

Celebrating Our Jubilarians Fr. James Fanale, CSV

Indiana. While teaching part-time at DePaul University in Chicago, he worked at the Viatorian Province Center researching the history of the founding of the Viatorian Province of Chicago.

As a longtime student, teacher, researcher, poet and pastor, Fr. James Fanale, CSV, comes to the mark of 50 years as a Viatorian. A close friend of his says, “Jim is the unique sort of person who takes the layer of the ordinary and lifts it off to come to the layer of the extraordinary. He does this in many aspects: humor, beauty, whether in nature, art, friendship and shared life itself. Those who know him are willing to be persistent so as to make their own lives a little lighter and at the same time deeper and more joyful.”

Since 1996, he has been the pastor of the small country parish of St. Anne in St. Anne, IL, where he has been able to unite all of his gifts as teacher, scholar, artist and religious priest.

Fr. John Linnan, CSV Like so many Viatorians, Fr. John Linnan attended Cathedral Boys High School/Griffin High School in Springfield. He was a member of the first group of Viatorians who completed their novitiate in Arlington Heights.

Fr. Fanale, like many Viatorians, graduated from Griffin High School in Springfield and entered the Clerics of St. Viator in 1960. He has been a lifelong learner and a humble scholar. He completed his bachelor’s degree at Loyola University in Chicago and his master’s degree at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Both degrees were in English literature. He was ordained a priest in 1969. By 1986, he earned his doctorate in Medieval English literature from the University of Illinois in Champaign.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. His seminary studies were completed at Louvain University in Belgium where he was ordained on April 3, 1961, his birthday.

It was at Louvain University that he completed his postgraduate studies and was awarded, cum laude, his doctorate in sacred theology. For his thesis, he wrote on the evangelical background of Cardinal John Henry Newman. In his years of seminary teaching, his specialty was doctrinal theology. During the course of his ministry, he taught high school at Spalding Institute in Peoria, worked as a campus minister at the Center for Religion and Life in Reno, and served as the pastor at Our Lady of Wisdom in Reno, and Maternity BVM. He directed many retreats for a variety of groups across the country.

For the first 10 years of his teaching career, Fr. Fanale was assigned to Bishop McNamara High School in Kankakee. While completing his doctoral program at the University of Illinois, he taught in the English department. Between 1986 and 1990, he taught at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in Terre Haute, 4

planning and implementation, there are so many areas we can now participate in,” Susan adds.

Other additions include starting a Saint George Parish Garden Committee Holy Name Society that draws in men of the parish to work together on projects, as well as a women’s group. He also started a peace and justice committee, whose members have reached out to people in Japan and Haiti where the Viatorians have religious foundations - after the recent natural disasters.

Ironically, one of the areas that Fr. Belanger had the most experience with hasn’t been addressed yet: a youth group. “We’re working

on it,” he says. “There are many active youth groups in the area that are really strong, so I have to go slowly.”

Remarkably, Fr. Belanger still has spare time. He fills it, in part, by serving as chaplain at Bishop McNamara High School in Kankakee, returning a Viatorian presence to that high school that the community previously administered and staffed.

Fr. Belanger spends three days a week at the high school. He presides at all of the school Masses, leads retreats, and oversees the service requirement for students. “I’m busy,” he says, “but it’s fun.”

Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, describes Fr. Dan as a “go-getter” and one who “makes things happen.” Most of all, however, he sees him fulfilling the mission of Fr. Querbes, by carrying out the Viatorian charism in a contemporary setting. “He has brought new life to the parish. He invites new and old parishioners alike to join together in making St. George parish a community where faith is lived, deepened and celebrated.”

Eileen O’Grady Daday

For most of his career, Fr. Linnan was a teacher of theology both at the Viatorian Seminary in Washington, DC (1965 to 1972) and at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago (1979 to 2009). He served as the president of Catholic Theological Union from 1981 until 1987.

many, if not all, of the homilies and retreat talks he has given since his ordination on May 27, 1961.

He taught English at Spalding Institute in Peoria and at Saint Viator High School in Arlington Heights. He was assistant pastor at Maternity BVM parish in Bourbonnais and St. Joseph parish in Springfield, and he was pastor [twice] at St. Patrick parish in Kankakee. From 1988 to 1994, he served as a general councilor at the general headquarters of the Clerics of St. Viator in Rome.

“I have lived and worked in North America and Europe and traveled widely. In so many ways, the Viatorians have given me the means, the opportunities, and the encouragement to continue that voyage of discovery that I began in the novitiate. They have said to me, not in words, but in the ideals and opportunities they have given me, that it is important that I find God and that I find myself, not just for my own sake, but for the sake of all those to whom God, through the agency of the Viatorians, sends me.”

He commemorates his ordination with these words: “On May 15, 1879, Cardinal Newman received the ‘red hat’ from Pope Leo XIII in a public consistory in Rome. A small part of his bedroom in the Birmingham Oratory became his private chapel. Hanging above the altar is a large portrait of St. Francis de Sales. It was from him that Newman borrowed his coat of arms: cor ad cor loquitur (heart speaks to heart). As well as being the patron saint of writers, Francis de Sales advocated a spirituality marked by simplicity, gentleness, compassion and empathy. This, I believe, may also be said of Newman and in this respect Newman has been my spiritual mentor over many years. Beyond a doubt, the life and writings of Cardinal John Henry Newman have been and remain a significant part of my life, spiritually, academically as well as pastorally.”

Donald Houde, CSV

Fr. George Auger, CSV If one has questions about the wisdom of the theologian and poet Cardinal John Henry Newman, or the priest-poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, or of a poem like “St. Agnes Eve” by the English Romantic poet John Keats, then one should visit with Fr. George Auger, CSV. During his 50 years as a Viatorian priest, he has pursued his lifelong study of beauty, truth and spirituality that is housed in the works of the thinkers and poets who became his friends and dominated his interests as a young man. Fr. Auger’s years of priesthood are marked by his continued work as a student.

Evidence can be found today in the files in his room containing 5

devoted

In the Footsteps of Our Founder...

Farewell Papal Audience The Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars approved the statutes of the Association of the Parochial Clerics or Catechists on September 21, 1838.

Pope Gregory XVI, on that same day, approved and confirmed their decision and ordered apostolic letters to be issued in the form of a brief.

Fr. Louis Querbes had achieved his purpose for coming to Rome. Despite strong encouragement to remain in Rome to facilitate the publication of the papal brief, he decided not to linger. He deemed it important to return to his parish and to his new religious congregation. His decision proved to be prescient. The pontifically approved apostolic letters (the papal brief ), but they were not published until May 31, 1839.

Fr. Querbes did not want, however, to depart Rome without thanking the Holy Father. Pope Gregory XVI originally granted Fr. Querbes a private audience on the occasion of his arrival June 20, 1838. Fr. Querbes explained the reason for his presence and read to the pope, in Italian, the history and the major characteristics of his proposed religious congregation.

Gracious God, be forever blest for your gift in Fr. Louis Querbes, dedicated pastor in the education of youth, and in the service of sacred liturgy, and founder of the Viatorian Community.

In his biography of Fr. Louis Querbes, Fr. Pierre Robert, CSV, wrote: “Gregory XVI received this explanation with a very marked interest and kindness” which Fr. Querbes “saw an augury of the favorable, if not accelerated, progress of his proposal” (Robert, From This Root 169). It was only after this audience that the sacred congregation began to seriously consider Fr. Querbes' petition.

Consequently, Fr. Querbes believed that it was his duty, before leaving Rome, to express his loyalty and thanksgiving to Pope Gregory XVI. The farewell audience was arranged for September 27, 1838.

Fr. Querbes knelt at the feet of the Holy Father, which, in that era, was the traditional expression of homage and respect. He related his heartfelt appreciation for the papal approbation of the Clerics of St. Viator. Fr. Querbes requested favors and apostolic blessings for his religious congregation and his parish. Always thinking of others with gratitude for their friendship and support, he requested a series of special spiritual favors.

Those “others” were identified as his biographer, Fr. Robert Pierre, CSV, later to become the third superior general of the Clerics of St. Viator, as well as: “A plenary indulgence to be gained twice a month for Fr. Chulleton, [his moral theology professor at St. Irenaeus, then vicar general, Lyons, and always his advocate with Archbishop de Pins], M. deVerna [President, Lyons Central Council, propagation of the faith, guardian and temporary rector of the Clerics of St. Viator], and Misses Madeleine and Antoinette Comte [Lyons and Vourles], and generous benefactors” (Robert, From This Root 178). Each request was granted. At the conclusion of the audience, Pope Gregory XVI proposed to Fr. Querbes yet another unique privilege: an invitation to pronounce his first vows as a Clerics of St. Viator to the Holy Father himself.

Leo V. Ryan, CSV

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Q & A with John Leahy Q. Are there a couple of

distinct things that you will take away from the experience?

A. Yes. Too many

Viatorian associates meet with John in Belize.

things to enumerate but one example would be a change in my view of what I truly need. It's easy to get caught up in wanting so many things when anything is so readily available here in the States. But really I don't need those things.

Q. When you look back on this year, what are the first things that will

John works with students at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Belize.

pop in your head?

A. The people I worked with. Many of them became very

John Leahy just concluded a year volunteering with the Viatorians at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Belize, Central America. His service helped shape a long-term volunteer experience that is currently in the developmental stages with the Viatorian Office of Vocations. For John, who graduated from Saint Viator High School and from the University of Notre Dame, and now is in his first year at Harvard Law School, the experience was life changing. In fact, as he says below, “it changed the lens through which I view the world.”

good friends. The individual experiences were memorable, but I will never forget the friends I made.

Q. Any particular students that stand out?

A. Of course there were a couple of students that were exceptionally

bright. I felt like part of my job was encouraging them to dream.

Many of my students just didn't recognize the opportunities that exist for them if they are willing or able to make the sacrifices.

And if they do have dream, they often have no idea of how to get from where they are now – to where they want to be.

Q. You could have volunteered with other organizations, but you chose the Viatorians. Why?

Q. What type of person would benefit from an experience like this in

A. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. It was all the things I

the future?

wanted. It was international. It was financially feasible. It was a reasonable commitment. The Viatorians were pretty flexible in so far as I could somewhat tailor the service to my strengths and interests. That was really important to me, and in hindsight, it was maybe the best part of this particular service experience.

A. I think the person who would benefit most is the person who is most open-minded about the experience. It can't help but to change the way you view the world. You just have to let it.

Q. What did you hope to learn?

Q. Finally, how will this year help you as you begin law school at Harvard?

A. I don't think I had one thing that I wanted to learn. I had an open mind about the whole experience. And I think it really A. I think this goes back to not taking things for granted. "To transformed me. It changed the lens through which I view

whom much has been given..." and I realize I've been given a whole heck of a lot. When I don't want to do that extra hour of studying, I hope I can think of the family of the student at Chunox St. Viator Vocational High School in Belize who might be worrying about the $175 annual tuition fee and then think about what has been invested in my education. All of a sudden, the work isn't a burden; it's a privilege.

the world.

Q. How did it end up changing your way of thinking?

A. I try not to take things for granted anymore. I inevitably do, but it can almost be comical at times the things I think are important or stressful.

Eileen O’Grady Daday

volunteer mission 7

Viatorians Welcome Two New Priests In the span of just two weeks this past spring, the Viatorian Community celebrated the ordination of two professed members to the priesthood – Fr. Moses Mesh, CSV, and Fr. Jason Nesbit, CSV.

Though they will be serving in vastly different parishes, both of these new Viatorian priests will be instrumental in creating vibrant faith communities.

On May 28, Bishop Dorick Wright of the Diocese of Belize City Bishop Rassas ordains Fr. Jason Nesbit, CSV. and Belmopan, ordained Fr. Mesh at St. Francis Xavier Church, in Corozal Town, Belize.

The next day he celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving in his home in the village of Chunox.

Bishop Wright ordains Fr. Moses Mesh, CSV.

Fr. Mesh celebrates his first Mass.

Fr. Mesh was raised in the village of Chunox, where the Viatorians now run Chunox St. Viator Vocational High School.

His first teaching assignment came at the age 16, at the village school in Copper Bank, across the lagoon from his village. In order to get to school, he canoed. He entered the Viatorian Community as a pre-novice in 2002. He taught initially at St. Francis Xavier school in Corozal Town before coming to the United States to make his novitiate at St. Patrick parish in Kankakee. After professing first vows in 2005, he returned to Belize to teach in the village of Concepción. “I have come to know and love the Viatorians and I am proud to be counted among them,” Fr. Mesh said.

One week later, Bishop George Rassas, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago, ordained Fr. Nesbit at Maternity BVM Church in Bourbonnais, where he celebrated his Mass of Thanksgiving the next day.

Fr. Nesbit said he first sensed his calling to be a religious as a child and was nurtured by his family and his parish priests who were Viatorians.

“After meeting so many Viatorians at the province center, seeing them minister to young and old, and meeting retired Viatorians who were still open to learning new things, I really felt like I could be at home in this community.”

Fr. Mesh is the first Viatorian priest from the Foundation of Belize. He describes it as a dream come true and the community agrees. “He is a living testament to the great work and vision of those first Viatorians who founded the mission in Corozal in 1998,” said Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, provincial.

At the same time, he pointed with pride to Fr. Nesbit whom he said brings a contagious enthusiasm and eagerness to serve others in his role as assistant pastor. “The people of Maternity BVM parish have been greatly blessed by having a newly ordained priest assigned to them to serve at the altar and bring the good news of Jesus Christ to all he meets in the wonderful community of Bourbonnais,” Fr. von Behren added.

Fr. Richard Pighini, CSV, helps Fr. Nesbit before he celebrates his first Mass.

In addition to their ordinations as priests this past spring, both recently received their master of divinity degrees from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

Eileen O’Grady Daday 8

Viatorian Mass and Prayer Cards Get a New Look The Viatorian Community’s Mass Cards and Prayer Enrollment Cards have been redesigned. The new variety of cards include a Perpetual Certificate, enclosed in a booklet, which enrolls the individual named in the Certificate in the on-going prayers of the Viatorian Community. Living Mass and Mass of Remembrance cards are offered as a one-time Mass at the Viatorian Province Center in Arlington Heights. Prayer enrollments also are available for specific needs, such as: A Prayer for You (prayers for illness or special needs), A Prayer of Remembrance (a memorial enrollment to remember the deceased), A Special Prayer for You (prayers for anniversaries, special events, graduation, etc.), and A Birthday Prayer.

Suggested donations are $30 for Perpetual Certificates; $15 for Mass Cards; and $10 for Prayer Enrollment Cards.

You may order cards online at www.viatorians.com or call 847.637.2125.

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube: Vocation Ministry Meets Social Media

Fr. Corey Brost, CSV, new vocation ministry director

In July, Fr. Corey Brost, CSV, assumed the role of vocation ministry director with Bart Hisgen as assistant director. Together, they hit the ground running. Within weeks, they established a Viatorian Facebook page – specifically for vocations – as well as a Twitter account, and began podcasting and video casting on YouTube.

Bart points to a landmark study published by the National Religious Vocations Conference and the Center for Research in the Apostolate that said using Internet media in vocation ministry is more likely to attract younger audiences. “The aim is not as much high tech flash, as it is to create channels through which the community can deepen and strengthen established relationships,” Bart says. “These channels encourage young people and Viatorians to continue in relationship throughout high school and beyond.”

Social media encourages a shared sense of belonging to a community larger than any singular institution, high school or youth group. "I want to get the Viatorians out in the public arena so people can find us,” Bart adds. “Websites are a good start, but I want young people to find us when they are searching.”

Fr. Brost agreed and he threw himself into social media. He filmed a welcome video for the Viatorian Youth Congress delegates on YouTube and posted it on the Viatorian site as well as on Facebook. “It’s a new way to stay connected,” he says, “and reach a wider audience.”

The Viatorian Community thanked Br. Daniel Lydon, CSV, who completed four years as coordinator of vocation ministry.

“Under Dan's leadership, a team approach to vocation ministry was

developed,” says Br. Michael Gosch, CSV, assistant provincial, “that created the Viatorian Youth Congress as well as the Viator House of Discernment in Chicago.” Br. Lydon began his new ministry in August as a theology teacher at Saint Viator High School in Arlington Heights.

Bart Hisgen - the new assistant

Bart brings a unique background to vocation ministry director his new job. For the last four years, he lived with his wife and two young sons in northern Peru, serving as a lay missionary with the Comboni Congregation. Prior to that, Bart served as associate director of the Peacebuilders Initiative for the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, which uses multiple social media platforms to reach its young audience, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Now based at the Viatorian Province Center in Arlington Heights, Bart works closely with Fr. Brost in developing strategies and programs that promote the Viatorian Community. He designs programs that enable young adults to live the Viatorian charism, such as the Viatorian Youth Congress and a long-term volunteer service program. He even hopes to develop some short-term service projects for young adults to come and work where Viatorians minister. “My intentions are to witness to the ongoing nature of religious life within the Viatorians,” Bart says, “and share the vision of Fr. Louis Querbes by continuing the Viatorian charism in our contemporary world.”

Eileen O’Grady Daday 9

In Memoriam – Fr. Hugh Robbins, CSV (1926-2011)

Fr. Hugh Robbins, CSV, died on May 23, after an extended illness. He was 84.

Fr. Robbins holds a rare distinction among his Viatorian confreres: he was the only Viatorian to play a part in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. He appeared in the 1969 mystery thriller, “Topaz,” and although his role as an extra was brief, he could be seen clearly on Fr. Hugh Robbins, CSV screen as he disembarked from an airplane. “That was Hugh,” said his former student and confrere, Fr. Robert Erickson, CSV. “He was always looking to experience new things.”

High School in Kankakee, and Kennedy High School in Seattle, WA.

“With his love of music and drama, he taught in nearly all of our schools.”

After his 30-year teaching career, Fr. Robbins reported to his first pastorate assignment at the parishes of Sacred Heart Church in Oconee, IL, and at St. Joseph Church in nearby Ramsey. “He really enjoyed it,” Fr. von Behren said. “It was a rural area and the people were very genuine. He really enjoyed getting to know them on a personal level.”

Family members recall that while growing up in St. Lucy Parish in Chicago, Fr. Robbins became aware of the Viatorians who ministered at the parish by saying daily morning Masses.

He entered the Viatorian Community after graduating from high school in 1944 and took his first vows in 1945.

Fr. Robbins earned a bachelor’s degree in art before he professed his final vows as a Viatorian. He was ordained a priest in 1952.

Fr. Robbins went on to earn a master’s degree in drama at the Catholic University of America. While there, family members said, he made some lasting connections in the world of drama and theater, one of which led to his Hitchcock appearance.

“He was very energetic and highly independent,” said Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, provincial. “He was often called to do different things than most Viatorians, with his love of drama and the stage, but over the years, he taught in nearly all of our schools.”

Fr. Robbins taught English and Latin at his first teaching assignment, Cathedral Boys High School /Griffin High School in Springfield. It was there that Fr. Erickson was one of his students and he vividly remembers the plays that Fr. Robbins helped produce. "I was in all his plays, all four years,” Fr. Erickson said. “He opened me to a whole new world of literature, poetry, and especially to William Shakespeare. And he dramatically acted all that out in class. His classes were never boring.”

Fr. Robbins brought his love of theater and of musicals wherever he went, including teaching stints at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, St. Philip High School in Chicago, Alleman High School in Rock Island, Griffin High School and Ursuline Academy, both in Springfield, Bishop McNamara

Fr. Robbins with his trusted dog, Apache

One of his more unusual ministries took to him a remote part of Alaska where he worked in parish ministry. His cousin, Jean Roach, suggested that it was his Alaskan husky, Apache, who may have planted the seed for an interest in serving the people living in the wilderness. Fr. Robbins spent two years in the borough of Skagway, Alaska, which was the famous setting for Jack Wild’s novel, The Call of the Wild. Joan Cunningham, another of Fr. Robbins’ cousins, said it was a difficult assignment for him and not just because of the remoteness. “It was hard living,” she said. “These were frontier people.”

By contrast, his retirement years were far more refined. Fr. Robbins had time to pursue his many interests, from leading classic film discussions, taking in the opera, visiting the Art Institute of Chicago, to enjoying Notre Dame football games.

“He was a Renaissance man,” Fr. Erickson said.

We will miss him.

Eileen O’Grady Daday 10

Francis “Foo” Chamness (1927-2011)

Viatorian Associate Francis Chamness died on July 6 in his home in Bourbonnais. He was 84. Francis Chamness was known throughout the Bourbonnais/Kankakee region by just one name, "Foo." His boyhood nickname stuck, and its gentleness and unpretentiousness captured Foo’s personality.

He loved children and lived his Associate Francis Chamness, CSV life to serve others. “He just radiated goodness,” said Fr. John Linnan, CSV, one of several Viatorian pastors who worked with him at Maternity BVM parish where Foo faithfully ministered as an ordained permanent deacon.

Foo served with several Viatorian pastors at Maternity, including Fr. James Crilly, CSV, Fr. Lawrence Lentz, CSV, Fr. Charles Bolser, CSV, Fr. John Linnan, CSV, and Fr. Richard Pighini, CSV. Universally, they described Foo’s ministry as a permanent deacon and as a Viatorian associate as a vital one in delivering sacraments to parishioners. “We were lucky to have both Foo and Mush,” Fr. Linnan said.

“They knew everyone in the parish – and they were hard workers. They were willing to take communion to the homebound and to the nursing homes. They did baptisms and visited with families at wakes.”

Hundreds of people filled the church for his funeral Mass, which was concelebrated by several Viatorian priests.

Another Viatorian, Br. Dale Barth, CSV, recalled working closely with Foo at the parish, and he marveled at his ability to do so many things, beyond his ministry. “He could cook and we often worked together at barbecues,” Br. Barth recalled.

“He also had his pilot’s license, and he loved to fly. He was just a good man. He loved serving people, in 'hands-on' kinds of ways.”

Fr. Jason Nesbit, CSV, preached the homily in which he described Foo’s 25 years as a permanent deacon in the parish, serving its members. “His kind and loving demeanor embraced his family and radiated throughout the community, and around the world – even in Belize,” Fr. Nesbit said.

As a Viatorian associate, Foo became active in the medical missions in Belize, Central America. With his wife, Henrietta, trained as a registered nurse, he and others, including Br. Barth and Associate Patty Wischnowski, traveled to the Viatorian mission in Belize, visiting eight to nine villages on each trip.

“He was just a good man. He loved serving people in hands-on kind of ways”

Foo’s assignment was to support the makeshift pharmacy they established, but he was drawn to go out and serve the people, colleagues said. He always traveled with a duffel bag filled with candy suckers to hand out to the children. “Once he handed out the first one, they’d run to him like deer,” Br. Barth recalled.

Foo made a living as a meat cutter, building the successful business, Tri-City Meats in Kankakee, with his brother-in-law, Eucharist "Mush" Marcotte. He and his wife, Henrietta, raised a family of seven children in Bourbonnais where Foo became more involved in his faith.

His most recent passion was to restore bicycles obtained by the Kankakee Police Department, but not claimed. Together with Mush, they restored nearly 10 shipments of bicycles to send to the Viatorian mission in Belize. “On one of his medical mission trips, he and Mush saw a man riding a bike that they had restored,” Fr. Nesbit said. “It was a rare moment in which he was able to see how his contributions had made a difference in the lives of everyday people.”

He was a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus and his parish involvement led him to study for the diaconate. In 1986 he was ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Joliet. “He was a caring, compassionate man,” said Viatorian Associate Patty Wischnowski. “His energy was boundless and he always was there if anyone had a need.”

We will miss him.

Eileen O’Grady Daday

in memoriam 11

In Memoriam – Fr. Thomas Wise, CSV (1925-2011)

Fr. Thomas Wise, CSV, died on August 11, after an extended illness. He was 85. Fr. Wise served for more than 62 years with the Viatorians as a teacher, chaplain and administrator.

However, his vibrant legacy remains at Colegio San Viator in Bogotá, Colombia, which he helped to establish shortly after arriving there exactly 50 years Fr.Thomas Wise, CSV ago. Colegio San Viator now has an enrollment of more than 1,000 students and is led by Fr. Pedro Herrera, CSV, one of its graduates.

Fr. Wise’s confreres and family members reflected on this groundbreaking assignment and on his willingness to travel to South America – knowing no Spanish – when they gathered to mourn his loss. “He was a pioneer,” said Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, provincial. “We give thanks for his commitment and openness to the Spirit, as one ‘called to serve.’”

Fr. Wise grew up in Chicago and attended St. Ignatius High School. During World War II, he served on a Navy destroyer and family members suggested that the experience helped to shape him and perhaps opened him to serving others in foreign countries. “He was afraid of nothing,” said his sister, Cecilia McEnerny. “But more than that, he loved God and that influenced everything he did.”

“He was a good listener, which was very valuable as an educator.”

One of Fr. Wise’s nieces, Nancy Wise Antoon, described how she and her siblings would gather around the kitchen table to hear his letters from Colombia read aloud by their father, Bernard Wise. “My father was so excited that he was doing missionary work,” Nancy said. “He wanted us to embrace that same feeling of being open to serving others.”

Many of Fr. Wise’s former students wrote to express their condolences and their fond memories of attending the school that changed their lives. Guillermo Ramos Gomez, a teacher and administrator in Bogotá, described his former teacher as man of quiet wisdom, who knew how to understand and cooperate with the Colombian culture and how to partner with individuals to move the Colegio San Viator forward. “He was the first Viatorian I met when my mother went to seek admission for me at the school in 1964,” Guillermo wrote in his email from Colombia.“I remember one of his qualities was

that he was a good listener, which was very valuable as an educator,” he added. “The creation of the colegio was not just making a building, but the training of young people and our generation as educators. Now, as an educator, I appreciate and understand the pedagogical qualities of Fr. Wise.”

Fr. Wise taught religion to some of the early students at Colegio San Viator.

Fr. Wise joined the Clerics of Saint Viator in 1949 and was ordained a priest in 1956. His first teaching assignments took him to Cathedral Boys High School /Griffin High School in Springfield and to Spalding Institute in Peoria.

However, in 1961, the year the Second Vatican Council opened, Pope John XXIII called for religious congregations to open missions throughout the world. The Viatorians responded to that call and Fr. Wise was one of three who volunteered.

Fr. James Crilly, CSV, accompanied Fr. Wise to Colombia and served as his superior. He described Fr. Wise as being “reticent and humble” and one who would have been uncomfortable with taking credit for the growth of the Viatorian mission in Bogotá. “He was an honest man, who worked hard and lived his life as a priest and a Viatorian,” Fr. Crilly said.

Upon returning in 1970 from Colombia, Fr. Wise taught for one year at Saint Viator High School, before serving at St. Viator Church in Chicago, St. Viator Church in Las Vegas, and at Holy Family Church in Granite City, IL. He retired in 2001 to the Viatorian Province Center.

His niece, Nancy, closed her eulogy by recounting her last conversation with her uncle. She described how she had told him of her mother’s new condominium in Florida, and that perhaps he could come down and join their family. “Nancy,” he told her, from the hospice room in the province center, “I am with my family.”

We will miss him.

Eileen O’Grady Daday 12

Fr. Patrick Durkin, CSV (1926-2011)

Fr. Patrick Durkin, CSV, a founding faculty member of Saint Viator High School, in Arlington Heights, died on August 14. He was 85.

Fr. Durkin's death came less than one week before the beginning of his beloved Saint Viator High School's historic 50th anniversary year. “He lived out his original dream, Fr. Patrick Durkin, CSV of wanting to belong to a religious order of teachers and of living it out as a priest,” said Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, provincial.

Fr. Durkin earned his undergraduate degree in biology from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, IA, and a master’s degree in physiology from Catholic University of America in Washington.

His early teaching career took him to Spalding Institute in Peoria, St. Philip High School in Chicago, and Cathedral Boys/Griffin High School in Springfield, before joining the founding faculty of Saint Viator High School.

Fr. Robert M. Egan, CSV, current president of Saint Viator, remembers having Fr. Durkin as a biology instructor. “He was intense and very disciplined,” Fr. Egan said. “There was no nonsense in the classroom, while at the same time he was a good teacher who clearly cared about his students and wanted them to succeed.”

Fr. Durkin was among 15 Viatorians and three lay teachers who opened the school in 1961. He taught biology and math during the school’s initial years and coached the first golf team.

He later became the dean of discipline. “He set a record while coaching that will never be surpassed,” said Jack Halpin, current Saint Viator golf coach, “with 59 consecutive match play victories. Well-played, Fr. Durkin!”

Within five years of arriving at Saint Viator High School, Fr. Pat Durkin was tapped to serve as it’s dean of discipline, taking over midyear for a coach who had become ill. “That was a job that required a unique and strong personality in a school of over 1,000 boys,” Fr. Egan said. “But he was up to the task, and he helped to assure a well-ordered and disciplined school.”

By 1970, Fr. Durkin left secondary education to start a second career as a hospital chaplain. Fr. von Behren noted that when Fr. Durkin was a newly ordained priest, he helped out during the summers at a tuberculosis clinic in Chicago. This early pastoral experience planted the seed for his extended ministry as a hospital chaplain. “I always had a notion that I would like to work with patients in crisis and their families,” Fr. Durkin said. He would spend the next 25 years in hospital chaplaincy, starting at the Manteno State hospital in Manteno, IL, before heading west and serving as director of pastoral care at O’Connor Hospital and at St. Jude Hospital, both in California.

But his Viatorian colleagues said he always took his greatest pride in being among the founding faculty of Saint Viator High School. “Those early priests and brothers were the pioneers who helped to establish a tradition of excellence that has lasted 50 Fr. Durkin counsels a Saint Viator High School student in the dean's office. years,” Fr. Egan noted. “They left a wonderful legacy to our high school community.”

His Viatorian colleagues said his legacy remains in the classroom and in the high academic standards at the high school, Fr. Durkin retired from active ministry in 1995. He moved which he helped to establish. “He was a qualified educator first to the Viatorian retirement residence in Las Vegas before who brought a level of professionalism to the school,” said moving to the retirement residence at the Viatorian Province Fr. Patrick Render, CSV, an early administrator at the school.

Center in Arlington Heights.

“He was among a number of Viatorians who set the bar for We will miss him. the school and its faculty.”

Eileen O’Grady Daday

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Around the Province...

The Provincial Council of the Clerics of St. Viator signed two letters in early June. The first letter, written by the Washington Office on Latin America (www.wola.org), requests that members of Congress oppose ratification of the U.S.- Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The second letter, written by the National Immigration Law Center (www.nilc.org) and addressed to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, advocates for education rather than deportation of undocumented youth.

The Clerics of St. Viator congratulate the graduates of Saint Viator High School in Arlington Heights and St. Martin de Porres High School in Waukegan. The 48th commencement exercise took place at Saint Viator High School on May 15. The 286 graduates earned $21 million in scholarships. The 4th commencement exercise for St. Martin de Porres High School took place at Most Blessed Trinity Church in Waukegan on June 4. Its 65 graduates earned $6.3 million in scholarships, and all have been accepted into college.

Several 2011 high school graduates joined Viatorian associates, brothers, and priests on June 14 for the fourth annual student ministry leader retreat at the Viatorian Province Center in Arlington Heights.

Student ministry leaders from St. Martin de Porres High School, St. Viator parish in Chicago, and Saint Viator High School participated in small group discussions, Students attend the 4th annual student ministry retreat.

Eucharist, and a meal which allowed them the opportunity to focus on the challenge of continuing to live their faith once they start college in the fall. Three current college students who graduated from Viatorian schools and/or parishes gave the talks.

Fr. Daniel Hall, CSV, a representative of Saint Viator High School and Fr. Christopher Glancy, CSV, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Church in Corozal Town, Belize presented 38 musical instruments to Corozal Community College on June 16.

Upon receiving the donated instruments, the music teacher stated, “This was like Christmas in June for us. Thank you!” Donations of gently used musical instruments are still being accepted. For more information, please contact Karen Cutler at (847) 637-2125.

Saint Viator High School graduate Matt Letke of Arlington Heights spent three weeks in July as a volunteer in Belize. Matt assisted Associate Rafael Cob with the construction of an addiMatt clears ground for a new room addition. tional room for a one-room home that housed a single mother and her six children. “I wanted to widen my circle of awareness,” Matt says. “My ethics class at Saint Viator taught me that so much more meaning can come out of life if you’re willing to wander off the path a little.”

The 2nd annual Viatorian Youth Congress took place August 1-4 at the Techny Towers Retreat Center in Techny, IL. Twelve young adult leaders led 40 teenage delegates from Viatorian ministry sites in Nevada and Illinois in four days of prayer, reflection and discussion about how they can actively participate in the Viatorian mission.

Community members and adult lay leaders accompanied them.

Presentations, prayer services and liturgies highlighted the Viatorian spirituality, emphasizing the importance of communal prayer, a rich interior life of prayer, and embracing those “accounted of little importance.”

Fr. John Milton, CSV, spent part of his August vacation hosting workshops for science teachers in Corozal District, Belize where Viatorians oversee 19 elementary schools and one high school. He guided his eager students through a series of student lab exercises on electrical circuits, magnetism, and image formation with lenses, all using equipment that he had brought with him. Fr. Milton plans follow up trips to offer additional workshops on an as needed basis. Despite having retired from teaching full-time classes in physics at DePaul University, his love of the subject keeps him busy at St. Martin de Porres High School where he volunteers in the science department.

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The Arlington Heights/Chicago region of the Viatorian Community gathered at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, IL on Sept. 3 to remember all deceased members of the province in a special prayer service. As the names of the deceased were read, carnations were placed on their tombstones. This annual pilgrimage coincides with the anniversary of the death of Fr. Querbes who died in Vourles, France on September 1, 1859.

Viatorians Participate in Torture Awareness Month Activities Several years ago, members of human rights organizations and religious congregations in the United States declared June to be Torture Awareness Month so as to highlight the blight of torture and to facilitate actions across the U.S. that call for an end to torture. As a result,Viatorians participated in a number of events that addressed the issue of torture.

Fr. Thomas Long, CSV, coordinated a Witness for Peace delegation of 10 people who traveled in August to Cali, Colombia. They traveled to the surrounding regions to meet with community leaders engaged in human rights struggles.

Rampant violence and abuse are common themes they heard while listening to their stories. After the trip to Cali, Fr. Long was able to meet with Fr. Alberto Franco, a well-known Colombian human rights activist. Fr. Franco spoke about his work within a religious agency called Justicia y Paz. The many works of Justicia y Paz include documenting atrocities, advocating on behalf of victims who are seeking justice, working to keep the memory of those assassinated alive and accompanying displaced people as they return to their homelands. Please keep the people of Colombia in your prayers.

Viatorians endorsed and participated in a June 21, 2011 vigil condemning U.S. sponsored torture. Beginning at President Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters at Prudential Plaza, participants walked silently in a solemn procession to the Federal Building where they participated in a prayer service, led by Jerica Arents, remembering those who have been tortured both at home in U.S. prisons and abroad in such places as Abu Ghraib, Bagram, and Guantanamo Prison.

The Provincial Council of the Clerics of St. Viator added its name to a letter to IL Sen. Mark Kirk last month. The letter, signed by several faith leaders, requests Sen. Kirk's support "for refugees and displaced populations in the Horn of Africa and around the world." The letter urges Sen. Kirk not to vote in favor of budget cuts that would affect "life-saving international assistance, in particular the Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA), International Disaster Assistance (IDA), and the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA)."

During the prayer service, excerpts of a letter to Senators Richard Durbin and Mark Kirk were read. The letter was co-signed by the Provincial Council of the Clerics of St. Viator. Sr. Benita Coffey offered a reflection on the blight of torture. An excerpt from a letter of a former detainee at Guantanamo Prison preceded a final prayer.

The Viatorian community recently welcomed Eileen O'Grady Daday as its director of communications and public relations. Eileen, a writer for the Daily Herald newspaper and a part-time communications writer at Saint Viator High School, is responsible for promoting the mission of the Viatorians through Eileen O'Grady Daday various media outlets. She is no stranger to readers of Viator since her articles have appeared in this newsletter for the past several years. Welcome, Eileen.

On June 30, 2011, the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago, the Clerics of St. Viator (Viatorians), White Rose Catholic Worker and 8th Day Center for Justice sponsored a presentation on U.S. sponsored torture and the effects torture has on the person tortured. Held at St. Viator parish in Chicago, the event featured National Campaign Against Torture’s film, Ending U.S. Sponsored Torture Forever, a personal testimony from Mario Venegas, a survivor of torture, and table discussions on the morality of torture.

Participants signed postcards urging their U.S. legislators to create a bi-partisan Commission of Inquiry to investigate U.S. sponsored acts of torture.

Michael Gosch, CSV Viator Newsletter is published three times a year by the Office of Mission Advancement for the Clerics of St. Viator, Province of Chicago.

Email: news@viatorians.com Editorial Board: Website: www.viatorians.com Fr. Thomas R. von Behren, CSV Provincial: Fr. Thomas R. von Behren, CSV

Editor: Fr. Thomas E. Long, CSV

Director of Communications: Eileen O’Grady Daday

Finally, the Provincial Council of the Clerics of St. Viator (Viatorians) added its name to a statement calling for an end to the practice of prolonged solitary confinement written by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.

Br. Michael T. Gosch, CSV Br. Donald P. Houde, CSV Fr. Thomas G. Kass, CSV Br. Leo V. Ryan, CSV

For more information on the issue of torture, please visit www.nrcat.org and www.tassc.org and the “What’s New” page of the Viatorian website at www.viatorians.com.

Layout and Design: Dianna Ehrenfried, Visualedge, Inc.

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Clerics of St. Viator 1212 E. Euclid Avenue Arlington Heights, IL 60004-5799

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Provincial Perspective Yesterday, as I turned the calendar from summer to fall, I took a slow, thoughtful walk around the grounds of the province center. I reflected upon how fast time flies and asked myself, “Where did the summer go?”

It seemed like just yesterday that the trees were bursting with new life and their tender leaves were just about to bud. And, it seemed just yesterday that the grass smelled so fresh, so new after the first cut of the new season. And yes, I remember, as if it was yesterday, seeing a pair of yellow finches building their summer home in the branches of the large oak tree near our patio water fountain. Summer was just drawing upon us, and now … it is autumn … and I ask myself, “Where did the days of summer go?”

I must admit that I did not always approach time in this way. In fact, I remember that when I was a young boy growing up in Springfield, time seemed to go by so very, very slowly. The school year seemed to last forever, and Christmas day seemed like it would never come. I always anticipated the next thing, the next big event, while often missing the “things and events” that were right in front of my very eyes. I suspect that is not a unique experience but rather one that is shared by many of us, experiences common to the young and perhaps less wise.

Today, I try to live life more slowly … and more gratefully. I try to take time to look back and often during these moments of reflection I find myself overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude and appreciation. And, it is when I take time to look back, that I profoundly realize how blessed I am and how

Inside truly happy and content I am with the journey thus far.

Those are moments of prayer for me, moments when I feel God’s hand upon my shoulder.

This year the Viatorian Community looks back with gratitude and appreciation as we celebrate two significant milestones in our history. Last month, in Bogotá, Viatorians gathered to celebrate 50 years of Viatorian presence in Colombia. And throughout this year, Viatorians have been gathering to celebrate 50 years of educational leadership at Saint Viator High School in Arlington Heights. Both milestones call us to reflect upon a history and a journey… not just of years but of dedication, lived in faith, and expressed through personal commitments of real people — priests, brothers and lay collaborators choosing to make a difference in the day-to-day lives of those they served.

Let us take time to give thanks for all of the blessings that have been given to each of us because of them and let us express our sincere gratitude to those who have helped shape these Viatorian communities. As we look back, once again it seems clear that God’s hand has been upon their shoulders and has guided them along the way each day during these 50 years.

In St. Viator and Fr. Querbes,

Rev. Thomas R. von Behren, CSV Provincial 2

Page 1 Kankakee and Bourbonnais Teens Reach Out to Pembroke Page 2 A New Reality of Community: Viatorian Assembly 2011 Page 3 Viatorian Associate Makes Liturgies Sing Page 4-5 Fr. Dan Belanger Stirs Things Up at Saint George Parish Celebrating Our Jubilarians Page 6 In the Footsteps of our Founder Page 7 Q & A with John Leahy Page 8 Viatorians Welcome Two New Priests Page 9 Viatorian Mass & Prayer Cards Get a New Look Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; Viatorian Ministry Meets Social Media Page 10-13 In Memoriam Fr. Hugh Robbins, CSV Associate Francis “Foo” Chamness Fr. Thomas Wise, CSV Fr. Patrick Durkin, CSV Page 14-15 Around the Province Viatorians Participate in Torture Awareness Month Activities