Provincial Perspective Greetings from the Province Center,
We also lost Fr. Michael Keliher, CSV, after a long battle with cancer. His many years of ministry are described in this edition.
Summer has always been a traditional time of movement in our Viatorian Community. This year, even during a resurgent pandemic, you will read in this newsletter about many events that are occurring now or will do so in the near future.
We continue to move forward with our sponsorship of Cristo Rey St. Martin in Waukegan, IL. We are currently re-writing the by-laws for the school with the Clerics of St. Viator being the sole sponsor. This will be a wonderful new ministry for us, and we have been a part of Cristo Rey St. Martin’s growth from the feasibility study onward.
Saint Viator High School in Arlington Heights marks its 60th anniversary this year with a new president, Fr. Daniel Lydon, CSV, who assumed the role July 1. Fr. Lydon is a 1973 alumnus, and he will bring new ideas and perspectives to the position as an alumnus, former teacher, former assistant principal and now as president. Another celebration this summer is the 60th anniversary of the establishment of our Colombian foundation, which has grown into two schools, a parish and numerous chaplaincies. Another wonderful aspect of this growth is that it is a very young community in both Bogotá and Tunja.
Cristo Rey St. Viator in Las Vegas is back in session and has recently held a pop-up food pantry in a city that has been greatly impacted by the virus. They have more of these service projects planned.
Vocations are on the rise. We have one novice from Colombia who is completing his novitiate in Santiago, Chile and another, Br. Ryan McMahon, who recently began his novitiate in Bourbonnais, IL. Via ZOOM many young people have been in contact with our community via Masses, vocational conferences and general accompaniment.
As you read through these pages you will see many other activities which are too numerous for me to mention here. They serve to remind me that many wonderful things are happening in very creative ways. Thanks to all who serve our mission.
Sadly, we did lose one of our confreres to COVID-19. Fr. Rafael Sanabria, CSV, died June 26 from complications from the virus. His funeral was held at Colegio San Viator in Bogotá where he served as a chaplain. In attendance were almost all the Colombian professed Viatorians and many of our associates.
Rev. Daniel R. Hall, CSV Provincial 7
In this Issue: 2 Provincial Perspective
10 These Summer Camps Make Lasting
3 Saint Viator High School Welcomes
Impact
this Viatorian
12 Celebrating the 60th Anniversary
4 From the Archives: Saint Viator High School of Viatorians in Colombia Celebrates 60 Years of Viatorian Leadership 14 Celebrating Our Jubliarians: 6 Viatorians Vocation Ministry: Exploring God’s Invitation
7 Viatorian Community Welcomes its Newest Novice
8 Maternity BVM Parish: Celebrating its Patroness
9 Q & A with Associate Deborah Perez www.viatorians.com
Fr. Daniel Belanger, CSV, Fr. C. Gregory Jones, CSV, Fr. Felipe Montes, CSV 15 In Memoriam: Fr. Rafael Sanabria, CSV, Fr. Michael Keliher, CSV
16 Around the Province 2
www.viatorians.com
Provincial:
Fr. Daniel Hall, CSV
Editor: Fr. Thomas Long, CSV Director of Communications: Eileen O’Grady Daday
Editorial Board:
Eileen O’Grady Daday Br. John Eustice, CSV Br. Michael Gosch, CSV Mr. Daniel Masterton Ms. Amy Sherwood
Layout and Design:
Dianna Ehrenfried, Visualedge, Inc Email: news@viatorians.com
ians.com
Saint Viator High School Welcomes this Viatorian Fr. Daniel Lydon, CSV, vividly remembers walking through the doors of Saint Viator High School back in 1969 as a new freshman. As the oldest sibling, he had little knowledge of the school — and the Viatorians — and he felt nervous venturing away from his home in Elk Grove Village and Queen of the Rosary School. Now, in his return as the school president, he restores a professed Viatorian to its leadership, and he is prepared, he says, and excited. “I am amazed at the journey God has led me on since I graduated in 1973,” Fr. Lydon says. “The school was less than a decade old when I entered, and suddenly this fall, the school will celebrate its 60th anniversary.”
Fr. Daniel Lydon graduated from Saint Viator High School in 1973.
and religion, before entering the administration and ultimately serving as Assistant Principal. Along the way, he also served as Coordinator of Vocation Ministry for the Viatorian Community and directed Viatorian Association. In 2006, he followed his own advice by making his first commitment as a Viatorian associate and then entered religious life in 2010. Ultimately, he was ordained to the priesthood in 2015.
Fr. Daniel Lydon greets a student on the first day.
Knowing the trepidation many students feel upon entering the school, Fr. Lydon made sure to be there to greet them during the opening days of the semester. He wants to have a visible presence throughout the school, much like the Viatorians did when he was a student. “I intend to have an open office,” Fr. Lydon says. “I want to get to know the students – and have them get to know me.” He credits many Viatorians with influencing him along his journey, notably the late Fr. Robert Erickson, CSV, who taught him math and religion, as well as Fr. Charles Bolser, CSV, who served as president and hired Fr. Lydon back to teach Spanish in 1994.
The 2021-2022 academic year got off to a great start.
For the last three years Fr. Lydon has served as Associate Pastor of Maternity BVM Parish in Bourbonnais while also serving on the Viatorian Provincial Council. All of these experiences — academic, administrative and pastoral — he believes will enhance his new role as president.
“Sometimes, we never know about the hand of God in our lives,” Fr. Lydon says. “If Fr. Bolser hadn’t hired me, you just never know what would have happened.” Over the course of the next 25 or so years, Fr. Lydon would spend 16 of them at Saint Viator, teaching Spanish 3
www.viatorians.com
From the Archives: Saint Viator High School Celebrates 60 Years of Viatorian Lea Saint Viator High School has a great deal to celebrate this year as 2021 marks the 60th anniversary of the school’s opening on Sept. 5, 1961. This milestone reflects not only 60 years of educational excellence, but six decades of a community that continues to serve and support students, their families and the mission of the Viatorian Community. 1972-1974 Br. Leo Ryan
1974-1976 Fr. Patrick Cahill
Saint Viator’s first president, Br. Ryan, began in 1972 after having served at Loyola and Marquette universities, and serving in 1966 as deputy director of the Peace Corps in Nigeria.
1976-1983 Fr. Patrick Render
Fr. Cahill, a Chicago-area native, served as president for two years, after serving as a teacher and athletic director. He later accepted positions at the University of San Diego and Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas.
Fr. Render, having already filled many roles at SVHS, was president for seven years before serving as Assistant Provincial and later as Provincial Superior. Since then, he has served as Pastor in Henderson, NV, and in Chicago. He currently resides at St. Patrick Parish in Kankakee as serves as Novice Director.
2005-2013 Fr. Robert M. Egan
1999-2005 Fr. Thomas von Behren
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Having already spent most of the previous 20 years teaching, Fr. Thomas von Behren began as President in 1999, overseeing several major expansions of the SVHS campus facilities. He went on to serve as Provincial for the next 12 years and is currently serving as President of Cristo Rey St. Viator in Las Vegas. 4
Fr. Egan is the second SVHS alumnus to serve as its President. He had already spent a decade as a teacher, followed by 17 years as Assistant Provincial and Provincial Superior before returning to Saint Viator. He oversaw continued construction at the school and established the Tuition Assistance Program. He then went on to lead St. Thomas More Parish in Henderson, NV, before returning to Illinois as Superior General.
ian Leadership As we commemorate the “diamond” anniversary of the school — and welcome Fr. Dan Lydon back as president — we’d like to shine a light on those individuals who have filled that role over the years, leading SVHS in its mission to “transform the communities they encounter through empathy, action and inclusion.” 1983-1986 Fr. Lawrence Lentz
1986-1998 Fr. Charles Bolser
1998-1999 Fr. Richard Rinn
After having taught at SVHS for almost 15 years, Fr. Lentz saw Saint Viator through the school’s most trying financial period. He then went on to serve as Pastor and Assistant Provincial. Currently, he serves as a sacramental minister at St. Viator Parish in Las Vegas.
Fr. Bolser began his teaching carrer in 1967 and arrived at SVHS in 1986 as its President, where he oversaw the merger of Saint Viator and Sacred Heart of Mary high schools. After finishing his term, his ministries included serving as Provincial Superior and President of Cristo Rey St. Martin, one year after it opened. In 2016 he returned to SVHS to serve as its chaplain.
Saint Viator alumnus Fr. Rinn, had already taught at SVHS for several years, before he was tapped as President. He served one year before filling the role as Pastor of St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas, where he has remained for the past 22 years.
2013-2016 Fr. Corey Brost
2016-2021 Brian Liedlich
2021 Fr. Daniel Lydon
Saint Viator welcomed its first lay President, Viatorian Associate Brian Liedlich, in 2016. As a graduate of Marquette University, he worked in fundraising consultancy and management for many years, including his role as Executive Director of Institutional Advancement at SVHS. As President, he saw Saint Viator through the challenges of the pandemic’s first year and a half.
Fr. Lydon is Saint Viator’s third alumnus President. He most recently served as Associate Pastor at Maternity BVM, having previously been a faculty member and Assistant Principal at SVHS.
Before his tenure as president, Fr. Brost had already served in many different roles at SVHS, Bishop Gorman High School, and in a number of parishes. Currently, he serves in immigration ministry as Executive Director of Viator House of Hospitality, which provides support for young asylum seekers.
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www.saintviator.com
Viatorian Vocation Ministry: Exploring God’s Invitation Viatorian Vocation Ministry strives to help all members of our communities identify and respond to God’s ongoing invitations for them. We hope and pray that young men will explore God’s invitation to religious life with the Viatorians, and we also want to support everyone discerning any state of life or particular vocation. So how does this work? What does it look like in our communities? This summer, in lieu of our traditional Viatorian Youth Congress (VYC), Vocation Ministry held another installment of VYConnect, a smaller program to capture some of the themes of VYC in smaller pieces. Over two days in July, using in-person and hybrid formats, a sizeable group came together to explore God’s invitation to service and Viatorian spirituality. The first evening included a keynote and discussion facilitated by Br. John Eustice,and was emFr. Daniel Hall leads a prayer service to welcome Br. Ryan McMahon into the Viatorian Novitiate.
invitation. We need young adults faithfully and thoughtfully considering single life, married life, priesthood, and religious life, and for those connected to the Viatorian Community to consider lay association. And, of course, we need young people humbly considering God’s invitation to religious life with the Viatorians, to a women’s religious community, or to diocesan priesthood – young men like Br. Ryan McMahon, who began his Viatorian novitiate year on August 1. If we are all faithful to our discernment, our ministries can continue to unfold in this diverse way, one that honors all the ways we respond to God’s invitation. We pray that we may all deepen our discernment and that young men will respond to God’s invitation to Viatorian religious life.
Br. John Eustice facilitates a discussion at VYConnect.
ceed by a lay, married staff member, Dan Masterton. The participants were invited and led by Associates David Surprenant, Ken and Michelle Barrie and Cathy Abrahamian, and Pre-Associate Jason Wilhite, while the latter two keynotes were delivered by Associate Barbara D’Urso and Fr. Corey Brost. The whole program centered on dozens of young people, whose discernment and potential vocations are as yet still unfolding and being actively explored. We then capped off the program with a wonderful liturgy, celebrated by Fr. Brost, with young people from our communities leading ministries. We believe this is a good snapshot of how Viatorian ministry and community life can and should look moving forward. We need young people who are seeking to live and deepen their faith, walk with others, and explore God’s www.viatorians.com
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Viatorian Community Welcomes its Newest Novice The Viatorian Community welcomed with joy its newest novice, Br. Ryan McMahon, on Aug. 1. The service took place at Maternity BVM Parish in Bourbonnais, where he is living during his year in the Novitiate, which is a year of discernment steeped in academics, spirituality and community life. “I never really thought about religious life during high school,” Br. Ryan said in a podcast interview, “but the seed
The McMahon family, from left to right: Kevin, Colleen, Br. Ryan, Jimmy, Diane and Jim
“At the root of both was the desire to heal, help and be a part of someone’s life journey,” he says. “Reflecting on that led me organically to look more closely at religious life.” The novitiate service was steeped in tradition, using prayers and responses that have been spoken by every recent novice — in this country and in Colombia — for years. Br. Ryan McMahon, with Fr. Daniel Hall, Provincial, left, and Fr. Patrick Render, Novice Director, right.
was planted at Saint Viator High School. This is where I feel at home, this is the place I’m called to be.” Br. Ryan is a 2016 graduate of Saint Viator High School and a 2020 graduate of the University of Michigan. He has remained in touch with the Viatorians since high school, attending the Viatorian Youth Congress and participating on the Young Adult Advisory Board, among some of his experiences. At Michigan, Br. Ryan majored in neuroscience with a dream of going to medical school. However, as he thought more about a vocation to the religious life, he realized the two were connected.
“We surround him today with our support, our prayers and our hopes for his personal and spiritual growth,” said Fr. Daniel Hall, CSV, Provincial, “in understanding and in discernment of the call which God may be offering him.” Fr. Hall described the ceremony as uplifting and positive for the entire Viatorian Community. “It’s a sign of growth,” he said. “We’re walking with him and he’s walking with us during this novitiate year.” The prayer service drew Br. Ryan’s parents, Jim and Diane, as well as his siblings and Viatorian professed and associates from the Bourbonnais/Kankakee region. At the conclusion of the service, Br. Ryan signed his commitment to dedicating the next year to immersing himself in community life by living out the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Fr. Patrick Render, CSV, will serve as his Novice Master by overseeing Br. Ryan’s studies in pastoral, spiritual and academic areas. He sees the novitiate year as an opportunity for Br. Ryan to deepen his own spirituality and relationship with God, become familiar with the role of Scripture -- and his own ability to use it in prayer and in ministry.
Fr. Hall asks Br. McMahon if he is ready to commit to a year of discernment.
“Welcoming a novice into the Congregation and into the Viatorian Community brings forth a lot of good will and hope among our members,” Fr. Render says. “It is a reassuring sign that God is still calling people into our way of being and of serving the people of the world.” 7
www.viatorians.com
Maternity BVM Parish: Celebrating its Patroness What makes a Viatorian parish different? A special Mass held in August at Maternity BVM Church in Bourbonnais — the Viatorians’ first parish — demonstrated just that. Led by Fr. Jason Nesbit, CSV, Pastor, and Fr. Moses Mesh, CSV, Associate Pastor, the parish celebrated its “grand re-opening” with an outdoor Mass at its historic grotto on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, patroness of the parish.
Fr. Moses Mesh offers a blessing for all students returning to school.
Viatorians first arrived at Maternity BVM Church in 1865 and have continued to staff the parish ever since. Fr. Nesbit is the 24th consecutive Viatorian pastor. Its grotto was created in 1918, in the image of Our Lady of Lourdes. Br. John Koelzer, CSV, worked with men of the parish to build the grotto, painstakingly laying each stone, beginning in 1915, exactly 40 years after Mary appeared to young Bernadette in Lourdes.
Parishioners light candles in front of the grotto.
“This unique celebration stands out all the more,” Fr. Nesbit said, “because today we gather in a special way to celebrate our patroness.” Even before the liturgy began, parishioners formed a candlelight procession to the interior of the grotto. They were invited to offer their prayers and candles before Mary– and to lay their burdens suffered during the pandemic, before her. “It was a touching moment,” Fr. Nesbit said. “Once everyone had an opportunity to process through the grotto, there were numerous votive lights that shone forth.” In his homily, Fr. Nesbit centered on this theme: “We remember. We celebrate. We believe.” “We remember that there are many in our community who suffered losses directly related to COVID-19,” he said. “We celebrate that we may gather once more as a parish community, that in person, we may be inspired by the gospel and nourished by the Eucharist.
Fr. Nesbit concluded that the grotto proved to be a fitting setting for the transformative event.
Fr. Mesh, left, and Fr. Jason Nesbit, pastor, celebrated the liturgy.
“We believe that God will provide us as a parish community with new ways to live,” Fr. Nesbit concluded, “as missionary disciples, with a deeper resolve to radiate the light and love of Christ to all.”
“We believe that God will transform us, and that life will not be the same as it was before,” he added, “but that we have in some way learned from this experience and grown in our appreciation for our life and the lives of others.” www.viatorians.com
Originally, the grotto was dedicated to soldiers fighting in World War I, but over the years countless visitors have found comfort in this holy place, including school children, bridal couples, rosary groups and worshippers of all ages who have sought her intercession.
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Q&A
with Associate Deborah Perez
Associate Deborah Perez leads the Corporate Work Study Program at Cristo Rey St. Viator College Preparatory High School in North Las Vegas. Along with Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, President, and Br. Carlos Florez, CSV, Director of Recruitment and Admissions, Deborah reinforces the Viatorian presence within the school. The work study program is a key component of all Cristo Rey schools, enabling students to spend five days a month working in a professional, entry-level position and as a result pay 40% of their tuition. We caught up with her to learn more about the program, especially during the pandemic.
Q . Can you give a clearer picture of the corporate work
Q . Now that students are able to return to their work
study program at Cristo Rey St. Viator?
prestigious institutions in Las Vegas, where they find mentors and forge the networks fundamental to their future success. Participating in the work study program is a critical component of every student’s education, a connection that is made explicit through a curriculum that bridges each student’s corporate and classroom experiences. What are some of the benefits that students experience – beyond helping to pay their tuition?
sites, what are their feelings about the opportunity?
A. Students provide valued service to some of the most A. There is so much excitement about working off
Q.
Q . As the program director, what has it taken to get them the same time we’ve had a lot of prayers and support from leadership!
Q . Finally, do you see your commitment as a Viatorian associate impacting your work in supporting students?
“connection.” The students are learning to make connections between their academic life and the corporate world. Students find that they are capable of so much and it empowers them beyond their work placement.
A. I am blessed to be able to work at Cristo Rey
Q . How many corporate partners are employing
back to work?
A. We’ve had some transportation challenges, but at
A. The word that most commonly comes up is
campus. Our juniors are leading the way and have been providing helpful tips for our freshmen class.
St. Viator as a Viatorian associate and share with our students how faith and work and passion can all connect.
students in the Las Vegas area?
A. Our current list of partners has grown
from 24 founding partners in 2019 to over 58 partner companies — and growing!
Associate Deborah Perez
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www.viatorians.com
These Summer Camps Make Lasting Impact Viatorians were busy this summer living out their charism of accompanying young people on their spiritual journey. From Arlington Heights to Bourbonnais, and from Kankakee and to Las Vegas, Viatorian schools and parishes organized summer camps that immersed teens in service. History shows that these experiences have long lasting consequences in building future faith leaders, as many past participants point to these camps as pivotal. Here’s a sampling:
This was the 17th annual Hearts of Hope service trip, which serves one of the poorest communities in Illinois. (Kids posed in front of barn)
One of the many projects during Camp MOSH was whitewashing this fence.
Camp MOSH (Maternity Outreach Service for Humanity) returned in July to Maternity BVM Parish in Bourbonnais, bringing young people and adults together from the parish to serve those in need, right in their own backyards. The parish-wide effort drew Viatorians who serve there to take part, including Fr. Jason Nesbit, CSV, Pastor, and Fr. Moses Mesh, CSV, Associate Pastor. From painting and cleaning to yardwork and light carpentry, more than 200 volunteers divided up into crews and spread out each day to different work sites. Each morning started with Mass, followed by a continental breakfast and preparing sack lunches, before heading out to an assigned site. In the evening, team members returned for a complete dinner and fellowship — from a live band, to karaoke, a dunk tank and motivational speakers. At one of the morning Masses, Fr. Nesbit described their work this way: “You are planting seeds of charity, friendship and goodness as you go out into the community.” www.viatorians.com
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Associates Ken and Michelle Barrie led their 17th Hearts of Hope this summer. The mission trip takes teens to Pembroke Township, one of the poorest areas in Illinois, located 30 miles from their homes. The trip took place from July 6 to 10 and as usual, it was one of the hottest weeks in the summer, but these young people were not deterred. Here are some of their accomplishments: building a horse barn, extending a hog pen, painting the side of a church, building a ramp for a senior citizen and repairing a pavilion they had built at an earlier camp. “We were truly blessed to work and serve with the people in the community of Pembroke,” Associate Michelle Barrie said. “We worked hard to accomplish many projects in our ‘COVID mission,’ but we received so much more than we gave.” Saint Viator High School’s Service & Song camp returned in June and combined incoming students with young leaders from the school. Started by Fr. Corey Brost, CSV, in 2013, the camp combines a track in liturgical music with a service track, which sends teams of young people out to transform the community. Some of their projects this year included packing lunches for the homeless served by Journeys The Road Home, helping senior neighbors with their yard work, helping to weed and harvest the Viatorian Community Garden — which grows vegetables for area food pantries — and sorting through donations for Viator House of Hospitality. Many professed and associate Viatorians participated. Fr. Brost celebrated the closing liturgy. “Our intention was to let students directly serve those most in need in the local
community,” Fr. Brost says, “and learn why service is at the heart of a lived‐out Catholic faith.”
Viator High School and the Bourbonnais/Kankakee region to come together and learn more about their Viatorian roots. Among the talks, discussions, Mass and Taizé prayer experiences was a service component, which took participants to the Viator House of Hospitality where they worked with some of the residents in improving its garden and compost system. “The VYC helps our young faith leaders realize that they are part of a worldwide family,” says Fr. Brost, “that is changing the world.”
Students from Saint Viator High School’s Service & Song Camp worked in the garden at the Viatorian Province Center.
Restrictions from COVID-19 continued to affect the annual Viatorian Youth Congress, but after offering a one-day virtual version last summer, this year featured a two-day hybrid model. Called Viatorian Youth Connect, it drew teens from Saint
Students at St. Viator Parish’s Vacation Bible Camp met in small groups to analyze the day’s Bible verse.
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Delegates who attended VYConnect worked on the garden at Viator House of Hospitality
Associate Rosy Hartz has run the youth ministry program for 20 years at St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas, but even she was surprised at the turnout of high school students to lead this summer’s vacation Bible study camp. “The leader turnout was amazing,” Rosy said. Young campers rotated through different stations, where they dug into action-packed, faith-filled adventures every day. Yet, embedded in each activity was a different Bible verse that was reinforced throughout the day. During the week, campers discovered God’s greatest treasure wasn’t diamonds, gems or gold, but each of them. Fittingly, the week’s theme was “Treasured: Discovering You’re Priceless to God.” However, the bigger takeaway, may have been the leadership displayed by the high school students who came up through the youth ministry program at the parish. Whether they realized it or not, they reinforced the mission of a Viatorian parish: to build up communities where faith is lived, deepened and celebrated.
www.viatorians.com
Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Viatorians in Colombia It was 60 years ago this month that a delegation of three Viatorian priests were dispatched to the Archdiocese of Bogotá in Colombia. They answered a call from Pope John XXIII, who in 1961 called for religious congregations to help Fr. Burt Mayer, Fr. Thomas Wise and Fr. James Crilly evangelize Latin were commissioned by Bishop Cletus O’Donnell before America. Fr. James Crilly returned in 2013 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Colegio leaving in 1961 to start the Viatorian foundation.
San Viator in Bogota.
Some 60 years later, Viatorians have their own namesake parish in Bogotá, San Viator Parish, have two award-winning schools and help out at numerous parishes.
The founding fathers who established the foundation included Fr. James Crilly, CSV, Fr. Thomas Wise, CSV, and Fr. Burt Mayr, CSV, who all now are deceased. Knowing no Spanish and little about their new country, they arrived by boat in Barranquilla on Sept. 27, 1961. Their assignment? To start a Catholic secondary school that ultimately would lead to more teachers of the faith.
According to historical documents, Colombia was chosen over El Salvador and Guatemala, in part because it offered the chance to open a secondary school and in time, provide vocations.
Viatorian vocations are growing in Colombia, as seen here: L-R: Br. Juan David Ramirez, Br. Parmenio Enrique Medina, Br. Juan Carlos Ubaque, Br. Jhobany Orduz, Fr. Pedro Herrera, Br. Luis Peroza, Fr. Fredy Contreras, Fr. Edwin Ruiz, Br. Edwin Barreto, Br. Elkin Mendoza.
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bilingual model — and certified as an International Baccalaureate school — have made it one of the top ranked schools in the country – and led to a second Viatorian school, Colegio San Viator in Tunja. The establishment of the foundation in Colombia also has led to many vocations. In fact, Colombia is one of the leading sources of vocations in the Viatorian Community.
The campus of Colegio San Viator in Tunja.
Less than two years later they opened Colegio San Viator in prefabricated classrooms. Its 32 students were taught by five Viatorian priests and one lay teacher. “It was a wonderful opportunity for Viatorians in the Province of Chicago to implant the charism of Fr. Louis Querbes,” says Fr. Pedro Herrera, CSV, who attended the colegio, graduating in 1968, before joining the Viatorians as the community’s first native Colombian. “Fr. Querbes’ ministry of serving the poor was something they took into account from the beginning, creating the Scholarship Program to allow all students to receive the same education that those with more economic means received,” Fr. Herrera adds. “This program served as a model for the national government, whose leaders made it a requirement for many schools to give this opportunity to children and young people of limited economic resources.” Nearly 60 years later, Colegio San Viator is award-winning, with an enrollment of more than 1,000 students. Its faith-based,
More than 1,000 students attend Colegio San Viator in Bogota, shown here in 2017.
Fr. Herrera, the first, who now serves as president of Colegio San Viator in Tunja, says vocations came as a result of young men meeting the 17 Viatorians from the Province of Chicago who served in the country, especially in its formative years. Currently, there are 18 professed Colombian religious in the Viatorian Community — and it is still growing, with Br. Diego Carvajal having started his year in the novitiate in March.
The fine arts building on the campus of Colegio San Viator in Bogota.
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www.viatorians.com
Celebrating Our Jubilarians
Fr. Daniel Belanger, CSV Fr. Daniel Belanger, CSV, celebrated his 25th year as a professed Viatorian, during which he has served at nearly every Viatorian institution. “I never dreamed where Christ would take me and introduce me to so many awesome people,” Fr. Belanger said. He grew up in California, enlisted in the Air Force and was assigned to Las Vegas, where he met the Viatorians at St. Thomas More Catholic Community. His Viatorian life began as a religion teacher at St. Viator Parish School in Chicago and then serving as a youth minister at Maternity BVM Church in Bouronnais. He then headed back to Chicago to complete his Master of Divinity degree at Catholic Theological Union. He returned to St. Thomas More to work in pastoral ministry leading up to being ordained a deacon and ultimately a priest, in 2007. He went to the Viatorian foundation in Corozal Town, Belize. Upon his return in 2008, Fr. Belanger was named pastor of St. George Parish in Bourbonnais, in 2009. In 2014 he assumed the added duty of leading St. Mary’s Parish in Beaverville, IL. The leadership of the two rural parishes has continued to enriched him and renew his vocation.
Fr. Felipe Montes, CSV Fr. C. Gregory Jones, CSV Fr. Greg Jones, CSV, celebrated 25 years of priesthood this summer. “I love being a priest. It is the greatest joy of my life,” Fr. Jones says. “Even on the roughest day I find myself grateful for being so richly blessed.” He recalls his early encounters with Viatorians in various settings – fellow students, faculty members and as fellow travelers on the journey of life who shared their Viatorian stories. “I liked what I heard,” Fr. Jones says. “Especially attractive to me was the Viatorian mission of education and their desire to care for those of little importance in the world.” In 1996, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin ordained him to the priesthood. His priestly ministry included being an associate pastor at St. Viator Parish in Chicago and at Guardian Angel Cathedral in Las Vegas. He engaged in college chaplaincy at Southern Illinois University and at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus, Ohio. For 10 years he ministered at Food for the Poor, an interdenominational Christian ministry addressing food insecurity in 17 countries. He supplemented that role on weekends at parishes around the country, promoting the Viatorian missions around the world. Fr. Jones retired in 2017 and now lives in Tucson, AZ.
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Fr. Felipe Montes, CSV, celebrates 25 years of religious life this year, and nearly all of those have been spent in Bogotá. Fr. Montes professed his first vows in 1996 at the Colegio San Viator in Bogotá. During his early years as a Viatorian, he earned degrees in theology and psychology at Santo Tomas University in Bogotá, before teaching at the major seminary in Bogota, starting in 2002. He earned another degree in cognitive therapy and psychotherapy in 2005 at De Flores University in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Along with his academic work, Fr. Montes was ordained to the priesthood in 2001. He then served in parochial ministry at Cristo Rey Parish and San Juan Maria Vianney Parish, both in Bogotá. However, Fr. Montes continues to be interested in psychology. He wrote the book, “From the Ego to Passive Dynamics,” and he regularly contributes to several publications. In 2011, Fr. Montes returned to Colegio San Viator, to serve as chaplain. In 2016, he began serving as chaplain at Gimnasio Campestre, a bilingual school in Bogotá. “My 25 years of religious life passed quickly but they are full of countless experiences. After so many years I feel enormous gratitude to the province and most certainly to the Clerics of St. Viator, whose members are my family.”
In Memoriam The Viatorian Community mourns the loss of Fr. Rafael Sanabria, CSV. He passed away June 26 after battling COVID-19 for more than one month. Fr. Rafael was 59.
Fr. Rafael Sanabria, CSV
The entire Viatorian Community in Colombia gathered for a funeral Mass on July 7, celebrated by Fr. Daniel Hall, CSV, Provincial, with Fr. Pedro Herrera, CSV, offering the homily.
In remembering his confrere, Fr. Herrera described how fervently Viatorians prayed for Fr. Sanabria’s recovery and how devastated they were at hearing the news that he had died. Fr. Herrera described Fr. Sanabria as a larger than life presence, whose joy for life was contagious, as demonstrated through big hugs, hosting lively barbeques and celebrating with his confreres at vow ceremonies and ordinations. “For years, he dedicated himself to encouraging many young people to enter Viatorian religious life or the seminary,” Fr. Herrera said, “and likewise, accompanied many of them in their initial formation process.” Last summer, Fr. Rafael, would have celebrated his 25th jubilee as a priest. At the time of his passing, he served as vocations director and pre-novice director, leading a thriving program that produced several new religious brothers over the last few years. Fr. Sanabria also served as chaplain to Colegio San Viator, the Viatorians’ award-winning school in Bogotá, where he was popular with students and faculty alike. In the end, Fr. Herrera described Fr. Sanabria as living a life rooted in the gospel, especially modeling the familiar passage from Matthew 25:13: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” “Through his path in religious life as a priest, he learned to be ready, perhaps as he instilled in the young people he encouraged and accompanied in the Boy Scout troops,” Fr. Herrera said, “to be ‘always ready,’ prepared with a reserve full of oil, in case the bridegroom arrived at the least scheduled time to accompany him to the party. “Fr. Rafael was a faithful servant, ready to render his last service on this earth,” he added, “to illuminate the way of the Lord, to adore and love him, to be thus invited to the eternal wedding.”
The Viatorian Community lost another member this fall. Fr. Michael Keliher, CSV, passed away Sept. 10 after a long battle with cancer. He was 74. He had been a Viatorian for 55 years — including 45 as a priest —and over those years his ministry evolved from one as a teacher and coach at Saint Viator High School to a much-loved parish priest who had a Fr. Michael Keliher, CSV special interest in accompanying adults interested in becoming Catholics. “Mike’s pride and joy in ministry was the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults),” said Fr. Patrick Render, CSV, who served as pastor of St. Thomas More Catholic Community in Henderson, NV with Fr. Keliher, who served as associate pastor. “He was well schooled in both the theory and fundamentals of all the rites and stages. ‘It’s not a program,’ he would insist, ‘it’s a process.’ ” Fr. Keliher directed the RCIA programs at St. Thomas More and at St. Viator Parish in Chicago, and at both places he welcomed inquirers and met with each one personally. “Mike functioned best one on one with people,” added Fr. Render, who offered the homily at Fr. Keliher’s funeral Mass, “especially those who were struggling with problems or issues.” In his early years of ministry, Fr. Keliher taught biology and coached both wrestling and golf at Saint Viator High School from 1970-1972 and from 1976-1985. He began working in parishes in 1986 at Maternity BVM Parish in Bourbonnais, where he served as an associate pastor, before being assigned in 1990 to St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas. He spent three years in his home parish of St. Patrick Church in Kankakee as associate pastor, before spending a total of 18 years at St. Thomas More, and two years at St. Viator Parish in Chicago. Fr. Keliher’s funeral took place on Sept. 16 at his home parish of St. Patrick Church, where he had received all his sacraments growing up and was ordained in 1976. He was interred at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Kankakee. He will be missed.
He will be missed. 15
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Newsletter –Fall 2021
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Around the Province... It was a busy summer for members of the Viatorian Community who took on new assignments, moved into new community residences and generally entered new phases of their ministries. Here’s a sample: Br. John Eustice, CSV, moved to Maternity BVM Parish in Bourbonnais, where he will live while taking classes toward his Master’s in Divinity, with a view toward the priesthood, at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He will continue to serve as director of vocation ministry.
Br. Rob Robertson
Br. Rob Robertson, CSV, returned to Saint Viator High School to serve as a counselor. He was part of the founding faculty at Cristo Rey St. Viator and he continues to be a big promoter of the school and its mission.
Br. John Eustice
Br. Peter Lamick, CSV, returned to Saint Viator High School in Arlington Heights, to teach and coach. Currently, he teaches ethics as part of the theology department and coaches underBr. Peter Lamick during football practice. classmen in football. Br. Lamick had been part of the faculty at Cristo Rey St. Viator in North Las Vegas for the past year. Fr. Jason Nesbit, CSV, continues to serve as pastor of Maternity BVM Parish in Bourbonnais, but he has accepted an appointment to serve Fr. Jason Nesbit and Fr. Moses Mesh graduated as the Viatorian together in 2011 from Catholic Theological Union. representative on the Catholic Theological Union’s board of trustees. Like most Viatorians, he completed his seminary studies there and graduated with Fr. Moses Mesh, CSV, who joined him in July as the new associate pastor.
Fr. Alan Syslo and Br. Michael Rice moved into the retirement wing last spring at the Province Center.
Br. Michael Rice, CSV, moved his retirement residence to Arlington Heights from Las Vegas over the summer. Already, he has jumped in to provide expertise on renovating parts of the retirement wing, and is a great addition to the life of the Province Center. Fr. Alan Syslo, CSV, also returned to the Province Center to continue his retirement in the Midwest. After spending most of his ministry on the West Coast and in Las Vegas, Fr. Syslo looks forward to watching the change of seasons as he spends parts of every day outdoors. Fr. Patrick Render, CSV, has accepted the role of Novice Director as he assists Br. Ryan McMahon on his spiritual journey. Fr. Render moved from St. Viator Parish in Chicago to St. Patrick Church in Kankakee, where he lives with Fr. John Peeters, CSV, Pastor, as well as Fr. Richard Pighini, CSV, and Fr. Donald Wehnert, who are both retired. Fr. Render also now serves as Director of Association for the Viatorian Community.