Celebrating Our Jubliarians

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. 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.

Fr. Felipe Montes, CSV

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.”

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.

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.” He will be missed. 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 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.

Fr. Rafael Sanabria, CSV Fr. Michael Keliher, CSV