Crafting a Vision for the Future

Associates and professed convened in February at the Province Center to discuss strategic planning.

Fr. Daniel Hall with (L-R) Associate Ken Barrie, Fr. John Peeters and Associate Michelle Barrie.

(L-R) Associate Marie Feeney, Fr. William Haesaert, and Associates Jim and Marie May at the planning session in March in Las Vegas. Fr. Larry Lentz, Fr. Robert M. Egan and Br. Carlos Florez enjoy a break during the meeting in Las Vegas.

Fr. Daniel Hall, CSV, has been making the rounds. Over the past two months, he has met with members of the Viatorian Community in regions across the country to continue mapping out a strategic planning process for the future. In February, he met with associate and professed members from the Arlington Heights/Chicago region, and one week later with Viatorians in the Bourbonnais/Kankakee region. He completed his visits when he met with associate and professed Viatorians in Las Vegas in March. Planning for the future — strategically — is not easy. The process is slow — taking up to three years to complete — and methodical, but Fr. Hall and his Provincial Council believe that by working together to proactively to set goals, it will strengthen the community around this shared purpose. Already, Viatorians have identified nine goals and with each goal they have identified several objectives. At these meetings, they are working to devise strategies to advance these objectives.

These goals include:

n Increase vocations to professed religious life and association.

n Enhance the experience of Viatorian Community life at the regional, provincial and local levels.

n Create opportunities and vehicles for shared leadership within and beyond the Viatorian Community.

n Encourage/foster leadership of associates in new and existing ministries aligned with our mission and charism.

n Ensure that the facility, financial and human resources of the province are managed to allow for appreciation, flexibility, ministerial support and manifestation of Viatorian values.

n In each region, identify unmet needs and explore/expand ministries for those accounted of “little importance” with particular attention to the needs of youth and young adults.

n Increase involvement opportunities for associates and others, with special attention to those associates who have retired, moved away from Viatorian centers or whose institutions are no longer sponsored by Viatorians.

n Increase participation of youth and young adult activity in

Viatorian communities.

n Communicate, reinforce and celebrate the Viatorian identity, mission, values and vision in all ministries.

At each regional meeting, members divided up into small groups, assigned to tackle different goals. The next step will be to bring the objectives together for the regions to study and discuss. It’s a long process but Viatorians are finding the rewards of gathering together and talking about the Viatorian Community after two years of the pandemic — to be priceless.