Provincial Perspective Greetings from Arlington Heights, I hope that everyone is safe and healthy. To say that we are living in strange times is an understatement. I am pleased to report that all the members of our province are healthy and virus free. I think that is because we have taken certain precautions and our Viatorian Community is taking this pandemic seriously and abiding by the guidance that is given to us by our healthcare professionals and the local, state and federal government officials. My guess is that when this pandemic runs its course, life as we knew it will never be the same. Perhaps all this time in isolation will give us a pause from hectic schedules to really discern where the Spirit is calling us to be in the future, both as individuals and as a community. Where can we have the greatest impact in our world today? Our prayers are with the many people throughout our world who have lost their lives and with their families. We pray too for all the healthcare workers and first responders who put themselves at risk every day to care for others. Their response is truly biblical. In this edition, you will read about the many ways that Viatorians throughout the Province are responding to the crisis. While not everyone can help out physically, our senior members are responding to the needs of those affected by the pandemic by remembering them in daily prayers and Masses. Please stay safe, follow the guidelines and soon we will be able to gather once again to celebrate the greatest gift, the Eucharist. In Viator,
Rev. Daniel R. Hall, CSV Provincial Clerics of St. Viator, Province of Chicago
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In this Issue: 2 Provincial Perspective 3 On the Frontlines of Food Distribution
www.viatorians.com
10 Viatorian Vocations 11 From the Archives: Discovering a Treasure
in Las Vegas
Trove of Relics
4 Viatorians Respond During Pandemic Crisis
12 In Memoriam
6 An Inside Look at Cristo Rey St. Viator 7 Q & A with Dr. Michael Lamberta 8 Celebrating Our Jubilarians:
Fr. John Peeters, CSV Fr. Patrick Render, CSV Fr. John Van Wiel, CSV
www.viatorians.com
Fr. George Auger, CSV Fr. Simon Lefebvre, CSV Associate Michael Bourgeois Associate John Paulik
15 Viatorians in Colombia Respond to Pandemic Crisis
16 Around the Province 2
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
Layout and Design:
Dianna Ehrenfried, Visualedge, Inc Email: news@viatorians.com
On the Frontlines of Food Distribution in Las Vegas On a recent morning in late April, I volunteered at a Three Square Food Bank food distribution location at the closed Boulder Station Hotel & Casino. I arrived at 7 a.m. to begin the set up for the opening, which was scheduled for 8 a.m. As I rounded the corner, I was shocked to see a long line of cars – several miles long – already lined up at the parking lot entrance. We spent the hour getting three drive-through lanes set up with a variety of grocery items from the Three Square Food Bank. There were about 50 volunteers at nine different stations putting together boxes to be distributed for the cars when the drive-through began. At 8 a.m. the stream of cars began flowing through and it was nonstop for the next three hours. There were hundreds and hundreds of cars driving though to pick up needed food. There were families, senior citizens, young and old alike. It was like The shuttered Boulder Station Casino has trans- nothing I had ever formed into a food distribution site during witnessed in my life. It the pandemic. reminded me of seeing the old black and white photos of people lining up for the soup kitchens during the Great Depression.
Br. Rob Robertson, CSV, volunteers to distribute food to needy families.
Larry Scott, Chief Operating Officer of Three Square Food Bank, said the line for food can extend for more than six miles.
The people were so grateful, and most said “God Bless You” or thanked us for the help. Some even had tears in their eyes. It was the hardest seeing the children. They were so excited when they saw the box of cereal and even the packages of raisins.
“If you were to just drive past that line, you would absolutely see that the cars are representative of many different economic classes,” Scott told Nevada Public Radio. “It has absolutely been impactful across economic scales.”
My experience confirmed what has been reported in the news. The massive layoffs of casino workers have left thousands of unemployed people in dire need of support. As a result, more food banks have stepped up to serve the needy, including many that have popped up at shuttered casinos.
For my small part, I’m glad to have spent the morning doing this in the midst of continuing to check in daily with the students at Cristo Rey St. Viator as we continue virtual learning. It was a way to give back to the community and feel a sense of reaching out to those in need in this time of helplessness for so many. I am also very grateful that the Viatorian Commuuntiy graciously made a significant financial contribution to Three Square Food Bank as well as to Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada. This generous support will help deliver assistance to the people in the Las Vegas Valley who have been so significantly impacted by this virus. Checks for $25,000 each were sent to both organizations this week to help them continue their work.
According to Nevada Public Radio, the demand at just one food bank has increased to 1.3 million pounds of food to feed hungry families.
A line of cars stretched for miles.
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By: Br. Rob Robertson, CSV
www.viatorians.com
Viatorians Respond During Pandemic Crisis As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the United States, members of the Viatorian Community took immediate action to help those most in need.
ters) came to assist with funding the hotel placement protection COVID-19 response.”
In Arlington Heights, Fr. Daniel Hall, CSV, Provincial, and members of the Provincial Council approved a donation of $63,000 to Journeys: The Road Home, a resource center for the homeless. The donation was meant to be enough to house 60 homeless people in local hotels for three weeks. “The current crisis has caused many churches and their volunteers to step back from this crisis, thus leaving between 60-80 men, women and children on the verge of living on the streets and even more vulnerable to the coronavirus,” Fr. Hall said in a letter to supporters. “So, in line with our mission as a Catholic religious community, the Viatorians have pledged to pay the cost of nearly 60 Journeys clients in area hotels for three weeks.” The donation, made in the third week of March, made local and national headlines in news outlets. Fr. Hall said he hoped other local faith communities, and individuals, would join in their mission of providing shelter for the homeless. “It is my hope that you join us in this commitment,” Fr. Hall added in his letter, “to care for our most vulnerable sisters and brother during this crisis.” They did. “Due in large part to the seed money from the Viatorians, we have raised enough money to house our client base through May and possibly early June,” says Beth Nabors, executive director of Journeys. “A total of 26 churches (including 14 emergency shel-
Br. Peter Lamick, Fr. Corey Brost and Br. Michael Gosch help sort food donations to Catholic Charities
They included multiple Christian denominations who donated money for hospital stays and gift cards for grocery store and restaurant purchases. Members of a nearby Sikh temple worked in assembly-line fashion to prepare meals for 100 people, while local restaurants and churches pitched in to raise money for food.
In response, Viatorians again stepped up, this time to deliver these meals to people sheltering in hotels. Fr. Corey Brost, CSV, Br. John Eustice, CSV, Br. Michael Gosch, CSV, and Br. Peter Lamick, CSV, along with some Saint Viator High School students and graduates banded together to deliver meals weekly. “We’re more than happy to do it,” said Br. Gosch, Assistant Provincial, “to partner with these faith communities in delivering food during the time of the pandemic.” To extend their commitment, the Provincial Council approved donations of $25,000 each to Catholic Charities and Three Square Food Bank, both in Las Vegas, to provide food for people who have been directly affected by this crisis.
Fr. Corey Brost, CSV, and Br. John Eustice, CSV, combined with Saint Viator High School students, Kyle Wallisch and John O’Neill, right to deliver food to the homeless sheltering in hotels.
The Provincial Council also donated money to a pair of Chicago agencies that meet the needs of day workers, ARISE Chicago and the Latino Union. They also sent emergency assistance to Colombia, where Viatorians run two schools and two parishes. “They are in the same situation as we are in the northern part of the province,” Fr. Hall said of Colombia. “The government has shut down everything, so people are struggling to put food on the table.” The response was not just limited to professed religious. At Viator House of Hospitality, its young men worked several times to pack lunches for day laborers on Chicago’s Northwest side, which Fr. Corey Brost, CSV, Executive Director, and Br. Michael Gosch, CSV, delivered.
Feeding the Soul As the virus spread across the country and feelings of fear and uncertainty mounted, Viatorians responded by adapting their ministries to a whole new virtual audience. Parishes where Viatorians serve continue to offer livestreamed Masses, including at St. George and Maternity BVM parishes in Bourbonnais, at St. Viator in Chicago and St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas.
“Keep walking, listening and reaching out. You may be surprised at who is walking beside you with a new insight – and promises of resurrection.” Fr. Robert M. Egan, CSV, Superior General, offered his first Mass via Zoom on Easter Sunday, while Fr. Corey Brost celebrated Holy Thursday Mass, and Fr. Hall led Stations of the Cross and a celebration of Easter Mass, all virtually. Fr. Jason Nesbit, CSV, and Fr. Daniel Lydon, CSV, also began offering an exposition of the Blessed Sacrament every week. They position the monstrance in one of the school windows and invite parishioners to drive up for adoration. “It’s hard to tell how many cars are coming up, because people come and go,” Fr. Lydon says, “but there are definitely cars there. We will continue to do it every week that we have to shelter in place ” Video reflections by Viatorians drew thousands of people to watch. Fr. Richard Rinn, CSV, Pastor of St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas, said right from the start that he was stepping out of his comfort zone. However, so many parishioners – and others – tuned in that he has continued to offer weekly gospel reflections on the parish’s YouTube channel. Likewise, video reflections offered by Fr. Patrick Render, CSV, Pastor, and Fr. Moses Mesh, CSV, Associate Pastor of St. Viator Parish in Chicago drew such large audiences, that they have continued them – both in English and Spanish. 5
Fr. Corey Brost, CSV, celebrated Holy Thursday liturgy to a live stream audience.
“Creativity, generosity and initiative are sure ways to shake off weariness and to support each other along the way,” Fr. Render said to his parishioners in a recent bulletin. “Keep walking, listening and reaching out. You may be surprised at who is walking beside you with a new insight – and promises of resurrection.” www.saintviator.com
An Inside Look at Cristo Rey St. Viator Beneath the intense glitter and neon lights that is Las Vegas, an often forgotten array of workers props up that world – the cleaning staff, the maintenance people and construction workers, to name a few. As they struggle in low-paying jobs, they share the basic human goals of providing for their families and offering their children a quality education. To help answer that need, the Viatorians launched Cristo Rey St. Viator High School last year, with the mission of providing a college preparatory curriculum in a faith-based environment and one that partners with the corporate world. The curriculum is rigorous and the school year fulfills all the state requirements as to days and hours. Thus, the school day begins at 7:30 a.m. and goes to 3:30 p.m. and three weeks are added to the school calendar.
Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV shows where corporate partners are located across Las Vegas.
Being in a professional environment, students learn the acceptable way of greeting people, interacting with colleagues and of being comfortable in a different environment – all of which contributes to their self-esteem that in turn enhances their desire to learn. For many students, they began the school year unfamiliar with colleges and now they are talking about going to college. The curriculum
Before social distancing, students enjoyed the school atmosphere.
The reason for the extended school day and calendar is that each student must participate in the work-study program. The program is a collaborative program with the corporate world where a business partner agrees to fund a fulltime entry level position, which is counted toward their tuition. Like all other employees, students report to a supervisor and are subject to periodic evaluations. To date there are 35 corporate sponsors – which include a law office, the Convention Center, a bank and a car dealership, among others. The school then provides four students for that position, with a designated student being assigned a particular day from Monday through Thursday and rotating on Fridays. The students experience the workday rigors, beginning with rising early and being at the school at 7 a.m. for the van to take them to work. After a full day, they again board the van and return to the campus before 5 p.m. where their parents then pick them up.
Before the pandemic, students rehearsed with Mr. Matthew Fox in the band room.
is second to none. The classes are small and the teachers are there until 4:30 p.m. to provide individual help. Counselors are present as well. The building is new and is designed to be bright and welcoming, enhancing student learning with a supportive and affirming environment. The school is meeting the challenges from the COVID-19 virus. With each student possessing a tablet and utilizing specialized education programs, the interaction between students with their teachers and counselors continues until the official school year ends. This is but one of the many challenges that the students face, but with supportive teachers they are growing stronger and maturing into responsible adults.
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By: Fr. Thomas Long, CSV
Q&A
with Dr. Michael Lamberta
Dr. Michael Lamberta is in his third year as an attending physician in the emergency department at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. As one of the busiest ERs in New York, it was at epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, putting Dr. Lamberta on the frontlines. Dr. Lamberta graduated from Saint Viator High School in 2004 and went on to study at Washington University in St. Louis and Rush Medical College in Chicago. He completed his residency at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and now has stayed in New York. In a letter he wrote back in early April to assure family and friends of his safety, he hoped his description of his day-to-day work would also reach the Viatorians and some of his teachers, whom he credited with helping to shape him. We caught up with Dr. Lamberta to get an inside look at the crisis, and just what he relied on to get him through this frightening
Q . Do you remember when patients with the virus started Q . You mentioned that back in high school you became involved in campus ministry and led a Kairos retreat your taking over the ER? year. Did those experiences help prepare you for your A. It was in early March. At first, it felt like an exotic senior career now? disease that you might have read about but had never fully crossed into our borders. By the second week, we were A. Yes, getting to know my classmates through those blindsided by (the virus) and were not sure what hit us. It was like a tsunami of patients. We’re used to being a high volume ER, but these are sicker patients.
Q . Can you give us a sense of the numbers? A. On a typical day the ER treats between 300 and 400
patients, but now our census is more like 250, and nearly all of them are COVID-19 positive – with more than 20% needing oxygen. It was as if almost everyone already had it – and our hospital was filling up exponentially.
Q . What are the challenges with responding to such a high volume? A. We’re usually able to identify pretty quickly when to
intubate and who needs airway support, but these patients look pretty healthy and are talking to you. They don’t look like patients that need to be intubated. Sometimes, we don’t know, so it’s a feeling of a loss of control.
experiences revealed a diversity of individual struggles, uncertainties and insecurities. In Brooklyn, I work amongst what most people would call a “diverse” community by standards of citizenship, religion, race and socio-economic status. Yet despite the barriers in communication or cultural differences, the value for community that I discovered at Saint Viator still holds true: We all have our unique struggles, uncertainties and insecurities. You just have to open yourself up to see it in each person.
Q . What gets you through all the stress and emotional trauma? A. If there is a silver lining in all of this, it would be an
acute reminder of how everything and everyone are related in our world. We have a decision at every moment to be grateful, giving and compassionate.
Q . Beyond the clinical aspects of treating COVID, what else has challenged you? A. It sometimes feels as though we’re the provider, famly member and patient all at the same time. We’re a provider, but unfortunately a frustrated provider, because it is a new, unfamiliar and somewhat confusing disease process. We are a family member because now the patients are alone in the ER without any visitors or family and feeling isolated. We are a patient too. We have waves of feeling scared, anxious and a fear of getting infected ourselves.
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www.viatorians.com
Celebrating Our Jubilarians... 60 Years of Religious Life Fr. Peeters has been a Viatorian for 60 years, but it would seem he was destined to join the community, having been raised at St. Viator Parish in Chicago, attending its school and where his parents were active members.
Spanish languages, I’ve been able to serve the Viatorian Community as well as the universal church in a wide variety of ways and of places,” Fr. Peeters says. “And for that I give great glory and praise to the Lord!”
At age 18, after graduating from high school, Fr. Peeters entered the Viatorian novitiate and one year later, in 1960, took his first vows.
Fr. John Peeters, CSV: 60 Years of Religious Life Fr. John Peeters, CSV, celebrates 60 years of religious life this year and his ministry continues to be rewarding. One of his latest assignments is serving as executive pastor of the Catholic school system in the Bourbonnais and Kankakee region, Bishop McNamara Catholic School, which serves students from preschool through high school. It’s just the latest role for this versatile Viatorian, who this year also celebrates 13 years as pastor of St. Patrick Church in Kankakee.
His years as a Viatorian have taken him around the world, literally. He served as secretary to the Superior General in Rome from 1972-79, and later as novice master at Colegio San Viator in Bogotá, Colombia. But the bulk of Fr. Peeter’s ministry has been in Viatorian parishes, from Kankakee and Springfield, to St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas. His last assignment before coming to St. Patrick was as associate pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Corozal Town, Belize. But his work goes beyond parish boundaries. In 2019, Fr. Peeters was recognized by the Dennis J. Smith Legacy Foundation as the recipient of its Caring for the Community Award. The award recognizes people who serve the greater Kankakee County area with dignity and selflessness. It was the second award in as many years for Fr. Peeters. One year later, he was recognized by officials with the Kankakee County Hispanic Partnership, who are committed to reducing language barriers and improving access to services for Hispanic residents. As a result of Fr. Peeter’s international experience and fluency in different languages — including Spanish — he serves Fr. Robert M. Egan, CSV, Superior General, as a translator at many of the Viatorian international meetings and as a trusted confrere.
Fr. John Peeters enjoys a birthday cake from his colleagues at Bishop McNamara Catholic School.
“Yes, owing to divine providence and to a familiarity with the English, French, and
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Fr. Patrick Render, CSV: 60 Years of Religious Life Fr. Patrick Render, CSV, first met the Viatorians when he was a student at the former Spalding Institute in his native Peoria. They made such a strong impression that he entered the community after graduation in 1959 and professed his first vows one year later, in 1960. While in the community, Fr. Render completed his undergraduate degree at Loyola University, before pursuing graduate work at Catholic University of America, Northern Illinois University and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. His first assignment came in 1968, to serve as Dean of Men and teach religion at Saint Viator High School. Fr. Render would remain there for 15 years, ultimately helping to lead the school as principal and president. His leadership qualities drew his confreres to elect him as their provincial superior, a role he held for eight years. From there, Fr. Render entered pastoral ministry, serving
as pastor of St. Joseph Church in Springfield for five years, at St. Thomas More in Henderson, NV for 14 years and currently at St. Viator Parish in Chicago since 2015.
“Knowing that in some way what I taught helped students make a career choice,” he adds, “was always a great reward.” He also was a teacher and administrator at Bishop McNamara High School in Kankakee and at Griffin High School in Springfield, as well as principal of his alma mater, Alleman High School.
Fr. Render continues to serve as a leader among the Viatorians. Currently, he chairs the Viatorian Community Council and serves on the Arlington Heights/Chicago regional committee. In both roles, he continues to look for ways to animate the Viatorian charism in community life, spirituality and mission.
Fr. Van Wiel retired in 2013 after 25 years of teaching chemistry at Saint Viator High School. In his retirement, he enjoys fly fishing trips out west and taking daily walks, as well as painting. His watercolors are featured in a room where Viatorians meet with guests at the Province Center.
Still, his 60th jubilee offered him the chance to reflect on all the changes in religious life since he took those first vows.
Fr. John Van Wiel, CSV: 60 Years of Religious Life Fr. John Van Wiel, CSV, fondly recalls his own high school years at Alleman High School in Rock Island, where he was taught by Viatorians — who loved what they taught. This summer, Fr. Van Wiel celebrates 60 years of religious life, and nearly all of those years have been spent in the classroom, sharing his love of chemistry with high school students. “I loved being a teacher,” Fr. Van Wiel says. “I could walk into school in a bad mood, but in a short time the energy and liveliness of the students would have me smiling. Fr. Render received the “Heart of the Leadership” award in 2018 from the Archdiocese of Chicago.
“The external forms and structures of religious life have changed a great deal since 1960,” Fr. Render says. “I have been blessed to be an active part of that evolution through the years and I can see that the process continues even now. That is encouraging to me and a sign of the dynamic presence of the Holy Spirit keeping us vital and relevant.”
Yet, he cannot seem to stay away from teaching. He regularly returns to Saint Viator to help tutor students in his beloved chemistry. On the occasion of his 60th jubilee, Fr. Van Wiel became reflective. “So often people say, ‘You have given so much up by becoming a religious and a priest,’ “ Fr. Van Wiel says. “I usually respond that married people also give up a great deal when they have children. In both cases there are many rewards to be had. Certainly, my life has taken many turns that I didn’t expect, but I have been blessed in so many ways over the years and I am very grateful to God for the many good things that have been given me.”
Fr. Van Wiel continues to tutor students in chemistry during his retirement.d
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Viatorian Vocations more. In this way, the director supports the discerner as a companion – offering support, structure, and resources. This accompaniment and all vocation ministry should and does embrace many modes of communication. In addition to in-person conversations, accompaniment happens by phone calls, trading emails, and video calls via FaceTime or Zoom. Good conversation, shared prayer, and ongoing accompaniment can happen well through these new media as well as the old-school ways.In our wider Viatorian Community, everyone can be an extension of this, walking with one another as earnest companions in community life as well as in specific discernment. We invite all members of our Viatorian communities to embrace this happy medium in their approach and to be committed to accompaniment in their relationships, whether through in-person encounters or by connections, messaging, and post-sharing on social media, including @ViatorianUSA.
The Young Adult Think Tank took place at the Viatorian Province Center.
Good news: If you ask young people about matters of faith -- it turns out they have a lot to say. That was the case in December, when the Viatorian Vocation Ministry office held a Young Adult Think Tank. Br. John Eustice, CSV, and Br. Peter Lamick, CSV, started the day with a brief prayer service and an explanation of how the Viatorian Community enthusiastically desired input from young adults on how to better serve and walk with them. After these introductions, the brothers stopped talking – they grabbed their pens and feverishly took notes while discussion among young adults took off. By doing just a bit of thoughtful speaking, a lot of space was made for intentional listening. And what was heard was very good. In Viatorian Vocation Ministry, we are striving to find a middle ground in how we support discerners. We don’t want to use high-pressure, recruitment-style approaches or become so passive and hands-off that no one discerns actively. Instead, we’re striving for a culture of awareness – awareness of the universal call to holiness from our baptism, of God’s invitation to single, married, ordained, or religious life, and of our particular vocations within our state of life.
And when you see a man or woman who might have an invitation from God to religious life, offer them a “Viatorian nudge.” Compliment or affirm their gifts, encourage them to continue living active lives of faith, invite them to leadership and ministry opportunities, and perhaps humbly and compassionately ask, “Have you ever considered religious life?” The vibrant life of our communities and the strong relationships we tend to form in Viatorian Community life are strong, fertile ground for to do this ministry of accompaniment well.
For young men who think God may be inviting them to religious life with the Viatorians, our Director of Vocation Ministry, Br. Eustice, strives to be an earnest companion. This ministry of accompaniment is focused on walking with a discerner, listening carefully, and identifying ways to invite the discerner to deeper, more intentional prayer and reflection. This includes questions for reflection, invitations to new and varied types of prayer, opportunities to engage more deeply in Viatorian community life, and
Viatorian Vocation Ministry offers discerners thoughtful accompaniment and support toward potentially discerning to apply to become a professed Viatorian.
www.viatorians.com
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From the Archives: Discovering a Treasure Trove of Relics Relics have held a meaningful place in Christianity virtually from the beginning. At the Second Council of Nicaea, it was decreed that every altar contain a relic. In the Middle Ages, whole economies revolved around relics: they were gifted, sold and even stolen. Relics have been credited with miraculous events and have brought comfort to Christians through the centuries. St. Jerome described the practice best:
“We do not worship relics, we do not adore them, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the creator. But we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore Him whose martyrs they are.” The reliquary chapel, located on a side altar in the Province Center Chapel.
Br. Donald Houde, CSV, examines one of the relics he unearthed from the main alter.
Fr. Daniel Hall, CSV, Provincial, shared a similar sentiment: “The saints have always been an example for us down throughout the ages. But of course, Christ is the one who is at the center of our lives.” Br. Donald Houde, CSV, our unofficial art curator, discovered the Province Center Chapel’s collection of relics and recently brought it to greater attention when he set out to document them in detail. Beneath the main and side altars were more than 60 relics, most coming as gifts to provincials over the decades. Working with staff member Eileen Daday and Associate Joan Sweeney, the three carefully documented each relic before creating a reliquary chapel in the Province Center Chapel. The relics, which appropriately included St. Viator and Fr. Louis Querbes, are accompanied by a book containing a brief description of each saint along with a copy of the certificate of authenticity when available.
The relics span the whole of Christian history, from St. Joseph to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. In life, these saints were peasants and princes, priests and mystics, Egyptian and Peruvian and everywhere in between. Their stories are just as diverse. Some were simply devout and virtuous individuals who provide us with remarkable examples to live. St. Casimir was a 16th century prince and patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. He was renowned for his fervent piety, commitment to justice and charity, and rejection of material wealth. He died of tuberculosis at the age of 25. Some stories are more dramatic. St. Sebastian was a 3rd century martyr, killed by the Romans under the rule of Emperor Diocletian for his beliefs. He converted A book contains photos and information of each of the relics, as well as certificates of a number of important and authenticity, when available. influential Romans, several of whom became saints and martyrs in their turn. When word of his deeds reached the emperor, he ordered his soldiers to tie Sebastian to a tree and shoot him with arrows. Miraculously, he survived, and St. Irene rescued and healed him. He then returned to Diocletian to chastise him for his cruelties, whereupon the emperor one again ordered his death, this time by beating him with cudgels. He is the patron saint of the plague-stricken, athletes, and ironically, archers. The reliquary chapel was completed in December 2019 and will be open to visitors once again when the Province Center is able to receive guests, following the coronavirus pandemic. Amy Sherwood, Archivist, Viatorian Archives
Relic of St. Casimir
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In Memoriam... Years of pastoral ministry followed, including serving as associate pastor of Maternity BVM in Bourbonnais and at St. Joseph in Springfield, before being named pastor of St. Patrick Church in Kankakee in 1983, and again in 2004. An assignment in Rome interrupted his parish work, when he served as a councilor for the General Direction from 1988 until 1994. When he returned, he served as director of the retirement wing at the Province Center, while also working in its archives. At the same time, he also served as Novice Master, and perhaps that is where his legacy lies: in the Viatorians he mentored who carry his foundation with them. Br. John Eustice, CSV, was one of his novices. He now serves as Vice President of Viatorian Identity and Mission at Saint Viator High School, and Director of Vocation Ministry for the Viatorian Community. He still carries Fr. Auger’s direction that as a religious he be rooted in faith and prayer. “Interiority,” Br. Eustice says. “If there was one word that described Fr. George’s outlook on life, that was it.”
Fr. George Auger, CSV 1932 – 2020 The Viatorian Community lost one of its most devout members with the passing of Fr. George Auger, CSV. He died peacefully June 2 at the age of 87. While he had been a Viatorian for 71 years and a priest for 59, it was his deep faith that inspired his confreres and novices alike. “The depth of his prayer life was one that many priests and brothers would love to emulate,” says Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, a former provincial and now President of Cristo Rey St. Viator in North Las Vegas. Fr. Auger was born Sept. 17, 1932 in Detroit, but he did his early formation in Canada, professing his first vows in 1949 in Joliette, Canada. However, he soon transferred to the Province of Chicago and was ordained a priest in 1961 at St. Viator Church in Chicago. Fr. Auger brought a distinguished academic record to his ministry. He earned a Bilingual Teaching Certificate for French/English at Ecole Normale in Rigaud, Canada. At Loyola University he earned both a BA in English and an MA in Religious Education, and later a MA in English from DePaul University. Fr. Auger also attended the Lumen Vitae program in Brussels, Belgium where he earned a diploma in the study of Theology of Religious Life. He began his teaching career as a founding member of the Saint Viator High School faculty, teaching English, when it opened in 1961. He remained there until 1963, before teaching one year at Spalding Institute in Peoria. He would return to Saint Viator in 1965, to be named chairman of the English Department.
Another of his novices, Fr. Moses Mesh, CSV, now Associate Pastor of St. Viator Parish in Chicago, describes Fr. Auger as a great inspiration, who never hesitated to support his novices Fr. Georger Auger, CSV with Fr. Tom Von Behren, CSV — and affirm their ministries. “I can’t thank him enough for not only his teamwork and support,” Fr. Mesh says, “but for the vote of confidence. He helped me become who I am today.” Fr. Jason Nesbit, CSV, pastor at Maternity BVM Parish in Bourbonnais, tries to model the qualities his former Novice Master taught him. “He prophetically impressed upon his novices,” Fr. Nesbit says, “that our religious life would be hollow if it were not nourished with prayer, meditation and attention to our interior formation.” Due to COVID-19 restrictions, services for Fr. Auger were held privately. He will be missed.
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“He had wanted to become a missionary even as a young boy,” Br. Lewnard said. “So, it’s not surprising that within two years of being ordained, he was setting off for one of our mission schools.” His openness to serve — and ability to adapt to a new culture and language — endeared Fr. Simon to his students, especially in Taiwan. Many remained in touch throughout his life. Some who were now living in California gathered with him to celebrate his 88th birthday in 2015, while others corresponded with him regularly. One of his students, Smoker Jones, came to stay at the Province Center in 2017, both to visit with his former teacher and learn more about the Viatorian Community. When he learned of his teacher’s passing, Mr. Jones spread the word among his classmates and those still serving at St. Viator Catholic High School in Taichung City. “He is still in our hearts,” Mr. Jones said.
Fr. Simon Lefebvre, CSV 1927-2020
Fr. Simon Lefebvre, CSV, spent 74 years as a Viatorian advancing its charism around the world. He passed away peacefully Jan. 13 at the Viatorian Province Center. Fr. Lefebvre was 92. “He was intensely dedicated to the priesthood,” said Br. James Lewnard, CSV, who offered the homily at Fr. Simon’s funeral Mass held Jan. 16 in the Province Center chapel. Fr. Simon spent his final three years at the Province Center, where he attended daily Mass. He presided on most Fridays and even attended Mass the day before he died. If his last years were quiet, his early years in ministry were filled with adventure. Barely two years after being ordained a priest, Fr. Lefebvre found himself heading to Taiwan as a missionary to serve at the new St. Viator Catholic High School in Taichung, founded by Viatorians in 1956. Viatorian missions in Japan and Taiwan started during the 1950s, as a response to a plea nearly 30 years earlier by Pope Pius XI, who asked religious communities to help spread the Gospel in foreign lands. Fr. Lefebvre was an obvious choice. The Canadian native was fluent in English, French and Spanish and he learned Chinese while being immersed in the culture. 13
Fr. Simon Lefebvre, CSV, enjoyed his years as a missionary, teaching students in Taiwan.
Fr. Lefebvre ultimately worked as a teacher and chaplain in Taiwan for 14 years, refining his language skills at the University of Hong Kong, before serving as a teacher at College Bourget in Riguad, Quebec. He would go on to serve as director of religion and life at the University of Nevada-Reno, as professor of Chinese at the University of San Diego and spend the last 30 years of his pastoral ministry in California. He will be missed. www.viatorians.com
In Memoriam... Associate Michael Bourgeois
Associate John Paulik
1956-2020
1958-2020
The Viatorian Community lost a farmer and a gentleman with the passing of Associate Michael “Mike” Bourgeois. He passed away April 8 due to complications from a four-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 64.
When Associate John Paulik joined the staff at Saint Viator High School in 2006, he found a home. He already had taught theology at two different Catholic high schools, after earning his degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1980.
Both Mike and his wife, Susan, made their first commitments as associates in 2003, after years of involvement with the Viatorians at St. Patrick Church in Kankakee. He was a lector, served on the parish council, and together they accompanied young couples in the parish’s marriage preparation program. In more recent years, Mike and Susan joined the St. George Parish Community, where they advanced the Viatorian mission with other associates in the parish and worked alongside of Fr. Daniel Belanger, CSV, Pastor. At the same time, Mike was a leader in the farming community. He and his wife farmed more than 1,000 acres of corn and soybean crops in Kankakee County.
Associate Michael Bourgeois and his wife, Susan,
“He looked forfarmed 1,000 acres in Kankakee County. ward to planting each spring,” his wife, Susan, said. “It was his favorite time of the year. He viewed it as a time of new growth after the dark of winter.” In the wider farming community, Mike spent 14 years on the Kankakee County Farm Bureau, first as the Aroma Township Director and later as a member of the Policy Development Committee. Its mission was to promote local agriculture and grow the next generation of farmers. Mike brought his unique background as a farmer and community leader to the wider Viatorian Community. In 2010, when Viatorians gathered in the Bourbonnais/Kankakee region for the annual Provincial Assembly, the Bourgeois couple hosted the entire crowd of nearly 100 people for an opening barbeque on their farm. Ten years after the couple made their first commitments as associates, they made their definitive commitments, making permanent their dedication to the Viatorian Community and its charism.
Working alongside Viatorians and joining them as an associate in 2018 meant the world to him, family members said, and he expressed his gratitude often to his colleagues. Mr. Paulik passed away April 9 after a one-year battle with cancer. He was 61. “John was a man entirely dedicated to the Eucharist,” said Br. John Eustice, CSV, who visited with him often. “How fitting that he returned to God on Holy Thursday.” Associate John Paulik made it his life’s work to accompany young people on their spiritual journey. Among the classes Mr. Paulik taught were Catholic Exploration of the Bible to sophomores and Fundamentals of a Catholic Faith to freshmen, a topic he surely modeled. “He enjoyed teaching freshmen. He liked their enthusiasm and helping them focus on what was essential in our faith,” says Associate Barbara D’Urso, former theology department chair. “Students recognized his deep faith and love for the church and his commitment to social justice, especially in the areas of the environment and the problem of world hunger.” Outside his classroom, he helped to lead Quest retreats for freshmen students and participated in Kairos in 2018 for upperclassmen. Mr. Paulik also returned each summer to serve as an adult leader with the Service & Song Camp, accompanying students learning about service. Early in his career he coached football and cross country and he prided himself on staying fit. He even challenged students to match his push-ups in class. One of his most distinctive features was his love of classical music. Every day, after the last period and students had left, he played music that resonated through the second floor hallway while he corrected papers.
“As associates, we can offer the vowed another source of feedback,” he said. “and companionship that may not be available otherwise.”
Fittingly, in 2016, his colleagues on the faculty voted him to receive the school’s most prestigious honor, its Fr. Louis Querbes Award, for the person who best exemplifies the spirit and mission of the Saint Viator Community.
He will be missed.
He will be missed.
At the time, Mike said that lay people brought a different dimension to the religious community.
www.viatorians.com 14
Viatorians in Colombia Respond to Pandemic Crisis The Colombian Viatorians extended their outreach in 2016 when they opened Colegio San Viator Tunja. Modeled after the original Colegio San Viator in Bogotá, the coeducational school offers instruction from preschool through high school to the students from Tunja and sets out to establish relationships with the families it serves. Now in these unprecedented times of a worldwide pandemic, which caused the school to close, Viatorians have been helping some individual families in need, specifically in need of food. Viatorians in Bogotá are doing the same. “The school has been supporting people in need with its own resources,” says Fr. Albeyro Vanegas, CSV.
Fr. Albeyro Vanegas, CSV
Mrs. Gisella Funeme (Wife of the Mayor of Tunja), Fr. Pedro E. Herrera (Rector of Colegio San Viator, Tunja), Wilson Cano (father of three students of Colegio San Viator)
necessities to help the families in need in the city, specifically in the outskirts. The campaign lasted 24 hours.
Back in Tunja, Viatorians also have helped a home for the elderly in Tunja, called Mi Casa, run by the Little Sisters of the Poor. The residence has close to 90 seniors living there.
“With the support of the Viatorian Provincial Council, the parents, teachers and staff of Colegio San Viator in Tunja helped with the acquisition of 1,000 food items,” Fr. Herrera added. Unfortunately, no one knows how long this quarantine will last, and in Colombia, as in the United States, there are many families who are trying to live their daily life by expending their money and saving in the best way possible. Viatorians pledge to accompany them through the crisis, helping out with emergency needs when able.
“The first thing we did there was to help with supplying cleaning materials, both for the people living there and for the cleaning of the place,” says Fr. Pedro Herrera, Fr. Pedro Herrera, CSV, talks to pre-school students CSV. “Secondly, before social distancing. we sent them all the food that the school had bought for the cafeteria service, and that we couldn´t use, because the students stopped coming since March 16. This included meat, dairy products, vegetables and other food stuffs.” Early in May, faculty and staff at the colegio joined a campaign run by the mayor of the Tunja that had the goal of getting economic funds, food, clothes, medicines and other Colegio San Viator, Tunja donated to the needy, through the government of the city of Tunja.
The streets of Tunja before social distancing.
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Clerics of St. Viator 1212 E. Euclid Avenue Arlington Heights, IL 60004-5799
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Newsletter –Spring 2020
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Around the Province...
Br. Peter Lamick, CSV, will be moving to Las Vegas this summer, where he will be teaching sophomore World History and Honors World History at Cristo Rey St. Viator College Preparatory High School. He joins a staff that already includes several Viatorians, including Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, President; Br. Carlos Florez, CSV, Director of Recruitment and Admissions; Br. Peter Lamick, CSV Br. Rob Robertson, CSV, Counselor; and Associate Deborah Perez, Director of the Corporate Work Study Program. In making the move, Br. Peter will be leaving Saint Viator High School, where he has worked in Campus Ministry and its Scanlan Center for students with special needs, while coaching underclassmen football and basketball. He will be missed! Fr. Daniel Hall, CSV, Provincial, was one of the first to congratulate the Chicago Bears’ first draft pick, Notre Dame tight end, Cole Kmet. Fr. Hall had coached Cole for four years at Saint Viator High School, and the two became good friends. They remained in touch during Cole’s three years at Notre Dame, and Fr. Hall even traveled to see his former player in one of his last home games, when the Irish took on the Fr. Daniel Hall, CSV, with Cole Kmet Midshipmen from Navy. The two met briefly before the start of the game, when Cole said what he always says when he sees his former coach: “Now, it’s going to be a good day.” The new Parish Life Commission at Maternity BVM Church in Bourbonnais came up with a great idea to engage young families in the parish community: an Easter egg hunt, set to take place on Palm Sunday on the church grounds. A pandemic and a statewide ‘stay at home’ order prevented that concept, but not the Easter egg hunt. With the blessing of Fr. Jason Nesbit, CSV, Pas- Fr. Jason Nesbit, CSV tor, a team of volunteers brought the Easter
egg hunt to the children. Literally, a team of volunteers divided up and hid eggs in the yards of more than 150 parish families. It’s all part of the Viatorians’ mission: raising up communities of faith. Fr. John Palmer, CSV, is doing his part during the restrictions of COVIC-19. Now retired, he says daily Mass in his apartment and then distributes communion to his elderly neighbors who cannout get out to church during the pandemic. He also secured donations of hand Fr. John Palmer, CSV sanitizer for Viator House of Hospitality. In other adaptations made during the crisis, officials with Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep in Waukegan, IL, held their first virtual fundraiser in April and it ended up being a huge success. Between online donors and generous sponsors who converted their gifts into Preston Kendall, President of Cristo Rey St. Martin donations. the school raised more than $500,000. In thanking supporters via email, Mr. Preston Kendall, President, gave a shout-out to the Viatorians, who were among the school’s first sponsoring religious communities. “We felt each one of you, from the individual donors to the Clerics of St. Viator, who continued their incredible generosity.” Fr. Daniel Mirabelli, CSV, remains invested in the Alleman High School community, where he has served for 54 years. School officials honored him on the occasion of his 60th anniversary of priesthood, with a video and other tributes. Fr. Mirabelli also Fr. Daniel Mirabelli, CSV was the subject of a column in the Quad City Times, entitled: Six Decades of Serving, Fr. Mirabelli is One of a Kind.