Viator Newsletter Winter 2010

I am an incurable romantic. I know that mightsound a bit funny coming from a priest, but it is true.I am also a bit prone to nostalgia. My confreres withwhom I live at the province center will tell you that they can often find me on our outdoor patio, listening to the “golden oldies,” singing and dancing(well dancing might be a bit of a stretch, how aboutswaying back and forth) to the Supremes, TommyJames and the Shondells, Elvis, and Tina Turner –just to name a few. I listen to the oldies, thinkingback to those days long gone, reflecting upon timeswith old friends and with family members, duringthe 60’s and early 70’s. Those days seemed simplerthan today, much less hectic, and less stressful. At times, I find myself longing for those days toreturn – those grand days of yesteryear.

Now that we have turned the page to a new calendaryear, I am struck by the realization that life back thenwas really not all that different from our life today.In fact, life back then held problems of its own, challenges that produced stress and schedules thatseemed awfully hectic. I only have to rememberwhat my mother was going through managing sixchildren all under the age of fifteen. Talk about hectic and stress! Yes, life back then really was notall that different from life today – it just seems different. The simple fact is this - the importantthings – the really important things, remain the same – generation after generation – namely, faith in God, connections of love of family, loyalty andtrust in one’s friends, finding meaning and purpose

in one’s work/ministry, anda desire to live in peace andharmony with those weencounter in our daily life.These enduring values andvirtues remain constant and real.

So, when I start getting nostalgic, and getting lost in trying to recapture the feelings of the past, I willremind myself that the present, too, holds greatpromise and meaning right before my very eyes.And so, as we begin a new year, while it is good to look back on the past for a moment, it is evenmore important to look forward with the promise of what is yet to be. And, I am reminded that thispromise finds its root and meaning in Jesus Christ.He is calling each of us to create a world where those constant core values are shared and lived in our everyday lives. It is in this that the memories of the past and the promise of the future merge intothat one reality called life.

Happy New Year! May your future be as wonderfulas the very best days of yesteryear.

In Saint Viator and Fr. Querbes,

Rev. Thomas R. von Behren, CSVProvincial

Provincial Perspective

Viatorian Community Winter 2010 Volume 15, No. 1

Counselor, Teacher, Associate

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While walking through thehalls of Saint Viator HighSchool in Arlington Heights,IL, one immediately notices the relaxed atmosphereamong the teachers, staff, andstudents in which collegepreparatory learning takesplace. One person responsiblefor this is Mr. Joe Majkowski,who serves the students ascounselor, retreat facilitator, basketball coach, and Viatorian associate.

Joe’s association with the Viatorians extends back to 1976 whenhe began coaching basketball and football at Saint Viator HighSchool while teaching at Saint James Grade School in ArlingtonHeights, IL. In 1982 he went to Bishop Gorman High School inLas Vegas, NV, which the Viatorians administered at that time. In1986 he received an offer of a teaching and coaching position atSaint Viator High School, which he readily accepted.

Joe reflects the Viatorian philosophy of respecting the intrinsicworth of each person and the way this is acknowledged is howone interacts with others. He is a strong advocate that each per-son has a right to express whatever point of view, be listened to,and then acknowledged. When that occurs, growth can take placebecause the person has been affirmed and can in turn listen andaffirm others.

Besides being readily available to students, he is actively involvedin the student peer mediation program, a structured program toresolve conflict among students. When a conflict occurs and allparties agree, trained student mediators will intervene and providean environment whereby all sides tell their stories, listen to theother points of view, list the possible options to resolve the causeof the conflict, and come to a consensus. The vast majority of thecases have been successful.

His work with the students extends to being an adultfacilitator on the student retreats. Once a year he attendsboth the Quest retreat for freshmen and sophomores andthe Kairos retreat for juniors and seniors. He describesthe experiences as very enriching in that the studentshave a chance to explore their personal spirituality and todiscover how to implement it in their lives.

Joe has been coaching basketball since 1986 and is currently the head basketball coach. He sees this as aform of ministry through training the students to achievetheir potential through hard work, working with others,and learning to accept both winning and losing graciously.

Joe thoroughly enjoys hiswork because, as he describesit, it allows him to helpyoung people find their wayas they grow academically, personally, and spirituallyin their journey from adolescence to adulthood.

After being invited tobecome a Viatorian associate a few times, heeventually accepted after aperiod of discernment. Now in his sixth year as an associate, Joesaid that association is beneficial to him in that he feels connectedto the Viatorians in a special way. This in turn has enriched his personal faith life and his family life with his wife and two children.

After over twenty years at Saint Viator High School, Joe is a well-known and respected figure. At the school he works in numerousways with the other Viatorians to implement the Viatorian vision of raising up a community of believers where Faith is lived, deep-ened, and celebrated.

Planning the strategy forthe next play

Reviewing a photo album with a student

Discussing various options and finding out whatis best for the student

Challenging team members to do their best

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When the studentsenter the chemistrylab of Fr. John VanWiel, CSV, theyknow that each classwill be well preparedby him and they willbe challenged to discover more aboutthe intricacies ofchemistry and thebeauty of science.He has been a fixtureat Saint Viator for

over twenty years and, he arrived there with a wealth of academic,administrative, and ministerial experience.

Fr. Van Wiel was ordained in 1966 and immediately began hismultifacted ministry, which included teaching science, math, andreligion; coaching tennis and basketball; being the chaplain of theHuddle Club, an organization of adults supporting student ath-letics; and being dean of discipline. During the time he servedas a principal, he implemented the philosophy whereby he providedthe supportive environment for the faculty and staff to developtheir professional skills and to excel in their educational work.

As important as the educational ministry is to him, he especiallyvalues his priesthood. Throughout his career, he has offereddaily Mass at local parishes and is known for his well prepared,organized, and relevant homilies. At Saint Viator High Schoolhe participates in the Kairos retreats and hears confessions.

The students know Fr. Van Wiel as both a competent professionaland one who is readily approachable. He arrives at the chemistrylab by 7:15 a.m. and is often there until 4:30 p.m. Although hemay seem busy with such tasks as setting up labs or correctingpapers, the students know that he will put whatever he is doingaside to talk with them.

He enjoys interacting with the students, saying that they continuallychallenge him to do his best for their benefit. They also keephim up-to-date on what is happening in the world today. He seeshis current work as a teacher of honors chemistry as one way ofcarrying out the Viatorian mission of teaching Christian Doctrinethrough being competent in the classroom, being concerned forthe students as individuals, and being a witness to the Faith.

Fr. Van Wiel’s career is not limited to high school ministry. The Viatorian leadership requested him to be part of the formation team for Viatorian candidat es to religious life. True tohis thoroughness, he pursued specialized studies and for severalyears served as affiliate director, novice master, and director ofthe temporary professed.

Teacher, Artist, PriestIn talking about formation work, he recalled his own attraction tothe Viatorians. While he was a student at Alleman High Schoolin Rock Island, IL, the Viatorians were his teachers. He wasimpressed with their humanity in that they seemed to be well-rounded people who were in touch with reality and had a welcoming

spirit about them. Hestrives to continue thesequalities in his work.

Fr. Van Wiel has been painting pictures for overtwenty years and especiallyenjoys watercolors, manyof which hang on thewalls of the province center. He said that hehas always had an interestin painting and photog-raphy and while he wasparticipating in a 30-dayretreat, he paused to consider the intricate

beauty of nature that is so often ignored because of the hectic pacewe live. Following up on this insight, he read books and magazinesabout paintings and photography. Today he continues to nurturethis talent and has given many of his paintings to the ViatorianCommunity, his family, and friends.

He is also an avid fisherman, having started as a child when hisparents took him, his brothers, and sister fishing. Today, he canbe seen leaving the Viatorian residence in the early morning hoursto spend some quiet time on a lake to enjoy the quiet and solitude

while at the same time experiencingthe ever-changing scenery.

Throughout the forty-nine yearsthat Fr. Van Wiel has been aViatorian, he has served theChurch in numerous capacities.He has found that each one hasoffered another way to serve theChurch and young people. Hisvery active life is complementedby prayer and solitude, be it inthe meditative silence of thechapel at the Viatorian ProvinceCenter or in a boat on a quietlake experiencing anew the wonders of nature. That stillness

animates his ministry and allows him to meet whatever challengesmay present themselves.

One of Fr. Van Wiel’s many watercolors

The end of a successful day of fishing

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Sixty Years of Viatorian Service

Fr. James F. Crilly, CSV, celebrates sixty years as a professed Viatorian. He hasserved as a teacher, priest, missionary, principal, superior,associate pastor, pastor, assistantprovincial, and as a provincialchapter member. He has beenassigned to just about everyplacewhere Viatorians have served in

the last six decades. While he values all of his experiences and assignments as times of growth and enrichment, he admits that a special time in his life was spent in Bogotá, Colombia.

In 1961, he was one of three Viatorians asked to travel toColombia to establish a high school for boys. Fr. Crilly had to learn Spanish, the restrictions and requirements of theColombian government, and become knowledgeable about building construction. Once construction was completed and theschool opened, Fr. Crilly initiated a unique scholarship program.Twenty percent of the student body came from low-income families in the area. Fr. Crilly served for twelve years in Colombia

in such roles as the local community superior and school principal.Today, the school has an enrollment of over 1,000 students andboasts of an excellent reputation in Bogotá.

What started as a mission almost fifty years ago, has now becomethe Foundation of Colombia, which includes the colegio and twoparishes. The local community is comprised of two associates,three pre-novices, eight brothers, and nine priests.

Fr. Crilly prepared to be a teacher by majoring in biology for hisbachelor and masters degrees at Loyola University in Chicagoand the Catholic University of America in Washington. He thentaught in Springfield and Peoria, IL, before traveling toColombia. When speaking about his life, Fr. Crilly said, “I doperceive that the pastoral mission of the parish calls us to constantly strive to educate our people in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. . . My presence and participation in faith sharing sessions and in celebrating the Eucharist brings me todraw upon my background and experience as a teacher andreminds me that much teaching is done, not by words, but byexample. We are called to teach as Jesus did, with our wholebeings.” Congratulations Jim.

Br. Leo V. Ryan, CSV, also celebrates sixty years as a professed Viatorian. In nearlyany place in the world one islikely to meet someone whoknows his name since he has visited or worked in 189 countries. The Latin word viator is translated into Englishas traveler, and no one is a bettertraveler than Br. Ryan. While

serving in the Peace Corps in Africa during 1967, he was conferred the Atoaja Chieftaincy for his service in promotingthe Yoruba life and culture in Nigeria. In addition, he lived in Rome during 1967-69 while he served as a member of theViatorian General Council. Finally, for over twenty years he has been a well-known professor, writer, and speaker inFinland and Poland, especially at the Adam MickiewiczUniversity in Poznan, Poland.

In the United States, he is a well-known educator in the area ofbusiness administration. Br. Ryan served as assistant dean of theSchool of Business Administration at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; dean of the College of BusinessAdministration at the University of Notre Dame from 1975 to1980; and dean of the Graduate School of Business at DePaulUniversity in Chicago from 1980 to 1988. He continues to work at DePaul.

Br. Ryan also served as a teacher at Cathedral Boys HighSchool in Springfield, IL; Spalding Institute in Peoria, IL; and as president of Saint Viator High School in ArlingtonHeights, IL. Whether at the secondary or university level, Br. Ryan has always been in touch with his former students.He is well-known for mentoring the careers of many of them.

Today Br. Ryan continues to lecture when the opportunity arises. He also serves on the International Commission onFather Querbes as the U.S. representative working toward thecanonization of our founder. Congratulations Leo.

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The sudden passing of Fr. William L.Carpenter, CSV, left the ViatorianCommunity mourning the loss of a vibrantmember. Fr. Carpenter died on December6, 2009, at the age of 65.

At the time of his death, Fr. Carpenter was a member of the Viatorian ProvincialCouncil. He also served as the community’s

director of mission appeals, director of priestly formation, and as amember of the Board of Governors of Saint Viator High School.Prior to these ministries, Fr. Carpenter spent more than thirty-fiveyears working in parishes and schools. From Pistakee Bay to RockIsland, from Las Vegas to Bourbonnais, from Chicago to Rochester,from Arlington Heights to Belize, each place with its many humanfaces and poignant memories held a special place in his heart.

“As a member of the provincial council, Bill was especially committed to the priority of our last general chapter, namely, international solidarity,” said Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV,Provincial of the Clerics of St. Viator.

“Bill personally committed himself to support our foundation inBelize by traveling there to preside at Masses, funerals, weddings,baptisms, and hear countless confessions,” Fr. von Behren added.“He also visited the Ivory Coast in Africa, to learn more aboutthe international Viatorian community, seeking to promote abroader, more global, vision of what it means to be ‘Viatorian.’ The Viatorian Community was very important to him. HisViatorian associates and brothers, as well as the Missionary Sistersof the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Our Lady of Guadalupe, were partof the very fabric that made up his life.”

Fr. Robert M. Egan, CSV, reflected that he and Fr. Carpenter hadbeen friends for more than forty years, carving out similar careers inViatorian parishes and schools. “His visits to the Ivory Coast andBelize had a deep impact on him,” Fr. Egan said. “He saw real needsof people and was energized to travel from parish to parish seekingfunds for the work of Viatorians in mission territories.”

Fr. Carpenter entered the Viatorian novitiate in 1962, after graduating from the Spalding Institute in his native Peoria, IL,where Viatorians influenced him as his high school teachers.

Fr. Charles Bolser, CSV, remembers entering the novitiate the same summer as did Fr. Bill Carpenter. “We were in rooms nextdoor to each other during a visit to check out the community,” Fr. Bolser said. “He was one of the ‘kids’ when I started, but I was struck then by his passion to become a Viatorian.”

During his early years as a Viatorian brother and deacon, he ministered to the needs of parishioners at St. Patrick parish inKankakee, IL. Families immediately connected with him, like Mose and Dolores Arseneau, who remarked: “He would come overto dinner and he eventually became part of the family. He had thisgreat sense of humor, and the children loved him. There wasn’t anything we couldn’t talk about.”

Fr. Carpenter was ordained apriest in 1977, and from thenon, he would cross paths severaltimes with Fr. Charles Bolser.For example, they workedtogether in the early 1980s atBishop Gorman High Schoolin Las Vegas, NV, where Fr. Carpenter was a teacher andcounselor, while Fr. Bolser wasprincipal of the high school.

Aggie Evert, current principalat Bishop Gorman High School,

remembers starting the school’s counseling department with Fr. Carpenter. “What started with only two counselors, nowincludes six counselors in all,” she reminiscences. “We both believedthat counseling should be available at the school,” Evert said. “It’snow bigger and stronger than ever.”

Fr. Charles Bolser and Fr. William Carpenter also worked in tandem in the early 1990s, when Fr. Carpenter served as pastor ofSt. Jude Parish in Rochester, IL, serving under Fr. Charles Bolser when he was provincial of the Clerics of St. Viator.

Their relationship came full circle, recently, when Fr. Bolser steppedin as pastor at St. Viator parish in Chicago, taking over a role heldten years earlier by Fr. Carpenter. “He’s remembered here as a realdynamo,” Fr. Bolser said. “He came in ready to make whateverchanges needed to be done. His legacy is one of coming in here and stirring the pot.”

That same parish, St. Viator in Chicago, was the site of a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated for Fr. William Carpenter by hisViatorian confreres on Dec. 12, 2009, and attended by several hundred people. After the Mass, he was interred in the ViatorianCommunity plot, at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, in Hillside, IL.We will miss him.

In Memoriam

Fr. Carpenterenjoyed a light

moment with thestudents from aViatorian school

in the IvoryCoast.

Fr. Carpenter proclaiming the Scripturesat the Viatorian mission in Belize

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In the Footsteps of Our Founder

Resolving the Diocesan –

Papal Dilemma

The question of whether the ParochialClerics of St. Viator would remain a diocesan society or achieve papal approbation as an exempt congregation presented Fr. Louis Querbes with a seemingly impossible dilemma.

The Jesuit assistant for France, FatherRosaven, whom Fr. Querbes consultedthroughout his days in Rome, emerged as his champion and guide. Fortunately, Fr. Rosaven was also a consultor to theSacred Congregation of Bishops andRegulars. That Congregation would decidethe future of the Parochial Clerics.

Partnering With Our Friends

“If you offer, they will come.” Members of the Viatorian Communitylearned the truth of this axiom after offering to remember special intentions during Masses for its new Viatorian Partners in Mission.Almost immediately, people began responding to the idea. Leadingup to an All Souls’ Day Mass, celebrated by Fr. James Crilly, CSV,more than two thousand intentions poured in from our partners in mission. During Advent, additional prayer requests arrived and wereremembered during daily prayer at the province center by associates,brothers, priests, and staff. All requests were recorded in a book andplaced in the chapel at the Viatorian Province Center.

Viatorian Partners in Mission was launched last year as a new initiativewhere donors and mission meet. Its goal is to establish a more personalrelationship between the Viatorian Community and its partners. Assupporters learn more about the wide variety of Viatorian ministries,they will be invited to participate and to enjoy the benefits of anenhanced prayer life through prayer intentions and retreats.

The Viatorian website has undergone several changes. Please visit the site and view the new videos in the Vocations section, other new featuresin the Support our Ministries section, an updated and enhanced photogallery, and more up-to-date news in the What’s New section.Moreover, a new Shared Prayer section includes an invitation and anopportunity to send prayer intentions via e-mail. The website can beaccessed at www.viatorians.com.

Prayer cards are a great way to share in the prayer of the ViatorianCommunity. The Viatorians established the Nazareth League ofPrayer many decades ago. In addition, special prayer cards for a variety of occasions are offered. Please see the Viatorian website for amore detailed look at each card and ordering information.

Plans are underway to develop the Viatorian Service Corps, with agoal of launching the program in spring 2011. Working with thehelp of officials from the Catholic Network of Volunteer Services, thevolunteer program tentatively features four tiers: one-year ministry

The Viatorians greatly appreciateyour financial assistance, whichhelps to sustain our ministries in theUnited States and overseas. If youwould like to assist us, please sendyour gifts to:

Viatorian Office of MissionAdvancement1212 East Euclid Ave. Arlington Heights, IL 60004847-637-2142

You can either designate where your gifts will be used or delegateus to distribute the funds where theyare most needed.

As a non-profit and tax-exemptorganization, the Viatorians arevery grateful for your prayers andfinancial support in “educating forthe future.”

For wills and bequests:Clerics of St. Viatoran Illinois Corporation

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Rosaven recommended corrections for the Summarium, the document to be printed for the Cardinals to study. His corrections“consisted chiefly in breaking or loosening these excessively closebonds of dependence, in such a way that the Congregation, whileremaining under the jurisdiction of the Ordinary, but depending onthe Holy See only for its government, its constitution, and its rules.”(Pierre Robert, Life of Louis Marie Querbes, 1921, p. 170)

Father Rosaven also suppressed some unnecessary Latin expressions,proposed restating some statutes more precisely, more briefly andhelped restructure some ideas in a more Roman formula. Fr. Querbesgratefully accepted these textual corrections.

As Consultor, to the Sacred Congregation, Fr. Rosaven wrote: “Ihave carefully examined the statutes of the said society … nothing,thereafter, I think stands in the way of the Sacred Congregation’sapproving their statutes …” (Quoted without date by Robert, p. 171).

Fr. Querbes acted quickly. The revised Summarium was printed. The statutes preceded the petition and were followed by the votum.

The next step was for Fr. Querbes to personally begin negotiationswith the Cardinals of the Sacred Congregation. The Prefect, CardinalSala, had returned to Rome. Fr. Querbes sent him, through FatherPascal, another Roman friend, a memorandum, De Catechistis, whichincluded his earlier presentation to Gregory XVI and the requireddetails about the Temporal Affairs of the Society.

Cardinal Angelo Mai was appointed Cardinal ponent (reporter). Fr. Querbes provided him a very detailed account of the Society fromits inception to the present, Royal Approbation, the reasons forrecourse to the Holy See and concluded with his petition. Fr. Querbesnext visited, in turns each of the three Cardinals appointed to reviewhis petition: Cardinals Castracene, Polidori and Odescalchi.

Protocol having been satisfied on July 10, 1838, Fr. Querbes turned toGod in prayer and retreat awaiting action by the Cardinal Consultors.

Br. Leo V. Ryan, CSV

volunteers, short-term immersion ministry experiences, summerinternships in ministry, and daily ministry volunteers. Additionalinformation about this program will be made available in thespring issue of Viator.

Viatorian Prayer CardsThe Nazareth League of Prayers is established by the Clerics of St. Viator to give our friends the opportunity to share in theprayers of the Viatorian Community. Viatorian associates, brothers,and priests remember in prayer all those who have submitted intentions and are grateful for the generosity and kindness ofthose who have supported our ministry.

To order any of the many Viatorian prayer cards call the Officeof Mission Advancement at 847-637-2125 or visit our websiteat www.viatorians.com.

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Our Patron and FounderSaint ViatorLittle is known about the life of Saint Viator other than that he livedin the fourth century in Lyons, France, and whose life was closelyassociated with the Bishop of Lyons, Saint Just. Viator served hisbishop as his disciple and as a lector in the local cathedral. Besidesperforming the official duty of proclaiming the Scriptures at liturgy, onecan assume that Viator also fulfilled the duties of catechist and teacher.

A tragic event occurred that changed the lives of both Viator andBishop Just. In 381 AD a mentally disabled man ran through thestreets of Lyons wildly brandishing a sword that wounded and killedseveral people. The man then dashed into the cathedral and asked for

asylum from the enraged crowd. Bishop Just intervened and agreed toremand the man to the authorities after they promised him that theman would receive a fair trial. No sooner had the man stepped out ofthe cathedral that the angry mob seized and murdered him. BishopJust deeply regretted that he was not able to protect the man and concluded that he should leave the diocese and spend the rest of hislife in penance as a monk in Egypt. After he made his decision, Viator followed him into exile.

Between 390 and 400 AD Bishop Just and Viator died as monks inthe Libyan Desert of Egypt. When news of their deaths reached the

people of Lyons, they asked that the two bodies be broughthome. After the bodies arrived, they were placed in the cathedral, where they were venerated for several centuries.

Fr. Louis QuerbesIn 1830, Father Louis Joseph Marie Querbes, a priest of theDiocese of Lyons, established a society of catechists, which heplaced under the patronage of Saint Viator. Louis Querbes,born in 1793, was reared and educated in the parish that fifteen centuries previously had been the cathedral church ofSaint Just and where Saint Viator served as lector and catechist.

After ordination, he returned to his home parish to serve asassociate pastor. After five years, the bishop promoted him to be the parish pastor in the rural village of Vourles. There he found the challenges daunting. The French Revolution leftmany churches desecrated, and the teaching of ChristianDoctrine was nonexistent in many places.

Fr. Querbes immediately set about engaging the laity as collaborators in ministry. He first sought to create an organization of trained men who would assist the countrypastors in the teaching of Christian Doctrine and in otherparish duties.

His original vision was that his pious association or societywould consist of tonsured clerics and lay persons, be they single or married. After dialogue with the Church authorities,the nature of the society was changed to that of a congregationof teaching brothers, some would have charge of rural parishsacristies, of teaching catechism to the rural young, and only afew of whom would be called to the ordained priesthood. In1838 the papacy formally approved Fr. Querbes’ associationunder the formal title the Congregation of the ParochialClerics or Catechists of Saint Viator. Father Querbes chose St. Viator as the patron because as he ministered at the cathedral as a lector and catechist in his day, so also would the Viatorians follow his example through the teaching ofChristian Doctrine and service at the holy altar at local parishes.

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Vocation Ministry

Gloria Perez makes her commitment as an associate in the presence of Colombian Viatorians.

Be More.

Give More.

Discover More.

Viatorians

Associate Karen Cutler and ViatorianBrothers Daniel Lydon, Jason Nesbit, andMoisés Mesh represented the ViatorianCommunity at the Archdiocese ofChicago’s “Festival of Faith,” October 16 -17, 2009. The event was an opportunity for the province to debut its new promotionalliterature and to make its presence better known in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Manyfriends of the community stopped by the Viatorian sponsored booth to say, “Hello.”

On Wednesday, September 9, 2009, Jeanne Craig, Juliann Dwyer, Paul and Rosy Hartz, Dick Hofacker, Kim Martinez, Bridget Moore, and Clairmarie Slaveck made their first commitments as associates for two years during Mass held at St. Viator Church in Las Vegas,NV. During the same Mass, Warren Craig, Marie Feeney, Loretta Gabby, Margery Gill, Jim and Marie May, Ken Rosania, and Marie Segal renewed their commitments as associatesfor five years.

On Sunday, November 1, 2009, Francisco Murillo and Gloria Perez made their first commitments as Viatorian associates, for one year, during a Mass at Colegio San Viator in Bogotá, Colombia. Francisco and Gloria have the distinct honor of being the firstColombian Viatorian associates.

The Viatorian Community is grateful for the dedication of its associates in Las Vegas andColombia to continuing the mission of Fr. Querbes through their educational, pastoral, andsocial ministries within the Church.

On January 16, 2010, Br. Carlos Eduardo Díaz, CSV, and Br. Carlos Arturo Romero, CSV,made their first profession of temporary vows. They professed poverty, chastity, and obedience, for three years, during a Mass celebrated by Fr. Thomas R. von Behren, CSV, in the chapel of Colegio SanViator in Bogotá, Colombia.Their profession occurred asthis issue of Viator went topress. An article on both Br. Díaz and Br. Romerowill appear in the springissue of Viator.

Br. Dan Lydon at the Festival of Faith Conference

After making his commitment as an associate,Francisco Murillo aff ixes his signature.

The new Viatorian Associates from Las Vegas, NV

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Q & A with Fr. Mark Francis, CSV

It has been forty years since Fr. Mark Francis, CSV, walked the halls of Saint Viator High School as a high school underclassman. The Arlington Heights native graduated fromSaint Viator in 1971 and, more importantly, the young MarkFrancis eventually joined the religious congregation that influenced him so much, the Viatorian Community.

On October 21, 2009, he returned to celebrate Mass — for thefirst time at his alma mater — appropriately enough on the Feastof Saint Viator. But he didn’t preach during the Mass. That rolewent to one of his former high school classmates and fellowViatorian, Br. James Lewnard, CSV, who teaches in the religiondepartment at the high school.

Br. Lewnard grabbed the attention of his teenage audience right away, saying that for more than 150 years, Viatorians havebeen reaching out to young people. “Our founder, Fr. Querbes,had a vision that we do something special for young people,” Br. Lewnard said. “He felt that faith should be shared withyoung people and lived with young people. As Viatorians, that’sa task we take very seriously.”

It was in response to an invitation from the president of SaintViator High School, Fr. Robert M. Egan, CSV, himself a 1969graduate of the high school, which brought Fr. Mark Francis tothe school. “I think it’s a great thing for our students to knowthat a Saint Viator graduate is the worldwide leader of theViatorian Community,” said Fr. Egan, who remembers riding theschool bus with Fr. Francis during their high school years.

In 2000, Fr. Francis was elected to serve as superior general ofthe worldwide congregation; the congregation includes morethan 550 vowed brothers and priests and over 270 lay associateswho live and minister in sixteen countries worldwide. He was reelected in 2006 to a second six-year term and works from thecongregation’s headquarters in Rome. As superior general, heoversees Viatorian communities located in Belize, Bolivia,Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Haiti,Honduras, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Peru, Spain, Taiwan and the U.S.

After Mass, Fr. Francis reflected on his first opportunity to celebrate Mass at Saint Viator.

Fr. Mark Francis, CSV

Br. Lewnard distributes the cup to a student communion minister.Fr. Francis gives Communion to a Saint Viator High School faculty member.

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Q:A:

What were some of your impressions, thinking back to then and now?

I think the fact that the school is coeducational is very positive and it contributes to the warm andwelcoming atmosphere.

Q:A:

Did you sense any differences in the students from your days back in the late 1960s and early 1970s tothose you met today?

When I was a student at Saint Viator High School, we were encouraged to engage with the surroundingU.S. society in contemporary social justice issues that really mattered then–civil rights and the war inVietnam. Today, I sense that same concern and I am delighted to see student engagement in social justiceinitiatives and projects in such venues as Belize in Central America and in the wider metropolitan area ofChicago itself. I think there is even more of an emphasis on forming a community of learning here inwhich everyone is accepted and encouraged to do his/her best.

Q:

A:

Br. Jim Lewnard said during the homily today that as classmates, you and he had discussions aboutreligious life beginning at sixteen, and that you made your decision to enter the Viatorians by the timeyou were eighteen. What is it about Saint Viator High School that opened you to considering a call toreligious life?

My vocation to religious life and the priesthood was nurtured through the vibrant Christian witness of the marvelous religious and lay faculty members and through an engaging, stimulating, demanding,college-preparatory curriculum that sought to challenge and bring out the best in us as high schoolstudents. Most of all, it was having the confidence to ask questions honestly about life, relationships,death, and the role that faith plays in helping each of us make our way together. That’s what attractedme to want to serve others as a Viatorian. I knew that searching for truth was compatible withChristian life that embraces Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that with others I could do much more than I could accomplish alone.

Q:A:

Is there anything you might want to say to these students, learning in the same classrooms you did, nowin the 21st Century?

My hope is that this spirit will always continue among the students, faculty, and staff at Saint ViatorHigh School, since for me it is much more than just a school. It is a place of encounter, a place of challenge, and a place of transformation that set me on a path that I have never regretted. As superiorgeneral, I have the privilege of visiting Viatorians at work around the world, from our ministerialinvolvements in Japan to Chile to the Ivory Coast. In each one, I see a commonality in our approachto learning that transcends cultural and national uniqueness and limitations and which is obviously atwork here at Saint Viator High School.

12

Individual Integrity Confronted a Modern day Holocaust

Paul Rusesabagina, thereal life hero who inspiredthe movie, “HotelRwanda,” drew packedcrowds on November 2, 2009, when he made a visit to Saint ViatorHigh School in Arlington Heights, IL.Mr. Rusesabagina was the

hotel manager who saved the lives of more than 1,200 individualsduring the heinous Rwandan genocide.

In the morning, more than 700 Saint Viator High School students gave up their activity period to hear him speak about hisexperiences in Rwanda; that same evening, over 600 parents, neighbors, and more students filled the auditorium. On both occasions, the audiences gave him a standing ovation even before he began speaking.

During a three-month period in 1994, when more than one million Rwandans were killed, Mr. Rusesabagina risked his life toshelter Hutus and moderate Tutsis who sought refuge during theconflict. This horrific massacre is viewed as one of the most vicious atrocities of the 20th century.

Mr. Rusesabagina came at the invitation of Saint Viator HighSchool’s social justice organization called STAND (StudentsTaking Action Now for Darfur); the visit was also sponsored in partnership with the Clerics of St. Viator.

Parents and students alike described his testimony as “powerful.”

Mr. Rusesabagina’s appearance even drew the mayor of ArlingtonHeights, IL, Arlene Mulder, to attend. She greeted him on stagewith an official proclamation which designated November 2, 2009, “Paul Rusesabagina Day” in Arlington Heights. MayorMulder noted the significance of the day of Mr. Rusesabagina’s visit and of her official proclamation–All Souls’ Day.

After the morning assembly, Mr. Rusesabagina sat down with the student leaders of Saint Viator High School, all members of STAND, for a question-and-answer session. “I am traveling around to raise awareness and talk to young people,” Mr. Rusesabagina said. “Young people are the ones who can change the world. We are all part of the problem, but we are also all part of the solution.”

In both the morning and evening sessions, he challenged his audience to aim higher in the fight for social justice and humanrights. In fact, Mr. Rusesabagina said that in order to bring aboutchange, ordinary people must work together to prevent genocidethroughout the world. “The best weapon in our arsenal is just

words,” he said. “With words we can civilize. We can help a wholenation to heal.”

His own powerful and engaging words resonated with many of thestudents he met and have stayed with them weeks after he left. “He was so eloquent,” junior George Theotokatos said. “He saidwords were his best weapon and he proved it. Instead of fightingback, he used his eloquence.”

Significantly, the students took his counsel to heart. On December 12,2009, they mounted their second annual “Rock for Darfur” concert,which drew almost 300 teens and which afforded them a receptivevenue to educate further about the conflict in Darfur. The concertraised more than $5,000. Proceeds will go to a school in a Darfurrefugee camp in the African nation of Chad. The students have decided to partner with the school in order to support the studentsthere and learn more about their lives. During the concert, studentsvideotaped greetings from numerous fellow students. The greetingswill be included on a DVD that will be sent to the school in Chad.

They also circulated a petition, which they plan to send toPresident Barack Obama; it calls on him to follow through on hisadministration’s promises to become more involved in efforts to end the genocide in Darfur.

“Mr. Rusesabagina impressed on us that it is our generation whoneeds to respond to the genocide in Darfur,” said junior ValerieKiebala. “What we do will determine the future.”

Mr. Rusesabagina ended his sessions at Saint Viator High Schoolby highlighting the horrific consequences of the tragically numerous genocides that have occurred throughout history and the poignant promise of “never again.” “The future is yours," he concluded. "Go out and make 'Never Again,' never again!"

For more information, please visit www.savedarfur.org andwww.darfurdreamteam.org.

Mr. Paul Rusesabagina and his wife talking with a group of Saint Viator High Schoolstudents who are members of STAND (Students Taking Action Now for Darfur)

13

Around the Province

During the latter part ofSeptember 2009, Saint ViatorHigh School’s student social justicegroup, the Student Action Tribe,sponsored a weeklong awarenesscampaign about bullying. Studentleaders used music, prayer, andpersonal stories during homeroomperiod to challenge their peers tostop bullying when they see or

hear it. The week also featured presentations to students andteachers by John Halligan of Vermont, whose 13-year-old son,Ryan, committed suicide after relentless bullying. Mr. Halligan has committed himself full-time to speaking to students and par-ents around the nation about bullying. His foundation website iswww.ryanpatrickhalligan.org. Posters, with Ryan’s photo, werehung throughout the school with the caption, Remember Ryan.

The Province of Chicago of the Clerics of St. Viator awardedgrants totaling $116,975 on October 1, 2009, for employment,educational, emergency food and shelter, immigrant, and medical assistance, as well as programs that address genocide,peace, and racism, for the 2009-2010 pastoral year. Grants aremade on a yearly basis to persons and organizations with whommembers of the province minister.

On Oct. 19, 2009 Br. Carlos Ernesto Florez, CSV, enrollmentcoordinator, Br. Michael Gosch, CSV, school social worker, andViatorian Provincial Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, joined theSt. Martin de Porres High School community to celebrate fiveyears of innovative education in northeastern Lake County, IL.The Viatorian Community is one of five endorsing communitiesof SMdP. In his remarks, Fr. von Behren stated, “As a communitycommitted to young people, the Viatorians are happy to celebratefive years of success in offering opportunities for young people in

Lake County. I have been impressed with the quality of educationprovided at SMdP and the commitment of the dedicated and qualified faculty. In addition, it has been a pleasure to witness the care students have for one another.”

Over the past five years, the school has experienced considerablesuccess. SMdP opened in 2004 with 95 students in rented space in downtown Waukegan; today it serves 225 students on its owncampus. The Class of 2009 received more than $800,000 in college scholarships and 97% were accepted into a college. Foradditional information, please visit www.smdpwaukegan.org.

St. Viator Parish in Las Vegas,NV, held its first Taste of St. Viator on October 17,2009, in anticipation of theFeast of St. Viator (October 21).Over 400 people gathered inthe parish courtyard after the4:00 p.m. Mass to enjoy ethnicdishes representing the variouscultures of the parishioners. Fr. Richard Rinn, CSV, pastorof the parish, stated that theevent was a “great communitybuilder for the parish.”

At the October 2009 ViatorianProvincial Chapter meeting,members of the chapter unanimously endorsed the following statement in supportof women religious—the contributions they have made to the Church, to society as a whole,and their often visionary model of ministry:

T he Provincial Chapter of the Clerics of St. Viator of the Province of Chicago offers its prayerful support for

congregations of women religious in the United States, as well as for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, during the Vatican visitation conducted under the auspices of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

We hold our sisters in great esteem for their dedicated and innovative ministry, their commitment to the challenges of a Vatican II Church, and their fidelity to their particular charisms.

We urge the entire Church to support these faith-filled women in their efforts to serve the Church and the world.

[October 29th, 2009] (continued on page 14)

Ryan Halligan

SMdP student Abigail Hall offers a liturgical dance.

Br. Carlos Ernesto Florez, CSV,processes with the Vision Statement of

the Viatorian Community.

14

St. Thomas More parishioners (Henderson, NV)participated ina national program called Haiti Outreach. During the previousOctober, over $4000 was raised to cover the cost of building one home for a family in Haiti. The spring issue of Viator willfeature how the Haitian Viatorians are responding to the recentearthquake.

Br. Leo V. Ryan, CSV, ProfessorEmeritus of Management, DePaulUniversity in Chicago, co-editedEntrepreneurship: Values and

Responsibility. Published in earlyNovember 2009 by TransactionPublisher, the book is Volume 17in a series of International Annuals

of Practical Philosophy and Methodology,

sponsored by the European Society of Praxiology. Br. Ryan previouslyedited Human Action in Business,

Volume 5 (1996), Business Students

Focus on Ethics, Volume 8, (2000), and Praxiology and Pragmatism,

Volume 10, (2002) in the series.

Students and staff from Colegio SanViator in Bogotá, Colombia, raised$7,500 by holding “Jeans Days”throughout the year. This popularfund-raiser allows students to wearjeans to school on certain days aslong as they make a donation. This year’s collection was given tothe social concerns office of theDiocese of Soacha in Bogotá whichworks with families displaced bythe violence and war that plaguesparts of Colombia. Students also collected Christmas gifts that were distributed to the children ofthese families. The gifts and check were presented during the finalMass of the school year in late November 2009.

On December 3-4, 2009, forty students from Saint Martin de PorresHigh School in Waukegan, IL, and Saint Viator High School inArlington Heights, IL, attended a Bridges Retreat to address issuesof oppression, prejudice, racism, and white privilege. Activities,group discussions, prayer, and talks centered on these controversialtopics, which led to frank discussions and a deeper understanding ofthese issues and their responses to them. Acknowledging that muchneeds to done, the students pledged to work together and to committo a Christian response when confronted with these injustices on apersonal and societal level.

The Viatorian Community recently served as a co-sponsor of twoimportant local events in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

On December 10, 2009, members of the province gathered withothers at the Evanston public library for a panel discussion entitled Torture…Where Do We Stand Now organized by theEvanston/Rogers Park Amnesty International Group 50.Panelists included Sr. Dianna Ortiz, OSU, a survivor of tortureand founder of the Torture Abolition and Survivors SupportCoalition International (www.tassc.org), the only organizationfounded by and for torture survivors; Gary Isaac, author ofnumerous amicus briefs in Guantanamo detainee cases; TomParker, Policy Director for Terrorism, Counterterrorism, andHuman Rights at Amnesty International USA; and JamalWatkins, Midwest Regional Director of Amnesty InternationalUSA. Panelists argued for the closing of Guantanamo detentioncenter, the banning of military commissions, the ending indefinitedetentions, and the calling for an impartial investigation into theuse of torture by the United States. For more information, pleasewww.amnestyusa.org/ctwj.

Second, on December 18, 2009,members of the province attendedthe screening of Rethink Afghanistan,a documentary that focuses on thekey issues surrounding the currentwar in Afghanistan. The filmexplores the reasons offered by theU.S. government for the U.S. militarypresence in Afghanistan.

For more information on the documentary and events in

Afghanistan, please visit www.rethinkafghanistan.com.

Members of the province supported and participated in theDecember 18, 2009 prayer vigil at the Broadview DetentionCenter, where undocumented persons are processed and held whilethey await deportation. A two-mile procession to Our Lady ofMount Carmel Parish in neighboring Melrose Park followed inorder to draw attention to the plight of immigrants. Viatorians arealso participating in a postcard campaign, held during January

A student at Colegio SanViator brings his gifts for the

poor to the altar.

Students at the Bridges retreat write about their experience.

Around the Province… continued from page 13

15

Each morning before dawn, including the dayswhen the wind chill factor is subzero, over onehundred immigrant day laborers gather at thecorner of Milwaukee and Belmont Avenues inChicago, IL, seeking work.

For many, their presence at this corner marksthe end of a journey that began with copingwith the poverty in their homeland, the minimum wage being less than $5 per day. If they were small farmers, their unsubsidizedcrops would have had to compete with the huge influx of imported, subsidized foodstuffs.Losing in that uneven competition resulted inbankruptcy and eviction from their land. Onthe other hand, if they worked in many of thefactories in their homelands, it usually meantworking in sweatshop conditions.

The hope of securing a job that will help them provide for their families motivates them to stand at the corner despite the frigidweather. Unfortunately, the current recession has drastically decreasedthe number of available construction jobs. On one morning inDecember 2009, only three contractors stopped by looking for workers, while more than sixty were available. Many workers have not worked for two weeks or more.

Should they be hired, the work is often very dangerous. On a wet fallday a worker slid off the roof of a two-story house. Being seriouslyinjured, he was rushed to the hospital and now he is confronted withthe hospital bills because his former employer denied he was injured onthe job. His case is not unique. According to a recent study, one-third of day laborers suffer some type of work-related injury(Valenzuela et al. 12).

Another frequent occurrence is wage theft. The samestudy states that two-thirds of the interviewed daylaborers said that they were not paid at least one time inthe previous two months. This is particularly devas-tating in that the average per annum income of a daylaborer is less than $15,000. The federal poverty level for a family of four is $22,050.

In response, a bilingual community organizer from the nonprofit agency, the Latino Union, works withthe laborers on a one-on-one basis and helps them toorganize to more effectively advocate for their rights.Using the consensual approach, the workers haveagreed that the lowest wage they will accept is $12 perhour. The workers have also devised an organized jobdistribution system so that the workers collaboraterather than compete for work.

To address thewage theft issue,workers record the license platenumbers andgather other information suchas name, address,and telephonenumber of theiremployer. TheLatino Unionpublished a

booklet in English, Spanish, and Polish about wage theft and has hosted meetings about what can be done to recover stolen wages.

The Human Right to Work

Every day people stand on the corner forover four hours seeking work.

A contractor stops and people eagerly seek to be employed.

(continued on back page)

through March 2010, calling on elected officials to pass compassionate, comprehensiveimmigration reform.

Bishop J. Peter Sartain, Bishop ofJoliet, IL, installed Fr. DanielBelanger, CSV, as the twenty-firstpastor of St. George parish inBourbonnais, IL, on December 19,2009. Fr. Belanger, who wasordained in 2007, began his

pastorate at St. George in 2009 after pastoral and youth ministry in Bourbonnais,IL, Chicago, IL, Las Vegas, NV, and Belize,Central America. In addition to serving aspastor to this community of 177 families,he serves as chaplain at Bishop McNamaraCatholic High School in neighboringKankakee, IL. St. George is one of tworural parishes that the Viatorians currentlyadminister, the other being St. Anne parishin St. Anne, IL. Fr. Daniel Belanger, CSV, and

Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, Provincial

Clerics of St. Viator1212 E. Euclid AvenueArlington Heights, IL 60004-5799Newsletter – Winter 2010

NON-PROFIT US POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 7160

PALATINE P&DC, IL

If you are receiving multiple copies of this newsletter and/or wish to be removed from the mailing list, please call the Office of MissionAdvancement at 847-637-2142 or fax your request to 847-637-2145.

Viator is published three times a year by the Office of Mission Advancement for the Clerics of St. Viator, Province of Chicago.Email: [email protected] Website: www.viatorians.com

Our purpose is to present the mission, ministries, news and needs of our community to those who are interested in and supportive of our works.

Provincial:Fr. Thomas R. von Behren, CSV

Editor:Fr. Thomas E. Long, CSV

Editorial Board:Fr. Thomas R. von Behren, CSV Br. Michael T. Gosch, CSVBr. Donald P. Houde, CSVFr. Thomas G. Kass, CSVBr. Leo V. Ryan, CSV

Contributing Journalist:Eileen O’Grady Daday

Layout and Design:Dianna Ehrenfried, Visualedge, Inc.

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

The Human Right to Work… continued from page 15

The corner is located within the boundaries of St. Viator parish, which is activelyfostering a welcoming attitude for all. In the recent past, the parish has hosted a“Know Your Rights” seminar to help contradict the notion that immigrants aredevoid of rights.

Its pastor, Fr. Charles Bolser, CSV, has accompanied some parishioners to deportationhearings. He related one incident where the husband had a decent paying job and was supporting his wife and children. Even though he was the only breadwinner,the court ordered him to be deported despite the fact that it would cause the family breakup.

A parish group goes weekly to the Broadview Detention Center, where thoseordered to be deported are detained. They join with other human rights activists in praying the rosary and peacefully demonstrating for a humane and just immigration reform.

Fr. Bolser stated that he looks forward to enhancing the welcoming spirit of theparish and has formed an immigration committee to investigate specific ways to reach out to immigrants. He views it as one way to implement the Viatorian vision of working to ensure the respect of the dignity and rights of every human being,especially those who are mistakenly accounted of little importance by some withinour society.

Day laborers state their case at a recent demonstration.

The police disperse those looking for work.

Photos in this article by Jhonathan F. Gómez from the Latino Union of Chicago

www.viatorians.com