Heroes of Faith St. Viator

8/12/2019 Heroes of Faith St. Viator

1/36


2/36


3/36

IN ROMAN GAUL, PAGAN AND CHRISTIAN

RELIGIONS BLENDED TOGETHER

IT IS SAID THAT SOME CHRISTIANS SACR

OXEN TO BAPTIZE NEW MEMBERS IN B

THESE WERE TIMES OF

CONFUSION AND IGNORANCE...

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOURTH-CENTURY,

IN LYON, CITY OF ROMAN GAUL, MANY

EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS TOOK PLACE.

THIS IS THE STORY OF ONE SUCH

EXTRAORDINARY EVENT. THIS IS THE

STORY OF ST. VIATOR.

ILLUSTRATED BY ANTONIO CARDOSO

AROUND THE YEAR 350 A SOLDIER NAMED MAGENTIUS

BEGAN TO STAND OUT AS A STRONG LEADER OF THE

ROMAN ARMIES...

1


4/36

NY ADORED MAGENTIUS... YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL,

MAGENTIUS, WE BOW

DOWN TO YOU...

I AM POWERFUL,

YOU ARE RIGHT!

MAGNIFICE

LEADER, YOU

WORTHY..

RESTORE THE GOOF ROME TO THOLD PEDESTALS

RUMORS SPREAD THROUGHOUT GAUL

MAGENTIUS WAS GOING TO BE THE NE

EMPEROR OF ROME...

THE SOLDIERS GIVE

THEIR SUPPORT..

I KNOW THAT THIS MAN SPEAKS THE

TRUTH...ALL THE IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THIS

CITY MUST GIVE ME THE HONOR I DESERVE.

I WANT A BANQUET PREPARED TO HONOR

ME...MIGHTY MAGENTIUS!

2


5/36

AT THE BANQUET IN HONOR OF MAGENTIUS...

EVERYONE DRANK TOO

WHAT DO YOU

WANT ?

WE WAYOU TO

EMPE

LONG LIVE

MAGENTIUS!

LONG LIVE EMPEROR

MAGENTIUS OF GAUL!

ROME WILL SEND ALL THEIRARMIES TO FIGHT AGAINST ME!

WILL YOU JOIN IN THE FIGHT?MAGENTIUS!

WE WILL FIGHT,

THE CROWD RESPONDED TO MAGENTIUS...

THE CROWD CHEERED...

ALL PRAISED MAGENTIUS...

3


6/36


7/36

PERHAPS YOUNG VIATOR WATCHED THE

PAGAN SOLDIERS ENTER LYON...MAYBE VIATOR LISTENED TO

THE PREACHING OF BISHOP

VERSIMO OF LYON... NEVER ABATHE CHRIS

FAITH

WE SERVE THE LIVING GOD, NOT

IDOLS! VIOLENCE IS NOT THE

WAY OF JESUS...

MY ARMY HAS DESE

ME...COWARDS...I AM

WITH NO HOPE

SUPPORT FOR MAGENTIUS

BEGAN TO CRUMBLE...

MAGENTIUS TOOK HIS OWN LIFE IN AN ACT OF CONF

AND RAGE...FEELING DESERTED

AND HOPELESS...

5


8/36


9/36

IN TRUTH, BISHOP JUST WAS A LOVING AND ABLE PRIEST...

ONE DAY, THE MOTHER OF VIATOR

PRESENTED HER SON TO THE BISHOP...

PLEASE INSTRUCT

MY SON.

WITH THE APPROVAL OF BISHOP JUST, VIATOR

DEDICATED HIS TIME TO STUDYING THE SCRIPTUR

WE ALL KNOW THAT

CHURCH IS OUR TEMP

OUR HOME, OUR SCHO

YOUNG VIATOR...COME TO

THE CATHEDRAL...YOU

CAN PREPARE TO BE A

PRIEST...

7


10/36

NE DAY...

VIATOR, YOU AREREADY TO BE A

LECTOR ANDCATECHIST.

THANK YOU,

SIR!

VIATOR READ THE GOSPEL AND TAUGHT THE PEOP

ABOUT GODS LOVE AND TRUTH

LATER...YES,

BISHOP.

YOU SPEAK

WELL.

THIS DESIRE TO SHARE THE GOOD

NEWS OF JESUS WITH EVERYONE I

MEET MAKES ME FEEL ALIVE! TO KNOW

CHRIST AND SHARE HIS MESSAGE...

VIATOR, WE NEED

TO TEACH OTHERS

OUR FAITH...

MAGENTIUS CONFUSED THE PEOPL

MAKING THEM WORSHIP IDOLS. W

NEED TO INSTRUCT THEM SO THE

KNOW JESUS...

8


11/36

VIATOR, YOU STAY

HERE AND TAKE CARE

OF THE FAITHFUL.

IN THE YEAR 381, BISHOP JUST LEFT

FOR THE COUNCIL OF AQUILEIA...

WHEN BISHOP JUST RETUR

IMPORTANT EVENTS BEGAN

TRANSPIRE IN LYON...

BISHOP JUST, HERE ARETHE SACRED BOOKS I

COPIED.

AT FIRST THE DAYS WERE FILLED WITH

FURTHER STUDY BETWEEN THE BISHOP AND

VIATOR...

NICE WORK,

VIATOR!

THANK YOU...W

IS THAT NOISE

THE STREET

9


12/36

DDENLY, LYON FILLED WITH

SHOUTS AND CONFUSION

WHAT IS

HAPPENING?HES POSSESSED

BY SATAN!

NO ONE CAN

STOP HIM!

HELL KILL YOU IF YOU

DONT RUN!

RUCK MAD, A MAN WAS ATTACKING ALL WHO

PASSED NEAR HIM WITH A SWORD... CUT OFF HIS

ESCAPE ROUTES!

THE TOWNSPEOPLE

PULLED TOGETHER AND

ORGANIZED A TRAP...

???

10


13/36

THE MAN WAS SKILLFUL, DISARMING THOSE WHO

TRIED TO RESTRAIN HIM...

HE BOLDLY BROKE THROUGH THE T

IN DANGER, THE MANREGAINED HIS REASON... WHAT HI DON

THEY WILL KILL ME IF I DO

NOT FIND SANCTUARY IN THE

CHURCH OF MACCABEES!

IN THOSE TIMES, CHURCHES WER

ZONES FOR THOSE FACING DANG

11


14/36

THIS TIME, THE CROWD WAS FRANTIC WITH RAGE...EXPEL THAT MAN

FROM THE CHURCH!

WELL BURN THE

CHURCH DOWN!RESPECT GO

SANCTUAR

BISHOP JUST ARRIVED AT THE CHURUCH TO

CALM THE ANGRY MOB...

HONORABLE BISHOP JUST, IT IS IN THE

INTEREST OF YOUR CHURCH THAT YOU

SHOULD SEND OUT THAT DEMON-

POSSESSED FUGITIVE TO FACE OUR

JUSTICE...

DEAR FRIENDS, YOUR

VERSION OF JUSTICE WILL

KILL THIS MAN. THE CHURCH

OFFERS SANCTUARY...

12


15/36

WE WILL NOT KILL HIM.

WE WILL ESCOURT HIM

TO JAIL.

YOU PROMISE

TO RESPECT

THIS MAN?

I GIVE YOU MY WORD,

BISHOP JUST!

WE TRUST YOUR WORD.

I PLACE HIS LIFE INTO

YOUR HANDS...

WHEN THE MAN EXITED THE CHURCH, THE

ANGRY MOB POUNCED ON HIM...

AS BISHOP JUST LOOKED ON, THE

MOB KILLED THE MAN...O GOD, THIS MAN

MURDER IS MY FAU

TRUSTED MAN RAT

THAN YOU!!!

13


16/36

SHOP JUST GREW OLD, UNABLE TO

FIND FORGIVENESS...

BISHOP JUST, I DONT

UNDERSTAND...YOUVE

DONE NOTHING

WRONG.

IM A DISGRACED BISHOP,

UNFIT TO CONTINUE. IVE

DECIDED TO GO INTO THE

DESERT AS PENANCE FOR THE

REMAINDER OF MY LIFE!

ILL LIVE OUT MY LIFE

IN A MONASTERY,

SEEKING GODS MERCY

FOR MY ERROR!

MY CHILD,

14

WITHOUT YOU, BISHOP, I AM

LOST. I WILL GO WITH YOU

TO SEEK OUT GODS PERFECT

WILL IN LIFE. I WILL NEVER

DEPART FROM YOUR SIDE...


17/36

BISHOP JUST SLIPPED OUT IN THE NIGHT

WHILE EVERYONE WAS SLEEPING...

HE WENT ALONE TOWARD THE PO

MARSEILLE

ILL JOURNE

THE DESER

IN VAIN, VIATOR SEARCHED FOR

BISHOP JUST IN THE CATHEDRAL...HES GONE...I CAN

STILL CATCH HIM

IF I GO BY BOAT...

KNAPSACK IN HAND, VIATOR REACHED

THE RODAN RIVER...

15

AT THIS SPEED I WILL ARRIVE IN

MARSEILLE BEFORE BISHOP JUST.

VIATOR WAS AROUND

20 YEARS OF AGE AND

DETERMINDED TO

SEEK GOD IN THE

DESERT...


18/36


19/36

BISHOP JUST AGREED...

YOU MAY COME

WITH ME TO THE

DESERT...

MAY WE LIVE FOR THEDAY WHEN WE CAN

RETURN TO LYON...

YES, UNTIL TH

WILL SEEK G

FORGIVENE

17

MANY DAYS LATER, THE BOAT REACHED ALEXANDRIA, E

IT WILL BE

BETTER TO LIVE

FAR FROM LYON...

IN ROUTE TO EGYPT...


20/36

NCE IN EGYPT, THEY SET OUT ON FOOT

FOR THE DESERTS OF THEBAID ...

WE WILL EXPLORE THE

MONASTERIES NEAR KELLIA,

NITRIA AND SCETIS...

WHICH IS BEST?ITS HARD

TO SAY...

THE DISCIPLES OFPACHOME LIVE IN

TABENNISI...

18

HAVE HEARD IT SAID THAT IN NITRIA IS

E COMMUNITY FOLLOWING THEIR LEADER,

THE YOUNG MACARIUS...

WAY OF LIFE...

SOME MILES FROM HERE IS SCETIS,

THE PEARL OF THE DESERT. IT IS

THE MOST DEMANDING

LETS GO

THERE!


21/3619

WE MUST MOVE

SILENTLY TO AVOI

AN ATTACK.

THEY DEPARTED FOR SCETIS ON A BOAT MADE OF BALSA,

WATCHING FOR DANGEROUS CROCODILES...

THEY JOINED A CARAVAN DEPARTING

FOR THE DELTA NILE...HOW DO WE REACH

SCETIS?

THE ONLY WAY

BOAT AND I

DANGEROU

THE RIVER IS INFESTED

WITH CROCODILES! YOU

MUST GO BY BOAT.

NOTHING STOOD IN THEIR


22/36

THE NIGHT STARS

WILL GUIDE OUR

WAY...

WILL THEY LEAD

US TO SCETIS?

20

HOURS LATER...

THERE IS THE

MONASTERY!

A SIGN ON THE FRONT DOOR

LT ALLMAYENTERNONEMAYEXIT.

STAY CALM WHEN

YOU WALK BY.

THEY OBEYED THESE WISE WORDS...

ONCE THROUGH THE CROCODIL

THEY BEGAN THE LONG WALK

THROUGH THE EGYPTIAN DESER


23/3621

OUR LIVES ARE IN

GODS HANDS NOW.

ARE YOU READY?

YES! WE WILL ABANDO

OUR WILL AND SER

GOD IN HUMILITY

A MONK APPEARED... IF YOU WISH TO ENTER THE

COMMUNITY, YOU MUST FIRST GR

THE WAY IN WHICH WE ALL LIV

ONE WEEK CAME AND WENT, THE

DOORS OF THE MONASTERY

REMAINED CLOSED...

YOU CANT ENTER THIS

PLACE UNTIL YOU ARE ABLE

TO PROVE THAT YOU ARE

ABLE TO HANDLE OUR WAY

OF LIFE.

DRINK THIS

FROM OUR


24/3622

ATOR AND BISHOP JUST BEGAN

THEIR NOVICIATE AS HERMITS,

LIVING IN NEARBY CELLS...

YOUR DEDICATION IS

OBVIOUS... WELL HELP

YOU FIND PERFECTION.

COME IN!

ALLY...

VIATORS HEAD WAS SHAVED,

SYMBOLIZING HIS LIFE AS A MONK...

THE ABBOT WAS MACARIUS THE EGYPTIAN, FOUNDER OF

THE MONASTERY AND MASTER OF HIGHEST EXPRESSIONS

OF CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY...

LEAVE YOUR PRIDE AN

RESISTANCE

OUTSIDE...OBEDIENCE

WHAT MATTERS HERE

...HE WORE A MONKS HA

VIATOR DISCOVERED A N

LIFE IN THE DESERT


25/36


26/36


27/36

AWAITING THEM WAS A TABLE WITH

SOUP...SOMETIMES NOTHING MORE THAN

BREAD AND WATER...NOTHING ELSE!

A MONK NAMED EVAGRIUS STOOD,

APPEARING RATHER THIRSTY...ABBOT

MACARIUS,

MAY I ASK A

FAVOR...

PLEASE TELL ME W

YOU NEED, EVAGRI

ABBOT MACARIUS

DREW NEAR...

MAY I DRINK SOME

WATER BEFORE THE

OTHER MONKS?

ARE YOU THIRSTY

DEAR BROTHER?

GO OUTSIDEAND FIND SOMESHADE...

25

MACARIUS WAS SO RIGOROUSTHAT HE TOLERATED NO SIGN OF

DISSENT OR RESIGNATION...


28/36

TER, AT THE DOOR OF THE REFECTORY,

A MONK ANNOUNCED...

...WITH YOUR

PERMISSION, ABBOT

...THREE PILGRIMS FROM GAUASKING REFUGE IN THE

MONASTERY...

FATHER MACARIUS, WE COME FROM

LYON, DRAWN HERE BY THE FAME OF

THIS SACRED MONASTERY!

BOT FATHER...WE WISH TO LIVE

IN THE DESERT, LIKE YOU, TOPURIFY OUR SOULS OF ALL

WORLDLINESS...

WE SHALL SPEAK OF ALL

THESE MATTERS AFTER MONKS RETURN TO THE

DUTIES...

26

AFTER THE MEAL, THE MONKS FILED OUTOF THE REFECTORY IN SILENCE...


29/36

THE PILGRIMS PASSED BISHOP JUST...

FATHER JUST!ARE YOU HERE?

HUH? YOUKNOW HIM?

HE IS BISHOP JUST OF LYMAN OF VIRTUE AND HUMI

27

HOW IS IT THAT KEPT A

SECRET FROM US? YOU ARE A

BISHOP?

I CAN EXPL...

RIGHT UNDER OUR VERY NOSES,

BROTHERS, A LIVING EXAMPLE OF

HUMILITY...

THIS MONK IS NONE OTHAN VIATOR, THE LEC

FROM LYONS CATHEDRA

TAUGHT MY NIECES A

NEPHEW...


30/36

IATOR, WHY DID YOU KEEPQUIET ALL THIS TIME?

HUMILITY ISTHE WAY OF

JESUS...

THE EXAMPLE OF THIS NOBLEDISCIPLE SERVES TO SHOW USHOW TO LIVE. HUMILITY IS THEWAY OF JESUS!

BY DIVINE PROVIDENCE, THE HOLINESS

OF BISHOP JUST AND VIATOR WAS MADE

KNOWN TO THE WORLD...

...THE NEWS REACHED

YON...BISHOP JUST WAS LIVINGIN THE DESERT!

R BISHOPS A HOLY

MAN!

HE IS AN EXAMPLE

OF HOLINESS!

28

BISHOP JUSTIS ALIVE!

AND NOW HE CANRETURN TO LEAD

LYON!

ALL IN LYON CELEBRATED...


31/36

BRING VIATOR TOO! I WANT

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT

JESUS!

FRIENDS, I WILL SEEKOUT OUR AGED BISHOP

AND YOUNG VIATOR.

LATER, A PRIEST NAMED ANTIOCHUS

SPOKE TO THE PEOPLE...

29

ILL TELL THEM OF OUR JOY

AND HOPE FOR THEIR QUICKRETURN TO LYON.

BRING THEMBACK!

MAY BISHOP JUST ANDVIATOR RETURN TO LYON!

LONG LIVE OUR

BISHOP ANDVIATOR! WITH GOD AS M

WITNESS, I WILL DI CAN TO BRING T

BACK. BISHOP JUSTMY TEACHER AN

VIATOR MY FRIEN

BEFORE DEPARTING

EGYPT, ANTIOCHUS S


32/36

THIS MOMENT, BISHOP

ST HAD A REVELATION...

OH!

MY STUDENT ANTIOCHUS

IS ON HIS WAY...

Y AFTER DAY, HE ANNOUNCED

ANTIOCHUS PROGRESS...ANTIOCHUS HAS

BOARDED A BOAT...

30

YOU SEE

HIM?

YES, HIS BOAT

NOW NEARINALEXANDRIA

SHOP JUST SEEMED TO FOLLOW ANTIOCHUS

EVERY STEP IN THE JOURNEY...

TODAY HE IS CROSSING THEDESERT ON A CAMEL. HE IS INA CARAVAN OF TRADERS...


33/36

HE WILL ENTER THISMONASTERY IN THREE

DAYS!

AGAIN, BISHOP JUST PROVED CORRECT

AND TEACHER AND STUDENT MET...

I BEG YOU...RETURN TO

LYON!

NO, ANTIOCHUS, MY FRIEND,LEAVING HERE WOULD MEANTHE END OF OUR JOURNEY

TOWARD HOLINESS. WE ARESTAYING HERE.

GOD HAS BROUGHT US TO TH

PLACE AND WE CANT JUS

WALK AWAY...

31

ABBOT MACARIUS SPOKE LOVINGLY

TO ANTIOCHUS...THEY ARE RIGHT AND

YOU CAN SEE THIS... WHY DONT YOU LIVE WITH U

WE ALWAYS WELCOME NEW

BROTHERS!


34/36


35/36

33

The Clerics of St. Viator was founded in Vourles, France in the 19th Century during the y

following the French Revolution. It was a time of political upheaval and social unrest.Christian education, especially in the rural areas, was woefully neglected. It was within t

context that Fr. Louis Querbes (1793-1859) founded the congregation. Realizing the need

provide education for youth, Fr. Querbes vision was to send religious brothers and lay catechists

deep faith and competent learning to parish schools in the countryside. In addition, these men

assisted country pastors in their parishes. Episcopal approval of the congregation for vowed memb

only was granted on Nov. 3, 1831 followed by papal approval on Sept. 21, 1838. Canonical regulat

prevented the inclusion of the lay catechists by Rome.

In 1865, three Viatorians from the recently established Province of Canada implanted the vision o

Querbes on U.S. soil in Bourbonnais, Illinois, 40 miles south of Chicago. On Aug. 2, 1882, theProvince of Chicago was established.

In 1978, the congregation gave new life to the lay catechists that Fr. Querbes had imagined and

accepted lay men and women associates who would commit themselves to participate in the charithe congregation. In 1999, the first associates of the Province of Chicago were welcomed.

About the Clerics of St. Viator

Father Louis Joseph Querbes (1793-1859)

I

nstitutions bearing the name of St. Viator in the Province of Chicago:

St. Viator Parish, Chicago, Illinois

Saint Viator High School, Arlington Heights, Illinois

St. Viator Catholic Community, Las Vegas, Nevada

Colegio San Viator, Bogat, Colombia

Chunox St. Viator Vocational High School, Chunox, Belize

The Clerics of St. Viator also serve in Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, France, Haiti, Honduras, Italy, I

Coast, Japan, Peru, Spain and Taiwan.


36/36

Heroes of Faith St. Viator

Documents

Transcript of Heroes of Faith St. Viator