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A “growth mindset” embraces opportunities for learning and improving abilities through effort while a “fixed mindset” views ability as mostly unchanging.
In Viatorian religious life, we strive for this growth mindset, seeing formation as ongoing – something that starts with initial stages but, well into vowed living, never ends.
How are men formed to become Viatorian religious and then serve the Church and the People of God most fully and effectively? Here’s an overview of Viatorian formation.
Inquiring and Discerning
For discernment, young people who believe God may be inviting them to religious life pray, journal, minister, serve, and, eventually, engage a vocation director: a religious trained for intentional accompaniment and exploring specifics of religious life.
Br. Peter Lamick, CSV, is a trained vocation minister and just concluded two years as Director of Vocation Ministry. He prioritizes exploring discerners’ experience in ministry, community, and spirituality. “You want to see evidence in their lives that they have the necessary attributes and competencies to show that beginning formation makes sense,” Br. Peter said.
So, Viatorian vocation ministers meet discerners for conversations over coffee or meals and may eventually invite them for overnight or weeklong stays. “The Province Center’s House of Discernment space enables experiences of community living and apostolic ministry and service alongside Viatorian professed men,” Br. Peter said. “It’s a small first-hand taste of daily life for a Viatorian brother or priest, and an experience that anticipates pre-novitiate.”
When the vocation director believes the discerner may be a good fit, he’ll invite him to apply for religious formation. The application includes gathering forms and documents as well as soliciting letters of recommendation, writing a spiritual autobiography, and undergoing behavioral and psychological assessments. The vocation director compiles these materials, writes a cover letter, and presents the candidate to the Provincial Council.
Beginning Religious Formation
Accepted applicants continue to pre-novitiate. In the US, it’s usually one year while Colombian Viatorians have postulantes do two years.
“Pre-novitiate includes praying, ministering, and living together with professed men,” Fr. John Eustice, CSV, Director of Pre-Novitiate, said. “They get to know the inner workings of the community and the lifestyle, while the community encounters these new people considering becoming part of this. For both parties, it’s a question of ‘is this a good fit?’”
The director coordinates this residential experience, including inter-community formation with women and men peers. The goal is a representative experience of religious life that helps them prepare and discern continuation into novitiate – which they can request next, by writing to the Provincial, alongside the director’s evaluation.
“It’s a big step for people to choose to leave where they’ve been living and move into what may become their long-term lifestyle, knowing it starts with this one-year commitment,” Fr. John said. “Ultimately, it’s meant to be a freeing experience. I hope pre-novices will be present to this, and not feel pressure to jump ahead into vows or ordained life.”
The Essential Stage
The Viatorian Constitution describes novitiate as “the period of initiation into religious life… whereby the candidate discerns, with the help of a qualified guide, whether or not he has a vocation to religious life in our Congregation” (No. 27). As part of this solemn period, novices are considered part of the community and referred to as “Brother.”
Fr. John Van Wiel, CSV directed novitiate for Br. Peter. This photo is from a trip Fr. Van Wiel coordinated with our brothers in our Foundation of Colombia, sharing the culture, language, community life, and ministry there with Peter as he discerned first vows and his vocation in Viatorian religious life.
“It’s a concentrated time of learning, discerning, and integrating all the components of a vocation to religious life,” Fr. Patrick Render, CSV, Director of Novitiate, said.
Novitiate becomes more formal and intensive, incorporating frequent structured times of silence, retreat, and prayer. The formation is anchored in conferences with the director and his appointed presenters on key topics. “Novices study Viatorians’ communal character; the theology and practical understanding of the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; the history and charism of the Clerics of St. Viator; the place and mission of vowed life in the life of the Church; and the spirit and character of the lived experience of the province, including Association,” Fr. Pat said.
Viatorians are asked to be ready to aid the director and engage with the novice. This ensures thorough, mutual familiarization. “Good discernment on the part of the novice and the director are critical before vows. Aptitude and suitability are measures of that discernment by both parties,” Fr. Pat said. “Vows must be a response to God’s invitation – and that response needs to be well-informed and verified to the best extent possible.”
The novice may write to the Provincial Superior, along with the director’s evaluation, to request to profess first vows.
Vowed Life and Ongoing Formation
First vows are temporary vows, a promise of three years of poverty, chastity, and obedience that makes this man a Viatorian religious, a Cleric of Saint Viator. Brothers may renew these vows for definite periods or request profession of perpetual vows, lifelong vowed commitment to Viatorian religious life. Perpetual profession is a prerequisite to ordination and major leadership roles in the community.
Men who discern God’s invitation to priesthood, either early in vows or later on, can request theological studies with a view to ordination. Some men will have taken courses earlier in formation that advances their initial standing. Most Viatorians today undertake priestly formation at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and minister as transitional deacons at a Viatorian parish before ordination to priesthood. In practice, our priests have had anywhere from 5 to 22 years between first vows and ordination.
Br. Rob has served as a school counselor for 20 years, which included returning to graduate school later in life and embracing a step out of his comfort zone to gain new skills and serve in a similar yet new way. Here, he assists with orientation activities for the 2025-26 school year.
For men who feel open-ended in considering priesthood or called to lifelong brotherhood, ongoing formation remains essential. Their paths are shaped by their gifts and passions and needs they observe in the community and our ministries.
Br. Rob Robertson, CSV, a lifelong brother, earned a master’s in pastoral studies early on. Then, after over 15 years as a teacher and campus minister, a need arose for a school counselor. “While it was difficult to leave the classroom, counseling was something I had considered,” Br. Rob said. “This role would be more challenging as I’d have less daily contact. However, as a Viatorian religious, I believe it’s important to see the need and respond – it’s part of our call to get out of our comfort zone.”
Br. Rob began his master’s in counseling at Roosevelt University while beginning to work in that role at Saint Viator High School, and graduated in 2008. He relishes having served students in a variety of ways. “I never know what to expect each day, but my service fulfills the mission of Fr. Querbes to reach out to those who may be counted of little importance,” Br. Rob said. “Students know they have an advocate in me, and giving them an advocate named ‘Brother’ brings special comfort.”
Fr. Jhobany, then a brother, with his freshly earned master’s in financial management.
Fr. Jhobany Orduz, CSV, an engineer by trade, had partially completed a master’s in roads, design, and infrastructure when he began formation. He later returned to finish it, and went on to earn a master’s of financial management and a master’s of divinity for priestly formation, too.
His natural ability and interests neatly overlap with ways to serve the community. For example, since Fr. Jhobany understands architectural, financial, and ministerial components of project designs, he liaises between contractors’ technical jargon and the community’s wishes.
“The center of our ministry is spreading the Gospel and serving people, yet finances are how the world works,” Fr. Jhobany said. “I’ve helped improve construction processes to clearly define specifications and confirm costs up front. Making our projects and mission sustainable for the future maintains finances to continue spreading the Gospel.”
Br. Peter, now in ordination-track studies, long imagined priesthood could be in his future but felt sure about something else earlier. “I was pretty set, coming out of novitiate, that my immediate invitation from God was to be a teacher,” Br. Peter said. “While a call to priesthood was there, I sensed an immediacy with teaching.”
Br. Peter earned a master’s in education from DePaul University, living and working at Saint Viator High School while commuting for night classes. The curriculum was geared toward social justice and emphasized collaborative approaches and continuing evaluation. It fit perfectly. “This definitely helped me take a team-approach in vocation ministry as well as in classroom teaching,” Br. Peter said. “Their emphasis on being a reflective practitioner who continues to learn and develop expertise translates into all areas of my ministry.”
This growth mindset is ubiquitous in Viatorian religious life. Fr. Corey Brost, CSV holds a law degree; Br. Michael Gosch, CSV and Fr. Tom Long, CSV have master’s degrees in social work; Fr. John and Fr. Dan Lydon, CSV earned certifications in spiritual direction; and many men have studied secondary languages to enhance their pastoral presence and ministerial capacities. Moreover, our men hold many theology degrees, including Fr. Mark Francis, CSV, who earned a pontifical license and doctorate from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute of St. Anselm.
“Formation is not just education but our whole religious lives – learning to love more deeply the Church and the People of God,” Fr. Jhobany said. “It’s discovering more and more how I can use my gifts to serve others. Every talent God gave you isn’t just for yourself, but for service of others.”