At the Viatorian plot, Associates Paul Hartz (top), Cheryl Schwarz (bottom left), and Janet Manfredi (bottom right) take part in the community prayer service.
This November, as Catholics throughout the Church pray especially for those who have died, the Viatorian Community joined in our distinct ways.
In the Henderson-Las Vegas region, Viatorian religious and associates gathered for a cemetery prayer service on November 1, on the eve of All Souls Day. The Viatorian plot is located in Davis Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas. It is the burial site of many Viatorians who have served in the Las Vegas area since our arrival to the region in the 1950s.
In the Arlington Heights-Chicago and Bourbonnais-Kankakee regions, Viatorians typically gather for similar services around Querbes Day, which is September 1, as they did earlier this year.
the Henderson-Las Vegas region
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the ofrenda in the Province Center
At the Viatorian Province Center, a special memorial to the dead popped up in the community dining room. There, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Our Lady of Guadalupe set up a vibrant altarcito with ofrendas for Día de los Muertos, in the tradition of the Day of the Dead.
The sisters, who have been collaborators and partners for decades, live and work with us at the Province Center. On the ofrenda, they displayed prayer cards and pictures of deceased Viatorians as well as women from their own community. The traditional, colorful display honors the dear departed with joyful memory.
In the past year, the Viatorian Community of the Province of Chicago has laid to rest Fr. C. Gregory Jones, CSV, Fr. John Pisors, CSV, Fr. Daniel Nolan, CSV, and Fr. Arnold Perham, CSV. As the Church prays for all souls, and particularly remembers the faithful departed who passed in the last year, we invite you to join with us in our intentions for these men as we pray for you and your loved ones, too.
