In the Henderson-Las Vegas region, Viatorians have been particularly busy the last few weeks gathering for prayer, fellowship, and faith-sharing.
Each of the three regions in the US – this region and Bourbonnais-Kankakee and Arlington Heights-Chicago in Illinois – has a leadership team, and this region’s team is Associates Tommy Gugino, Anthony Gugino, and Dan Schwarz and Br. Carlos Flórez, CSV. Each team plans regular offerings to invite regional members to gather.
The Lent Taizé Prayer service, with a big contingent of Viatorians involved: left to right, Associate Anthony Gugino, Associate Ky Guerrero, Associate Mary Ellen Dorough, Pre-Associate Georgina Martinez, Associate Shelly Aguiar, Associate Tommy Gugino, Associate Marie Feeney, Associate Paul Mertzman, Pre-Associate Cathy Flynn, Pre-Associate Jennifer Jones, Associate Rosy Hartz, Associate Paul Hartz, and Fr. Dan Belanger, CSV.
At St. Viator Catholic Community on March 24, Viatorians teamed with parish youth ministry to put on a Taizé Prayer service for Lent. “The Viatorian Province Center in Arlington Heights, Illinois, had been hosting these services for years before we introduced them at St. Viator. Organized by Associate Rosy Hartz and our youth group, our goal was to provide a unique spiritual space for both the Viatorian and parish communities, and it has become a staple of our Advent and Lent seasons,” Tommy said. “It’s a personal highlight to watch people of all generations approach the altar together in prayer, to sing alongside my friends, and to witness the collective devotion.”
Then on March 26, the leadership team held a “Come and See” information session for people curious about Viatorian association – the event title is often used also for visits by young women and men discerners for visits to religious communities. “In 2024, our first year as a Regional Leadership Team, we wanted an open door for those outside our immediate circles to explore the Viatorian identity. This evening offers a space to learn about our shared activities and helps seekers discern if this community aligns with their spiritual journeys,” Tommy said.
In addition to leadership teams, each of the three regions also has a formation team, whose responsibilities include accompanying pre-associates in discernment and formation for two years. Our 2024-26 cohort has 22 pre-associates, 17 in the US and five in Colombia, who now will discern requests to make their initial commitments this fall.
Our 2026-28 cohort is open for applications this spring, and this event is part of the outreach and invitation to gather discerners. People who are curious about association can talk to any Viatorian religious or associate, who all have the forms and instructions to being this process. “We focus on getting to know each guest individually. We also provide a broader perspective on the various regions within the province to show just how vast our community is,” Tommy said. “Above all, we share our personal stories of how being Viatorian has positively impacted our lives.”
The group discussed Rosy’s reflections in the parish hall at St. Viator.
Additionally, following Holy Week and Easter, Viatorians in the region gathered for a retrospective on the Fourth Viatorian General Assembly from October 2025. Rosy participated as an elected delegate, so she shared some stories and reflections from the experience.
That evening is part of the ongoing community dialogue on our identity as a fraternal, synodal, missionary community and striving for deepened international solidarity. Our professed members continue with discernment and dialogue on international structures and later this year will elect delegates to an Extraordinary General Chapter to be held in Spain, beginning in November.
