The Viatorians are a worldwide community, and we our value international solidarity – both with the 12 other countries where Viatorians live and serve today as well as the places where we have lived and served in the past. For Viatorians of our province, Belize holds a particularly special place as a site of a former foundation where many of our members served. It’s also the home country of our brother, Fr. Moses Mesh, CSV.
Fr. Moses now lives and serves in the United States. Currently, he is Parochial Vicar for Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, a Viatorian parish in Bourbonnais, Illinois. In 2025, MBVM opened another excited chapter in our ongoing relationship with Belize by beginning a biannual Belize Mission.
Since that trip in 2025, planning and brainstorming have been underway for the next trip in January 2027. Director of Music and Liturgy Chris Lord and Coordinator of Youth Ministry Amanda Fierce have worked with Fr. Moses and a group of parishioners to gather donations, identify key needs for their visit, and begin preparations for the trip.
Fr. Moses typically visits Belize in wintertime, and in mission years, his visit overlaps with the parish mission, which has helped raise money for church construction in our former parish, St. Francis Xavier.
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Last week, the parish offered an exciting update in the bulletin and e-newsletter:
During his January 2026 visit, Fr. Moises presented an additional $5,000 donation to the Catholic community in Chunox for the construction of their new church. This was the second gift of $5,000 collected from the generosity of our parishioners during the 2025 Belize Mission.
Construction is now underway, and the 2027 Belize Mission hopes to continue supporting this work and other community projects.
The team also recently sent a large donation of sports clothing, generously donated from BSN Sports in Bourbonnais. Our volunteers and their families sorted, packed, and prepared the items for their journey to Belize.
Thank you to everyone who has supported these efforts through your prayers, generosity, and service. Together, we continue to strengthen our partnership with our brothers and sisters in Belize.
Support for the January 2027 Belize Mission is now being accepted. Donations may be made online, by check payable to Maternity BVM Belize Mission and mailed to the parish office (308 E. Marsile St, Bourbonnais, IL, 60914), or placed in the Sunday collection basket.
Thank you for helping us share God’s love beyond our parish walls!
Thanks to Director of Communications Julie Worby and Pastor Fr. Jason Nesbit, CSV, for publishing this great news!
In the past, Viatorians have organized immersion weeks for young adults, medical missions to assist in local healthcare, and parish outreach from various communities in the US where Viatorians serve, and the province still provides support for special initiatives in the area, such as this 2025 grant for school construction.