Estimated read time: 7 min | scroll down to read or click for read-aloud
For the 15th time, Viatorian young people, collaborators, associates, brothers, and priests from across the province will converge this July for a week of Catholic, Viatorian faith and leadership formation: the Viatorian Youth Congress.
Over the continued arc of this program, the Viatorian Community witnesses the emergence of outstanding Christian leaders richly steeped in our Viatorian charism.
The Approach
In Viatorian ministries, we empower young people to be leaders in our faith communities not just in the future but also today. Many teen delegates are drawn to VYC because they’re already living active faith lives back home and desire to go deeper. Young Adult Leaders (YALs) are the ones who build the comfortable atmosphere and guide these teens, living out that next level of leadership many of them felt drawn to when they were delegates themselves.
Training leaders and preparing the congress events involves a lot of details, and Karen is the person who has it all organized – including chauffeuring Fr. Querbes from the Province Center to the meeting room at VYC.
Associate Karen Cutler has helped train group after group. Their training includes reviewing the schedule and practicing facilitation and prayer leadership, and Karen is also sure to include team-building time. “I believe one of the important things the training does is to help build community among the leaders by getting to know each other better,” Karen said. “I believe it translates to how well the YALs bring the entire VYC group together.”
Karen also values the combination of youth and maturity these young adults bring. “These YALs are close in age to the delegates but have a year or two or more of life experience, having lived their faith outside of their high school or youth group, maybe even apart from their families if they’re away at college,” Karen said. “They have a perspective that teen delegates will move into within a few years. The YALs can share that viewpoint and support them as they move forward in their faith lives. I think the YAL’s are essential to VYC.”
The First Wave
As we invite teen delegates and college-aged young adults to VYC 2026, the first VYC cohorts are into their mid-to-late-30s now, and Viatorians have frequently witnessed these young people grow into adults who continue with our community and the Church, collaborate with us in ministry, and even become Viatorians themselves.
Alex (left) at the Cristo Rey St. Viator dedication ceremonies during the school’s first year, 2019-2020, with (left to right) his mother, Associate Susana Tellez; Fr. Dan Hall, CSV; Br. Rob Robertson, CSV; Fr. Corey Brost, CSV; Fr. Tom von Behren, CSV; Br. Michael Gosch, CSV, Associates Paul and Rosy Hartz; Associates Deborah and Romeo Perez; and Br. Carlos Flórez, CSV.
“Our former leaders have run the gamut of ways they live out what they learned and experienced in this role. From a more formalized role in the church, such as a Viatorian associates or going on to religious life or priesthood, to invitations from God to help with their youth groups or in other ministries in their parishes or schools,” Karen said.
Associates Patrick Aller, Ky Guerrero, Tommy Gugino, Anthony Gugino, and Buddy Miller all connect their Viatorian vocations to their VYC experiences. Many peers also plugged in to other ministry capacities: Mike Kershaw from St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas has often assisted with parish music ministry while Vanessa Marshall has become an essential teammate to Associate Rosy Hartz for youth ministry; Brian Hansen from Saint Viator High School in Arlington Heights, IL, started his career as a theology teacher at his alma mater for several years; Alex Tellez from St. Viator Parish in Chicago was part of the original faculty at Cristo Rey St. Viator in North Las Vegas. Plus, Fr. Jared Rutnicki of Maternity BVM in Bourbonnais, IL, is now a priest of the Diocese of Joliet, and Br. Tyler Harris, OFM, of Saint Viator High School has become a Franciscan Friar.
The Next Generation
For all the good news among older VYC alumni, the stories are bright and hopeful from our younger veterans, too.
Viviana Tellez, originally from St. Viator Parish in Chicago, is studying ministry and theology as a graduate student at Catholic Theological Union. She plans to work in college campus ministry after finishing her master’s.
Viv (left) checks in with Associate Rosy Hartz (right) during VYC 2025.
“Everything I learned from a young age being involved in youth group at St. Viator, to being in ministry at Dominican University, to now being a grad student at CTU – it all played a role in serving as a VYC leader,” Viviana said on Episode 95 of Viatorian Voices. “In inviting and empowering me, they saw a potential in me that I may not have seen in myself. I was comfortable just being a leader, but they invited me into greater responsibilities to grow more.”
Felipe Moreno met the Viatorians at the SEEK conference for Catholic young adults in 2025 when it was held in Salt Lake City – Felipe lives in Orem, UT, where he works in retail. He kept in touch with Fr. John, applied to lead, and was accepted as a YAL for VYC 2025, where he was surprised to work with someone he’d met before. “I had met Madeline [Denk] at SEEK when she was assisting with the booth for Relevant Radio,” Felipe said. “It took us a second to connect the dots until it clicked in our heads how we’d met each other before. I remember having a great conversation with her back then, and so to meet again in Illinois and work together, it was very cool.”
Felipe relished the leaders’ collegiality, the nonstop vitality of the program, and the timeless joy he felt while serving. “During the first few weeks after VYC, I was sad that it was over. I missed being around a great group of leaders, Viatorian religious and associates, and teens. I was replaying highlights in my head, and being home felt a bit strange and ill-fitting,” Felipe said.
Felipe (back row, second from left) and Abby (back row, middle) were both VYC 2025 leaders, where Felipe also had a surprise reconnection with Madeline Denk (standing, second from right).
Over time, the impact on his discernment emerged. “As I settled, I started to realize that my direction in life was shifting and focusing. I felt more of a draw to theology and teaching, something I gained from the joy of walking with teens to help deepen their faith,” Felipe said. “It was good practice and experience being more vocal about my faith – I wasn’t timid before, but I wasn’t as active and confident as I feel now. I can’t stop talking about my faith!”
Abby Hartz is a junior at Belmont University studying media and entertainment, and she assists the Viatorian Community and St. Viator Catholic Community with social media and web management. Her VYC experience started as a delegate, and she benefitted from having a committed YAL. “After VYC, I continued to stay in touch with my YAL, Kyle Wallisch, and we collaborated to gather donations and support a non-profit organization I had discussed during our small-group sessions,” Abby said. “Working together in service reinforced my belief that VYC encompasses much more than just four days.”
Returning to serve as a YAL was an important moment when Abby then took greater personal ownership of her faith life, after growing up in a Viatorian parish with Viatorian associates for parents. Now, at a college where it’s easier to find Protestant Christians and their faith expressions, Abby complements the local scene by keeping up her Catholic, Viatorian friendships. “VYC connected me to a diverse group of young people who share a passion for service and a commitment to improving the quality of human life. I have formed close friendships through VYC, and I continue to support these friends just as they support me,” Abby said.
At VYC 2022, Fr. Pat Render, CSV (left), was interviewed and presented by (left to right) Mikey, Viv, and fellow YAL Brandon Dalcanton.
Michael Schumaker went on from Saint Viator High School to become a collegiate student-athlete, running cross country and graduating from Montana State University with a degree in applied math, while also serving as a YAL for VYC 2022. Now, living in Green Bay, WI, and working as an actuarial analyst, he appreciates how VYC cultivated his baseline spirituality and faith life, even as he works in a secular profession.
“The training helped me learn to distinguish between leading peers – like the way I’d done as a retreat leader in high school on Kairos or Quest – and leading younger people. It was a preparation for the rest of my life and trying to serve young people. It introduced me to how those leadership roles evolve a bit as you grow up,” Michael said. “VYC helped me realize I wanted to be involved in faith formation with youth or young adults in my parish, maybe OCIA or teen retreats. I want to be walking with younger generations as these questions and discernment come up and they try to navigate those years.”
With Youth, New Things Are Coming to Life
Viatorians love to plan and lead beautiful liturgy, and each VYC ends with a big, joyful Mass, a commissioning ceremony, and conferral of Viatorian medals. Teen delegates and first-time adult attendees are sent forth to proclaim the Gospel and raise communities of faith.
Michael carries this spiritual ideal of going forth in his adult faith, one that, to him, echoes Jesus’ words at the end of the Gospel of Matthew. “Reflecting back on VYC and thinking of Jesus’ Great Commission, a lot of YALs are in transitional phases around college graduation and discernment of career paths. Jesus tells his disciples, ‘I’ve trained you as disciples; now, you go and make disciples,’” Michael said.
“I think a lot of VYC is about that same dynamic – we’re preparing young people to be disciples and sending them back to their home communities to be leaders of faith, too. We were leading people, walking with them to learn how to lead.”
VYC 2026 preparations are underway! Get all the info at www.viatorians.com/vyc : Teens can contact their local youth minister or campus minister to register for their VYC 2026 delegation, and young adults can begin their Young Adult Leader applications online for VYC 2026 leadership (due April 10).