FEATURE: US Viatorians on the Way to New Placements

July 1 perennially marks new assignments all around the Church, and in the Viatorian Community in the US, we have four religious who are beginning new ministry placements:

• Fr. Dan Belanger, CSV, has begun as Pastor for St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas. (Outgoing Interim Pastor Fr. Tom von Behren, CSV, will continue as Provincial Councilor and Treasurer.)
• Fr. Dan Lydon, CSV, will serve as Director of Novices, beginning in August, with the novitiate based in Kankakee, IL, and including components around the province.
• Fr. Jhobany Orduz, CSV, has begun as Parochial Vicar for St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas.
• Br. Rob Robertson, CSV, will join the faculty of the Learning Support Program at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, starting with the 2026-27 school year.

A New Role in the Same Place

Fr. Dan Belanger, CSV, served 15 years as pastor of parishes in the Bourbonnais-Kankakee region. He enjoyed a four-month sabbatical in late 2022 and has had this two-year stint (2024-2026) as Parochial Vicar for St. Viator before now resuming ministry as a pastor.

“Becoming Pastor of St. Viator is both humbling and inspiring. While I know there will be challenges, my greatest hope is to be the kind of pastor who walks with people, brings them closer to Christ, and helps our parish continue to grow with hope, healing, and a shared vision for the future,” Fr. Dan said. “I believe God is leading me into an exciting new chapter of my life.”

Additionally, ministering in Las Vegas is a homecoming of sorts: Fr. Dan first met the Viatorians in Las Vegas. Though he is from California, he moved to Las Vegas after finishing military service to be close to his parents who were living there. Providentially, he met the Viatorians as he was discerning a life of service and eventually found his home in Viatorian religious life and priesthood.

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Digging More Deeply into Formation

Fr. Dan Lydon, CSV, was Director de Postulantes (Director of Pre-Novices) for the Foundation of Colombia for the last year, based at our formation house, Casa San Justo (Saint Just House) in Bogotá. Pre-Novitiate introduces religious life through praying, ministering, and living together with professed men, and then novitiate follows as a more solemn and intensive period of formation.

“Novices are seeking admittance into the community and preparing to perhaps profess three serious vows. So, I have definite things that I will cover, especially their prayer and spirituality including the liturgy of the hours, the history of the congregation and the province, and the religious vows, including what our constitutions say,” Fr. Dan said.

While the novitiate will be based at St. Patrick Parish in Kankakee, IL, where Fr. Dan and the novices will live, he intends to spend parts of novitiate around the province. For example, he will assist Associate Ann Perez, Saint Viator High School Vice President for Mission and Identity, with faculty faith formation a few times during the upcoming school year. He will use those visits to Arlington Heights, IL, to have the novices stay at the Province Center and incorporate special study of history.

“While I’m helping spiritual formation at the high school, our archivist Rebecca will help me prepare some things for novices to research, especially looking into notable Viatorians and the annuaires (directories), so they can report back and spur some discussion,” Fr. Dan said. “We’ll also have some roundtables with other professed men on things such as parochial ministry, community living, and traits that distinguish this religious life from diocesan priesthood.”

Fr. Dan looks forward to serving their formation and also knows he can learn from novices in turn. This includes an intercommunity novitiate based on Chicago, where weekly meetings and periodic weekend experiences with peer novices and directors will complement the internal formation that he directs.

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Returning to Roots in Parishes

“I have been working with parishes almost nonstop since joining religious life, and I only paused when coming to the US for studies. Now, to be full-time in this parish here, I am very excited,” Fr. Jhobany Orduz, CSV, said.

After some time in graduate studies and campus ministry, Fr. Jhobany is delighted to begin at St. Viator Catholic Community – and the parish community has given him a warm welcome. “They learned that a younger, new priest was coming, and staff members and many parishioners who are active have already learned a bit about me. It’s like many people know me, and I don’t know any of them yet!” Fr. Jhobany said. “I can feel the strong energy of the people here, and it energizes me. It will take great work to meet these needs, and I am happy to do my best for them.”

Fr. Jhobany joined our community in his native Colombia and later came to the US for theological studies. He then ministered around the Arlington Heights-Chicago and Bourbonnais-Kankakee regions in a variety of roles as a seminarian, transitional deacon, and newly ordained priest. So, while transition is nothing new for this Viatorian, he values the support of his brother with whom he will work as pastor as he continues ministry in the US.

“Fr. Dan has been amazing for me,” Fr. Jhobany said. “We will get along well because we understand each other’s perspective. Dan wants to teach me the ways that he and the parish are doing things and prepare me by helping me understand. Then, he also is giving me freedom to bring in my personal style to help with how we do things, too.”

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A Veteran Viatorian Educator in New, Old Digs

While Br. Rob Robertson, CSV, has served 25 years at Saint Viator High School across multiple stints, he also has the rare privilege of having served on faculty/staff at St. Viator Parish School, Cristo Rey St. Viator, and Bishop Gorman High School. This will be his fourth stint at Bishop Gorman.

“I’m excited to be returning to Las Vegas, especially since I will be returning to Bishop Gorman – my very first ministry assignment as a Viatorian right after my novitiate in 1987,” Br. Rob said. “I’m going full circle.”

One big change since Br. Rob’s earlier placements is the advent and growth of Viatorian association, and he loves working in this context. “As I assist students in their Learning Support Program, it will be nice working alongside and being with seven Viatorian associates at the school,” Br. Rob said.

The arrival of Br. Rob and Fr. Jhobany to Las Vegas also means two new residents at the St. Viator rectory, joining Fr. Dan Belanger and Fr. Bill Haesaert, CSV, a retired Viatorian in residence. “It will be nice being in Las Vegas with many good friends who I have known for many years,” Br. Rob said. “Plus, living with Fr. Dan, Fr. Jhobany, and Fr. Bill won’t be too bad either!”

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We welcome your prayers for our professed men and they undertake new ministries!