A pair of Saint Viator High School seniors, Justin Cruz and Meredith Solari, were
Justin Cruz, left, during the second day of the Viatorian Youth Congress
showcased in the Daily Herald newspaper this month as part of its annual Northwest Suburban Leadership Team.
Both were chosen for their outstanding leadership among peers at school and as volunteers and role models in their larger communities.
“Thank you for your exceptional commitment to volunteerism,” wrote Renee Trappe, assistant managing editor for local news.
Meredith Solari, right, during a session at the Viatorian Youth Congress
Among their many activities, the two teens share a common experience: Both were selected as delegates to attend last summer’s Viatorian Youth Congress held in Bourbonnais.
The four-day experience brings together high school students — from ministry sites across the country where Viatorians serve — for an immersion into faith formation and leadership training.
What started in 2010 as a way to educate teens about the larger Viatorian mission has increasingly evolved into emphasizing leadership and social justice, and for delegates to take what they’ve learned back to their own communities.
Meredith, fourth from left, participates in a daily Mass during VYC
The fact that two of these delegates earned wider recognition by the Daily Herald, which has Illinois’ third largest newspaper circulation, only validates that mission. We’re on to something.
Find out more about this year’s Viatorian Youth Congress, taking place July 25-28 at Bellarmine Retreat Center in Barrington, IL. Applications for young adult leaders are now being accepted.