The stone arches that greet visitors at the entrance of the Viatorian Province Center serve as a gateway to the beauty of the grounds themselves.
Nearly 100 trees and lush gardens dot the campus in Northwest suburban Arlington Heights, which the Viatorians converted from rich farmland more than 60 years ago.
Mature beds of perennials and annuals animate the grounds as well as many varieties of maple, fir and birch trees. Of special note are the giant willow tree, a copper beech and a flowering Japanese larch located near the main entrance.
Three pieces of sculpture also can be found on the campus, including Our Lady of Grace, which is a replica of a famous statue in Rome; as well as one of St. Viator, the community’s patron saint, and a guardian angel overlooking the north lawn.
The Viatorians purchased the farmland in 1951. It dated back to the mid-19th Century, when German immigrants farmed the 88 acres.
Fr. John Brown, CSV, provincial at the time, moved the novitiate into the red brick farmhouse on the property, while a new building was being erected. The Province Center was designed as a school for the novices of the community and provincial residence.
It still serves as the main residence for the provincial, assistant provincial and retired community members, and contains the Province Center Chapel, a main dining room, meeting rooms, staff offices and galleries featuring the community’s art collection.
Since 1961, the original farmhouse has been home to Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Guadaloupe.