Associate John Ohlendorf
Discernment comes into focus when we can hear God’s invitations for us and identify our faithful responses, and Associate John Ohlendorf has that clarity in his Viatorian vocation.
“The Viatorian charism appeals to me: education, service to the holy altar, and a preferential option for those who are least cared for. The way it’s lived out by Viatorians speaks to me,” John said. “To be a Viatorian, I think, is to be a more liberal interpreter of the Catholic tradition. I don’t mean that they live outside the realm of the Church in any way – not at all. But I think they bring more openness to the interpretation of the Gospel; I think they are more welcoming to everybody; I think they offer a unique view of spirituality which I don’t find in other groups. I wanted to be associated that with that and to live out that same commitment to God and to the Church in the way that they do.”
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In Episode 120 of Viatorian Voices, John, who is now 92 years old, shares his exploration of God’s invitations for him. It goes back to childhood, when his positive experiences with the School Sisters of Notre Dame helped him realize he wanted to teach. After being drafted to the army and serving two years, John began a decades-long career as an English teacher and department chairperson in the St. Louis area. As his family settled in Bourbonnais, IL, he built himself a home there and joined them and Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church.
Top: the first few groups of associates gathered for an event at the Saint Viator HS residence in 2002 (John is back row, center); bottom: Associate Mary Finks, Associate Marilyn Mulcahy, and John enjoyed the 2022 Provincial Assembly in Bradley, IL, 23 years after their first commitments as the first US associates.
John became active at MBVM. So, Pastor Fr. James Crilly, CSV, drew him into the early explorations of Viatorian association in the 1990s, and John became one of the first associates in the US when he committed in 1999. The first few years involved some skepticism and uncertainty among the Viatorian religious, so Provincial Superior Fr. Charlie Bolser, CSV, had the associates lead a provincial assembly.
As they led the sessions and still saw discomfort among the group, John spoke up. “Out of frustration, I said to the group, ‘We’re here. We’re not going away. Deal with it,’” John said. “We weren’t going to give up and go away, so they had to accept it and to learn to live with it. Most of them did.”
John reflects more in this episode on the growth of association, the charism and community life of the Viatorians, and the way prospective Viatorians could discern God’s invitations for them. “If you think that association is service to the Church only or whatever ‘Father’ says, I would say it’s not for you,” John said. “If you believe that the two great commandments are love of God and service to your fellow beings, then Viatorian life is for you. As long as you don’t have to follow the rules and regulations of the Church rigidly but can live in a more liberal interpretation of what it means to be a Catholic, then you’re perfect for association or for the religious life as a Viatorian.”
Listen to all of Episode 120 on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.