A little more than five years ago, Associate Clairmarie Slaveck retired from a 37-
Associate Clairmarie Slaveck
year career of working for the Diocese of Las Vegas. Nearly all of those years were spent working with professed Viatorians, first as business manager of St. Viator Catholic Community and later at Guardian Angel Cathedral, both in Las Vegas.
“I am grateful for all that God has enabled me to do,” Clairmarie said at the time of her retirement. “I am especially grateful for my work with, and as, a Viatorian.”
Clairmarie passed away Feb. 11 after a long illness. She was 83.
“Clairmarie was fiercely loyal to the Viatorians,” says Fr. Mick Egan, CSV, who worked with Clairmarie during his years as pastor of St. Thomas More Catholic Community in nearby Henderson. “Her great love for individual Viatorians and her deep commitment to sharing ministry with us was really a grace for our community.”
That commitment was evident at Guardian Angel Cathedral, which Viatorians first opened in 1963 as a chapel for workers on the Las Vegas strip. By the mid-1980s, when Clairmarie arrived from St. Viator Parish, the cathedral had grown to serve beyond seasonal employees to area residents and thousands of tourists each year.
Grateful Viatorians attended Clairmarie’s retirement party in 2015.
Through its growth, Clairmarie kept the church running smoothly. As business manager, she paid the bills, ordered supplies, managed the gift shop, supervised staff, coordinated the counting of the weekly collection, and assisted in liturgical life of the parish.
Over the years, different Viatorians served as rectors of the cathedral, and they all described her as indispensable.
“Her knowledge and commitment — and spirit of collaboration — made her an invaluable asset for all of us who served with her,” said Fr. Lawrence Lentz, CSV, former rector and current associate pastor of St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas.
Guardian Angel Cathedral
Clairmarie officially joined the Viatorians in 2009, when she made her first commitment as an associate. Ten years later, she made that commitment definitive. Over the years, she gathered with other Viatorians in the Las Vegas region for regular prayer services and social gatherings, and she always supported Viatorian ministries, whether in parishes, schools or in advancing social justice.
She will be missed.