ALION FOR LIFE | Letter from the President
Fellow Alumni, Parents, and Friends: As we ease in to the 2022 calendar year, I can’t help but wonder where the last few months have gone. It has been an active, exciting, and challenging school year thus far. As you know, we are in the midst of celebrating our 60th anniversary and it has been a pleasure to meet with so many of you at events and hear stories about your Sacred Heart and Saint Viator experiences. Saint Viator is often referred to as a school where Tradition and Innovation meet. Previous editions of this publication, our website, and social media platforms have highlighted a number of our traditions during our 60th anniversary celebration. If you have not already done so, I invite you to share your memories by visiting www.saintviator.com/about/60th-anniversary. While you are there, be sure to do a little shopping in our online 60th anniversary pop-up shop. Sharing memories instantly or buying items from anywhere are surely innovations that we would not have had available when our schools opened. While we expect technology to always evolve and improve our lives, true innovation in our community has a broader scope. We could easily acknowledge Fr. Louis Querbes as an innovator. In 1831, seeing the need to assist the growing Catholic community of Lyon, France, Fr. Querbes established a religious community of young men to assist the clergy in their parish work, especially in the teaching of catechism to others. This association of young men grew into a religious community that itself embraced innovation. In the 1950’s the Viatorians and the Religious of Sacred Heart of Mary had the foresight to continue that vision in growing communities by building new high schools to serve young men and women. In the 1970’s Saint Viator High School launched a unique academic experience focused on specific areas of study, and today we are planning the classroom of the future. Even our faith has evolved through the development of components like Campus Ministry and experiences like Kairos retreats. Many of those who have come through our schools have gone on to be innovators themselves. In this edition of A Lion for Life magazine, we introduce our 3 newest Distinguished Alumni recipients, each of who has, and continues to, innovate in distinct fields. A great future lies ahead for our school, students, and alumni as long as we continue to embrace innovation in all we do while keeping ourselves rooted in the traditions of our faith and the academic vision of Fr. Querbes, and the many innovative administrators and faculty who helped us achieve so much individually and collectively. God Bless and Go Lions,
Rev. Dan Lydon, CSV ’73 President
3
