At the end of a long day of school, these three religious brothers went the extra mile to live out their professions as Viatorians: they accompanied young people in direct service to those living on the margins.
Students hand out sack lunches.
Br. Peter Lamick, CSV, Br. Jhobany Orduz, CSV, and Br. Rob Robertson, CSV, all work at Saint Viator High School. As the effects of the pandemic have begun to diminish, they realized what they had been missing: going into Chicago’s inner city to serve those in need.
In searching for an organization where they could serve after school, they fell back on an organization that Saint Viator had worked with in the past, The Night Ministry. This Chicago-based mission works to provide housing, health care, outreach, spiritual care, and social services to adults and youth who struggle with homelessness, poverty, and loneliness.
Consequently, on Wednesday evening Br. Lamick and Br. Robertson drove with students to Chicago’s South side, at 70th and Jeffrey in the South Shore. It’s one of seven locations where The Night Ministry’s Health Outreach Bus makes stops. Br. Orduz met them there. Prior to leaving Saint Viator, students in Campus Ministry worked to assemble 100 sack lunches to be handed out.
It took 90 minutes to get there, but once they arrived, they set up a table in the street, where people could walk up and get coffee, a sack lunch and referrals for any other services they might need.
“We felt that this kind of service trip would allow students to see what direct service to people living on the margins is like,” Br. Robertson said. “It’s part of our mission as Viatorians, to reach out to those accounted of little importance.”
Br. Lamick agreed, adding: “We were intentional about practicing one of the corporal works of mercy, feeding the hungry, and serving those accounted of little importance, alongside young people.”