Clerics of Saint Viator

The Viatorians, or Clerics of Saint Viator (CSV), are a Roman Catholic religious institute founded in Lyon, France, in 1831 by Father Louis Querbes. Its patron, Saint Viator, was a 4th-century catechist in Lyon. The institute soon spread from its origins in France to the United States and now has provinces and missions all over the world. They are a teaching order and are thus involved in parish ministries and all levels of education, from grade school through university.

Louis Querbes was born in Lyon, France on 21 August 1793, during the French Revolution. He was baptized in Saint Nizier Parish in the shadow of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fourvière. Both would have a significant effect on his life. As a boy he participated in the choir and attended the clerical school in Saint Nizier Parish. Querbes entered Saint Irenaeus Seminary and was ordained in 1816. He returned to Saint Nizier as a parochial vicar and quickly became known for the quality of his preaching. He became administrator of the clerical school at Saint Nizier, which cemented the two priorities of his life: education and liturgy.

In 1822, Louis Querbes was named pastor of Vourles, a parish both physically and spiritually in need of renewal due to the Revolution. He embraced the challenge of rebuilding the church and the spiritual lives of the faithful. The lack of education of the children troubled him, inspiring him to search for a solution.

Father Querbes formed an association of catechists for rural schools: "The Catechists of Saint Viator". He chose Viator of Lyon, a fourth-century local saint who was a lector serving Bishop Just of Lyon, as patron. The religious Congregation of the Clerics of Saint Viator, made up of parochial clerics and lay catechists, was approved by Archbishop Gaston de Pins, Apostolic Administrator of Lyons, in 1831. Seven years later, he presented his society to the Pope, but counseled by advisors, he dropped the inclusion of lay members, as it would not have been approved. Father Querbes was ahead of his time in wanting to form a community of lay and religious members. On 21 September 1838, he received pontifical approval for the religious institute of the Parochial Clerics or Catechists of Saint Viator.

The Viatorians opened schools and worked in parishes first in France and later in Canada and the United States. Father Louis Querbes died in Vourles 1 September 1859, but his work and charity continued after his death. His motto, "Adored and Loved be Jesus", sums up the power of the Gospel that Father Querbes wanted to pass on to his successors.

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