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Former St. Viator leader helped craft school's groundbreaking curriculum

A Viatorian priest who nearly 50 years ago oversaw the reconstruction of one of St. Viator High School's most prominent facilities after a devastating fire has died.

The Rev. Kenneth Yarno died June 8 after suffering a stroke. He was 84.

The Rev. James Michaletz, a retired principal of the school, remembers that in 1968 — after the school's first musical, “Annie Get Your Gun” — a disgruntled student set fire to the auditorium by spreading gasoline backstage. The fire was contained to the theater but gutted it.

“I inherited the fire, and I brought Father Yarno in as my assistant principal to oversee its reconstruction,” Michaletz recalled. “He had a background in industrial arts, beyond his philosophy degree, and he was very organized. He was a godsend.”

Yarno not only resurrected the theater in time for its next musical, “Carousel,” but he also stayed on as producer of the next three shows.

Kate Costello, who has directed the last 15 musicals at St. Viator and appeared in them during her years at Sacred Heart of Mary High School, remembers Yarno fondly.

“We all thought he looked like Paul Newman,” Costello said. “He was sweet and gentle and a sympathetic shoulder to lean on if things didn't go well.”

Yarno's duties as producer included serving as business manager and facilities coordinator, paving the way for director J.J. Stamm to concentrate on mounting Broadway-caliber musicals.

He served in administration at St. Viator from 1968 to 1973, years when the school launched a groundbreaking curriculum that identified four different learning styles and grouped students by their strengths.

“It was designed to meet students where they were at and let them learn at their own pace,” said Donald Houde, a Viatorian brother and retired principal. “They were responsible for their own learning.”

Bernice McCarthy was a teacher at the school during the program's inception in 1972, and after 10 years she brought the model to the education and business communities, calling it the 4 Mat System.

“It was very progressive, and Father Yarno had a hand in designing it,” Houde adds. “We drew lots of visitors. In fact, we drew so many visitors we had to restrict them.”

Yarno drew on all these experiences when he left St. Viator to become principal of Bishop McNamara High School in Kankakee, a role in which he served from 1973 to 1983.

He spent the remainder of his ministry in pastoral work, serving at parishes in Kankakee, Springfield, and Bourbonnais, as well as pastor from 1985-1987 of St. Viator Parish in Chicago.

Visitation for Yarno will take place at 9 a.m. Wednesday before a 10:30 a.m. funeral Mass, both at the Viatorian Province Center, 1212 E. Euclid Ave. in Arlington Heights.

Kenneth Yarno
After a disgruntled student set fire to the St. Viator High School theater in 1968, leaving the facility gutted, the Rev. Kenneth Yarno was brought in to lead its reconstruction. He did that and much more during his time at the Arlington Heights school. Courtesy of St. Viator High School
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