How shooting affected St. Viator School in Las Vegas
Rob Robertson, a religious brother with the Viatorian Community, spent 20 years serving as a high school counselor at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights. He left two years ago for Las Vegas to experience parish work.
With last week's mass shooting taking place within miles of St. Viator School, where he now works as a junior high counselor, Robertson found himself suddenly experiencing the strength of parish life like he never imagined.
And he found himself a news source, relaying to reporters what's happening in the community in response to the tragedy. The Catholic News Service carried his account of how his school helped children process the tragedy to member papers across the country and in Canada.
In response to a request from the Daily Herald about how faith communities are responding, Robertson sent this description:
"St. Viator Catholic Community is located on Flamingo Avenue, just three miles east of the Las Vegas Strip. Many of our students' family members work in the hotels on the strip, so obviously there was a lot of concern when we started hearing of the horrible events that were occurring on Sunday evening.
"The first thing we did Monday morning was to gather our 500-plus students into the gym, where we recited the rosary together. The gym, which is usually a pretty boisterous place, was eerily quiet. The young students knew something tragic had happened in our city and their demeanor definitely showed that.
"Upon returning to classes, our principal went room to room checking to see how each class was doing. We learned that a few of our young students were actually at the event with their parents and had witnessed the horrible tragedy. One young boy in the fourth grade relayed to his classmates that he had a guardian angel watching over him the night before.
"It was soon very obvious as a parish that we needed to respond to our parishioners who needed a comforting moment of solace. Our young adults put together a candlelight Taizé prayer service that evening, which was attended by several hundred people.
"Many, many churches in Las Vegas had similar services all over the valley. For its reputation as 'Sin City,' Las Vegas is a very religious, compassionate and helpful city. Its citizens come from all over the United States, so people feel tremendous camaraderie with the city they have chosen to call home.
"We are a city that cares, as evidenced by the thousands of people who lined up to give blood and the almost $3 million already raised by a local county commissioner to help the families who were affected.
"Our parish and many others are collecting items to be donated to the local hospitals to give to the family members who have flown into the city from all over the country to be with their wounded family members. Simple things such as restaurant gift cards, wrapped snack items, and other small things that make sitting in a hospital waiting room a bit more bearable.
"Through it all, we are praying. We are praying for a world where light will overcome darkness. That is what our Lord promises us, and we cannot give in to the evil that visits us here and wherever it occurs."
How to help
Viatorians serving at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights have joined in the effort to support their wider community serving in Las Vegas. The religious order will use donations to purchase items such as restaurant gift cards, snacks and hygiene products for the victim's families.
When: Donate by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11
Where: <a href="https://www.saintviator.com/faith/pray-for-las-vegas">https://www.saintviator.com/faith/pray-for-las-vegas</a>