St. Viator faculty practices what it preaches

Over at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, the Christian service requirement is one of the steepest in the area, with students expected to complete a minimum of 25 hours per year in their communities.

Last week, their teachers got in on the fun.

As an unusual twist on their annual faculty retreat day, the more than 100 faculty and staff members fanned out across the Northwest suburbs to help with a variety of service projects of their own.

"The feeling was that this was an opportunity to put our faith into action, just as our students do each year in their Christian service requirement," said the Rev. Robert Egan, school president.

A random sampling staff members described the day as meaningful - and fun.

"This was the best retreat ever," said Jan Tan, Spanish teacher and head of the modern world languages department.

Tan and her colleagues donned hard hats as they spent the day working with Habitat for Humanity in Elgin. They were dispatched to a construction site in Carpentersville to help carve out the second floor of a new home.

"We laid sub-flooring and raised the second floor walls," Tan said. "We actually completed a lot in one morning. "

Likewise, nearly 15 teachers headed for Clearbrook's developmental training center in Schaumburg, where they spent the day with clients in the ACES program, or Activities and Creative Experiences for Seniors.

Dave Boggs, center director, said having so many teachers on hand to visit with their seniors with disabilities was a treat.

"These were folks trained in how to work with people," Boggs said. "It was incredibly beneficial to have them. They were very relaxed, and that put our clients ease and they opened up to them."

St. Viator faculty echoed his sentiments.

"It was great to be working with other faculty members in a meaningful way, providing a real service to the community," said Bill Faltinoski, art teacher and chairman of the fine arts department.

Others helped transport residents to Mass at St. Joseph Home for the Elderly in Palatine before helping with their activities. Another 10 staff members helped to host a barbecue at Journeys from PADS to Hope in Palatine, a resource center for the homeless. The annual picnic is held to provide a substance-free environment for their clients.

In all, St. Viator's staff members helped out at eight locations, which the staff members chose. They began their day in more traditional retreat fashion, with a morning prayer, before returning later that afternoon to celebrate and share their experiences in the school's chapel.

"We think this provided a unique opportunity for us as a group to model for our students our willingness to serve and care for those who have the greatest needs," Egan said.

Faculty members added that the day re-energized them - and just in time. This week, they launched another annual tradition: homecoming.