Saint Viator names its next president - Saint Viator High School
Saint Viator names its next president - Saint Viator High School
Saint Viator names its next president - Saint Viator High School
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<strong>Saint</strong> <strong>Viator</strong> President Fr. Egan<br />
passes the torch to Fr. Brost<br />
February 2013<br />
Faculty and staff of <strong>Saint</strong> <strong>Viator</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
gathered for a rare announcement on<br />
Wednesday: The leader of the <strong>Viator</strong>ian<br />
Community, Fr. Thomas von Behren, C.S.V.,<br />
named Fr. Corey Brost, C.S.V., as the school’s<br />
newest <strong>president</strong>, effective July 1, for a term of at<br />
least three years.<br />
Fr. Brost, who has served as vice <strong>president</strong> of<br />
mission effectiveness for the last two years at the<br />
school, replaces Fr. Robert M. Egan, C.S.V., who<br />
has been <strong>president</strong> for the last eight years.<br />
Fr. von Behren, provincial and <strong>president</strong> of the<br />
high school’s board of governors, stressed how<br />
important it was to continue to have a <strong>Viator</strong>ian<br />
lead the school.<br />
for decades to come.”<br />
“I am proud to say that <strong>Saint</strong> <strong>Viator</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
is one of the few Catholic high schools in the<br />
Chicago area that can point to having 11 of their<br />
community members on the faculty of their own<br />
school,” Fr. von Behren said. “The <strong>Viator</strong>ians are<br />
committed to <strong>Saint</strong> <strong>Viator</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> today and<br />
Fr. Brost first met Fr. von Behren when von Behren was his religion teacher in Springfield,<br />
Ill. Fr. Brost earned his undergraduate degree in journalism and a law degree from the<br />
University of Illinois before starting his career at <strong>Saint</strong> <strong>Viator</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> in 1987 as an
English teacher. It was the first year <strong>Saint</strong> <strong>Viator</strong> had co‐ed students, and Fr. Brost helped<br />
merge the Sacred Heart and <strong>Saint</strong> <strong>Viator</strong> newspapers as moderator.<br />
Fr. Brost entered the <strong>Viator</strong>ian Community as a religious brother. For more than 25 years,<br />
he worked as a youth educator and campus minister for <strong>Viator</strong>ian schools and parishes<br />
throughout the country.<br />
In 2006, Fr. Brost was ordained a priest, after earning master’s degrees in pastoral<br />
studies at Loyola University and in divinity from Catholic Theological Union.<br />
“When I came back here six years ago, I thought I was going to be teaching freshmen<br />
religion,” Fr. Brost told the faculty. “But day after day, I am inspired, challenged, and in awe<br />
of you. I see miracles happen every day at this school.”<br />
Fr. von Behren noted that Fr. Egan leaves the school on solid ground.<br />
“He has brought new life to the mission of the school,” Fr. von Behren said, “and<br />
leaves with nothing but great possibilities before it.”<br />
Fr. Egan had brought a unique perspective to the role, having attended the<br />
school himself, graduating in 1969. He went on to teach at the school, head the Clerics<br />
of St. <strong>Viator</strong> as provincial, serve as pastor at St. <strong>Viator</strong> Parish in Chicago, and ultimately lead<br />
the Arlington Heights high school starting in 2005.<br />
Among his achievements at <strong>Saint</strong> <strong>Viator</strong>:<br />
*Fr. Egan instituted drug testing – a difficult decision, but the right thing to do.<br />
*He has doubled tuition assistance, from $670,000 in 2005 to $1.3 million (so far) this<br />
school year.<br />
*Service hours were not required when he became <strong>president</strong>. Now each student has to<br />
complete 100 hours of community service in order to graduate.<br />
*He has shepherded the $10 million “Shaping the Future with Faith” capital campaign,<br />
which will add classrooms, a new cafeteria, student commons area and fine arts studios<br />
and rehearsal space.<br />
“He has certainly modeled the <strong>Viator</strong>ian motto ‘Bring the children to me,’” said Eileen<br />
Manno, principal of <strong>Saint</strong> <strong>Viator</strong>. “He always put the students first.”<br />
In late summer, Fr. Egan will join the staff at St. Thomas More Catholic Community in<br />
Henderson, Nev., a suburb of Las Vegas.<br />
Fr. Brost, C.S.V., has continued to serve as chairman of the religion department and head of<br />
the vocation office for the <strong>Viator</strong>ians while serving in the high school’s administration. This<br />
summer, however, he will devote himself full time to leading the school.
Among his achievements:<br />
*He designed the decade‐old Bridges Retreat while serving at a Springfield parish. Students<br />
from both <strong>Saint</strong> <strong>Viator</strong> and Waukegan’s St. Martin de Porres meet over two days to discuss<br />
racial tension.<br />
*He founded the Children of Abraham Coalition, which brings together suburban teens<br />
and adults of Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths together through a shared lineage. Group<br />
members exchange their stories and work together on service projects for organizations<br />
such as Arlington Heights PADS program.<br />
“I am confident that Corey will bring great leadership, passion and vision to the school,<br />
while maintaining the traditions and mission that makes <strong>Saint</strong> <strong>Viator</strong> such a great school<br />
and community,” said Fr. von Behren.<br />
***<br />
For updates on all activities related to <strong>Saint</strong> <strong>Viator</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>, visit www.saintviator.com,<br />
follow the school on Facebook or @saintviatorhs on Twitter.<br />
For more information, contact :<br />
Paige Wiser<br />
Director of Communications, <strong>Saint</strong> <strong>Viator</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
224.625.1257, pwiser@saintviator.com