St. Viator of Lyon the Catechist (LD 001) Postcard

Little is known of St. Viator of Lyon (4th century), a Gallo-Roman lector. At that time, the office of lector was strictly an ordained ministry. As assigned by his bishop St. Justus, St. Viator proclaimed the Scriptures at liturgy and instructed young people in the Faith at Lyon Cathedral. The bishop obviously thought very highly of St. Viator to entrust him with such an important task. And, the feeling was mutual: when St. Justus decided to retire from his bishopric to become a monk in Egypt, St. Viator joined him. The two saints died within weeks of each other at Scetes (present-day Wadi El Natrun), Egypt, c. 390, perhaps as the result of an epidemic. + St. Viator is patron saint of Catechists or Catechism Teachers and the Viatorians. The Viatorians or Clerics of St. Viator are a congregation of priests, brothers, and lay associates that was founded in 1831 by Fr. Louis Querbes. Their charism is education at all levels, from elementary school through university, and missionary work. + Feast: October 21 + NOTE WELL: St. Viator of Lyon the Catechist is often confused with St. Viator of Bergamo, a 4th-century Italian bishop (Feasts: January 15 and, in Bergamo, December 14). + Image Credit (LD 001): Antique headpiece, that is, a decorative ornament found at the start of a chapter or division of a book, of St. Viator from Vie de Saint Viateur confesseur et lecteur de l'Église de Lyon by Mgr. Ignace Bourget (Montreal, 1897), Chapter IV, p. 31. + In addition to this beige version, versions of the headpiece have been provided in aqua blue, green, and black and white to coordinate with our St. Viator of Lyon the Catechist (BF 02) products. These two-tone versions can be converted to the colour combination of your choice via the Design tool. A fully colourized version is also available.