Rev. Eugene J. Lutz; operated McHenry's Villa Desiderata
By Rich Rostron
Special To The Tribune - Metro Chicago Section, June 14, 1996, page 11.
Rev. Eugene J. Lutz, the retreat master at Villa Desiderata, a Catholic mission for people with alcohol dependency or other problems died Tuesday at the McHenry facility, where he has conducted retreats since 1965.
"Father is probably known mainly for his powerful handshakes and squeezing hugs," said his friend and associate Brother Pat, who helped Rev. Lutz run the retreat house, which affected the lives in McHenry and Lake counties.
"He could read people very good just by talking to them." Brother Pat said. "He could tell what their problems were, if they were hurting."
Rev. Lutz was a survivor of the Battle of Wake Island in 1941 at the outbreak of World War II which became known as the Alamo of that war. For 15 days, a handful of Americans held out against the repeated assaults by Japanese amphibious forces. In the early days of the war, Wake Island, and its defenders' valiant stand, held the attention of the world.
On the 16th day, Japanese troops captured the island and took Lutz and others as prisoners.
Despite their brutal treatment by the Japanese, who used him and others as slave labor, Lutz told a friend years later after the war: "I really had no bad feelings (toward his Japanese captors). I could see they were doing what they had to do."
Friends say that Lutz would rather be remembered for what he did after the war.
"In my estimation, there's the pope, there's Mother Teresa and there's Father Lutz." said Ron Marulewski Sr., one of Lutz's many close friends. "He was a very giving man."
In the 1960s, Lutz operated the retreat house for inner-city youths. But by the late 1970s, the house was opened to members of recovery groups and citizens from the surrounding communities.
From 1946 to 1950, Rev. Lutz attended Marquette University. He received a master's degree from the Catholic University of America in 1955. He then went on to teach high school in Springfield, Ill., where he worked until 1963.
Rev. Lutz is survived by his brother, Desire Lutz; and three sisters, Hazel Keough, Yvonne Barraza, and Mary Clarke, of Grand Rapids, Mich.
Visitation will be from 2 to 9 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Church, 2302 W. Church St., Johnsburg, and from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Church of the Holy Apostles, 5211 Bull Valley Rd., McHenry. Mass will follow, and interment will take place at 2 p.m. in the Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Hillside..
Many colorful and unique men and women contributed their talents to Cathedral and Griffin (high schools in Springfield, Illinois) over the fifty years of their existence. One of the most popular of these was Father Lutz. Father Lutz was a member of the armed forces (U.S. Marines) in World War II and spent several years as a prisoner of war in a Japanese concentration camp. Following his release he decided to become a priest and entered the Clerics of St. Viator. Following ordination in 1954, Father Lutz joined the faculty at Cathedral and remained through 1962.
Father Lutz was one of those men who met the student as friend but retained their respect in the classroom. He introduced boxing as an extracurricular activity and saw to it that disputes between students were settled "peacefully" with the gloves.
The Viatorian community took advantage of his ability to deal effectively with young men and tapped him to work with its candidates for religous life. Today Father Lutz resides in McHenry, Illinois the former summer camp of the Viatorians, and now a retreat center and parish community for residents in the area.
From the Cathedral/Griffin Gold and Silver Anniversary Book, published in 1984.
"Our celebration today can be only one of thanksgiving. It would take too long to list the countless blessings I have received, the graces which have guided and sustained me to this day, the many people to whom I owe so much. And yes, the many sins forgiven me over the years.
To all of you, to my family, my Mother and Father, now departed, my Viatorian community family and to my God, I give my heartfelt thanks and assurance of my prayers and my love always.
Pray for me that I will be Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful)."
Father Eugene J. Lutz C.S.V.
From the 40th Anniversary - Celebration of a Lifetime Brochure, 1994
Maintained by John Petterchak, Class of 1957, Cathedral Boys High School, Springfield, Illinois. E-Mail: LegacyPressBooks@aol.com
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence ..... As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and truthfully; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit .... If you compare yourself with others, you may become bitter or vain, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time .... Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not bind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism .... Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is a perennial as the grass .... Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness .... Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be .... And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
The aged man appeared to be in his early eighties, but graying and frail were not the
first words you would use to describe him. The bounce in his step was still there,
and energy shone in his eyes, carrying more than a hint of what a force he once was.
He stood amidst the large gathering of naval and Marine officers, relaxing after a long
day's schedule of reunion meetings. They sipped coffee and told tales of their service
histories.
"Suddenly, someone spotted him, and in a deep voice barked out above the din, "Attention! Wake
Island Marine on deck!"
"Everyone stopped talking," said a naval officer who witnessed the incident. "We stood at attention, faced the Marine, and saluted. Those guys are legendary in the Navy and Marines for what they did, and whenever one is around, you pay him the highest respect."
No wonder, sixty years ago, the old man was one of a tiny band of Marines who staged one of history's most dramatic battles..... that rank with those of the Spartans at Thermopylae, with the British who fought thousands of Zulu at Rorke's Drift in 1879, and with the Texans at the Alamo.
