Viatorians and Saint Viator High School laid to rest Fr. Arnold Perham, CSV, on Wednesday, remembering his 75-year ministry as a Viatorian priest and 68 years as a teacher.
Fr. Arnold Perham (photos courtesy of Saint Viator High School)
“More than one person here today described him as a legend,” said Fr. Robert M. Egan, CSV, in his homily, “and they would be right.”
Fr. Perham died in his sleep Saturday at the Viatorian Province Center in Arlington Heights. He was 95.
“Even at the age of 95, he was enthralled at learning something new,” Fr. Egan said, “and he was able to convey that to his students, inviting them to that kind of searching, of wonder, of discovery.”
A Chicago native, Fr. Perham attended St. Viator Parish School as a child and he first met the Viatorians there. He would enter the seminary at the age of 18 and along the way earned degrees from Loyola University in Chicago, Catholic University of America, and the University of Notre Dame.
His teaching career was spent almost entirely teaching math. He started with seven years at Cathedral Boys High School in Springfield before he taught for five years at Loyola University. The remaining 56 years would be spent teaching students at Saint Viator High School, including 43 in the classroom, eight years as a volunteer in its Math Lab and the final five years working remotely from the Province Center. From his computer in its library, he would come up with practice problems for the Queries Scholars and prepping members of the Math Team for the state competition.
Thus, he earned the title of “the legend.”
Throughout his teaching career, Fr. Perham was an innovator in the classroom. He was an early proponent of computer technology and one of the premiere math classes was his C++ course, which introduced upperclassmen to one of the early programming languages. More recently, he has turned to mobile apps to advance students’ work and two years ago introduced them to AI and ChatGPT.
“His deep love of learning, quiet humility and steadfast dedication to our students left an extraordinary legacy,” officials from Saint Viator High School said. “Generations of Lions were blessed by his guidance, mentorship and faith-filled example.”
Fr. Perham with members of the Saint Viator Math Team, circa
Fr. Egan knew Fr. Perham first as his own math teacher at Saint Viator — “He always remembered where I sat, and luckily not how I did.” — and then as a fellow Viatorian for more than 50 years together. As a true Viatorian, Fr. Egan said, Fr. Perham devoted his life to educating young people.
“He saw his ministry as more than just teaching,” Fr. Egan said. “He saw it as entering the lives of young people and helping to shape them.”
Fr. Perham never wavered from that commitment and in fact, it drove him and was the key to his long life, observers said.
“I love it,” Fr. Perham alway said. “It gives me a reason to get up in the morning. Any time you can work with young people, it’s a good thing.”
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