Steven Zlatic, assistant director of university ministry at Lewis University in Romeoville, holds his bottle of water during a hot LaSalle Bank Marathon Oct. 7 in Chicago.

The unprecedented 87-degree heat made the 2007 LaSalle Bank Marathon one for the Chicago record books. It disappointed Steven Zlatic, who finished the 26.2-mile run in 4 hours 55 minutes, 29 seconds, an entire hour later than his goal time. However, the parishioner of St. Francis Xavier Parish in LaGrange is not devastated because his sights are set on bigger goals.

Before lacing up his shoes for a repeat marathon performance, Zlatic told the Catholic Explorer he was equipped with more than a good pair of running shoes. The assistant director of university ministry at Lewis University in Romeoville said his Catholic faith has hydrated him with the right nutrients to give him a boost for the sprints and endurance to tolerate the tough hills in the marathon of life. He said running, “is for me a time to be at peace and think about things.”

In 1997, he was diagnosed with a “mild” category of multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis causes the 34-year-old man to have sporadic vision problems. The active Lewis University graduate said he views his struggle with MS as minor compared to those with more severe types. He expressed gratitude for being able to maintain an active lifestyle and minimized the effect the disease had on him during the 2007 race. He said, “It’s doing what you’ve done for the last 350 miles (of training.)”

Zlatic, who earned a master’s degree in divinity from Loyola University Chicago, also said he understands there are people in the world who are carrying their crosses as well, such as the clients of Casa de los Angeles in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The founder of “house of angels,” Donna Quathamer, was an associate director of university ministry at Lewis University when Zlatic was an undergraduate studying history and secondary education in the early 1990s.

Casa de los Angeles assists 43 families by providing day care for 73 children, offering a safe haven for the children while their mothers work. Casa de los Angeles also provides medical care for the children, a food bank, recreational activities, an economic development program and transitional housing. It also coordinates a construction program that builds bathrooms and houses for the center’s clients.

Casa de los Angeles intersected with Zlatic’s running path a few months ago when he signed up for the 2007 marathon; he had previously completed it in 2005. Zlatic registered himself as a member of Team Casa, a group of 23 runners that raised money for the organization through their training efforts and the race.

Close to $26,000 was pledged to the charity in its inaugural year as an official charity of the LaSalle Bank Marathon, said Kevin O’Donnell, Team Casa coordinator and a board member of Casa de los Angeles. All 23 Team Casa runners raised a minimum of $800 for the cause, while Zlatic accumulated close to $1,600 in pledges. Fortunately, fundraising was not affected by four Team Casa runners being unable to finish the marathon when race officials closed the course due to extreme heat and humidity.

O’Donnell explained the funds raised through the marathon would have a significant impact on the organization, considering the amount raised is about 20 percent of its annual budget. Casa de los Angeles is currently in the midst of building another facility that could assist an additional 100 children with day care services, a center for mothers and free medical clinic.