By Sue Thompson, Special to the Florida Catholic
From June 19 – 23, 2023, the Church of St. Patrick Parish in Sarasota rang with the laughter and song of more than 120 campers (kindergarten through fifth grade), youth counselors, adult volunteers and Parish staff who all tried to emulate Christ by serving not only one another, but also those in need in the community.
Camp Mercy, an alternate to a traditional Vacation Bible School, was founded by five St. Patrick parishioners in 2017. The camp concept is based on the premise that we are all “Called to Serve” and the Corporal Works of Mercy serve as the core of the program.
Each summer the children perform service projects that either feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, or bury the dead. As Christians, we are called to perform these works and as Camp Mercy continues to grow each year, it is obvious that the kids love to help others!
Kami Yaegers, who has taught Bible Study at Camp Mercy since its inception, said, “I am so thankful to be a part of Camp Mercy. It gives me so much joy to see these children learn about Jesus, scripture and how to be examples of God’s love for all of us.”
This summer the camp’s theme was “All Aboard with Jesus,” where the campers were taken back in time aboard a train and learned about four of Jesus’ miracles: the wedding feast at Cana, healing the 10 lepers, feeding the 5,000 and healing the paralyzed man.
The high school skit crew taught one miracle each morning and showed how Jesus used these opportunities to demonstrate his love for us and to give an example of how we can perform the works of mercy. Campers were taught that they too can give back to those in need and help each other to grow spiritually.
Ryan Yaegers, who started with Camp Mercy as a camper and helped as an adult volunteer this year, said that “This camp really helps to further the next generation of young Catholic believers.”
Through skits, Bible study, crafts (making necklaces for a local nursing home and rosary boxes), games (loaves and fishes basket relay, carrying your friends to Jesus), praise and worship (learning songs about Jesus’ miracles accompanied with sign language). Importantly, were the service projects (making 200 lunch bags for local homeless children, decorating and potting flowers for nursing home residents and cleaning the Siesta Key beachfront), when the youth were given the opportunity to share the gift of themselves in service to others.
The camp culminated in a concert for parents and a Knights of Columbus sponsored cookout where the children presented the results of their service projects. Each camper made placemats for the cookout and drew pictures and wrote about their favorite part of camp with many focusing on meeting new friends and feeling good about helping someone else. The campers and their families also attended Sunday morning Mass together to praise the Lord, perform a few of the camp songs for the faithful and to start dreaming about camp next summer!
Sue Thompson is the Director of Religious Education at the Church of St. Patrick in Sarasota and can be reached at sue@churchofstpatrick.org.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane invites the Faithful of the Diocese of Venice to attend the Ordination to the Priesthood of Transitional Deacons Alejandro Giraldo Roldan and Daniel Scanlan. The Ordination will take place at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 15, 2023, at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave. W., Venice. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this important event in the lives of Deacons Alejandro and Daniel as well as the Diocese of Venice. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane invites the faithful to the Ordination to the Priesthood of Transitional Deacons Alejandro Giraldo Roldan and Daniel Scanlan. The Ordination will take place at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 15, 2023, at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave. W., Venice. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this important event in the lives of Deacons Alejandro and Daniel as well as the Diocese of Venice. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.
The 12 missionaries arrived in late May to begin a training regimen which prepared them for the Totus Tuus program and the rigors of teaching young children and teens for the entire summer.
The Parishes hosting Totus Tuus this summer are: St. Katherine Drexel, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini; St. Agnes in Naples, June 11-16; Ave Maria in Ave Maria and St. Peter the Apostle in Naples, June 18-23; St. Catherine in Sebring, June 25-30; Our Lady Queen of Heaven in La Belle, July 9-14; St. John XXIII in Fort Myers and St. Patrick in Sarasota, July 16-21; and Epiphany Cathedral in Venice and Our Lady of the Angels in Lakewood Ranch, July 23-28.
The Parish hosts Catholic Charities in the Juan Diego Center and supports the good works provided by the staff and volunteers, many of whom are their own parishioners.
“We know this is a really wonderful program and opportunity for these kids,” Bellows said. “Our parishioners are so generous in supporting it every year.”
Boarding a bus, the campers and their chaperones spent the early part of the day travelling to the Space Center, being immersed in the history of exploration of outer space and getting a glimpse into the future. The group even had the opportunity to talk with NASA Astronaut Steven Smith who has travelled to outer space four times.
For example, the Bible states: 40 days and nights of rain during the great flood, Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai; Jonah preached 40 days to Nineveh; Goliath taunted Israel for 40 days; and Jesus fasted for 40 days, as well as other examples.
Word has been spreading about the passionate growth in a love for Christ by the children at the host Parishes achieved in a single 5-day period. There is already a call to bring the missionaries back in the summer of 2023 at more Parishes, reaching even more children and teens.
Bishop Dewane praised the children on their knowledge of the lessons they had learned. These lessons focused on the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary, prayer, key aspects of a devotion to Jesus, all with a special focus on the Mass.
Each Parish hosting the event welcomed children and teens from Monday morning to Friday afternoon. These sessions were divided into daytime camp for children from first grade through sixth, and evening retreats for teens seventh grade through recent high school graduates. The weeks were filled with faith, fun, and friendship as well as games, crazy skits, and music. Throughout, the college-age leaders provided an authentic witness to the students. They were in turn supported by teen helpers for the day camp and adult volunteers in the evenings.
Seminarian Gates enjoyed helping connect the children with the wonders of Christ through the lessons, during Eucharistic Adoration and at Mass. “When you see the faces, the reactions, it is very special. Their enthusiasm validated the hard work we put into each day.”
These are just some of the answers which children from across the Diocese of Venice will give to their friends and teachers when they return to the classroom and are asked: What did you do this summer?
The most common of these camps is the Vacation Bible School program which was offered at more than 35 parishes in the Diocese this summer. This weeklong Bible themed camp focused on learning the important lessons of Scripture in a fun and engaging way. The two most common themes this summer were “Monumental: Celebrating God’s Greatness” and “Come to Mama.” At Vacation Bible School, children attended daily Mass and participated in Eucharistic Adoration. They also learned uplifting songs and dances, made crafts and generally had a great time.
A dozen different Diocesan groups took part in Camp Covecrest 2022, a Life Teen retreat throughout the summer in northern Georgia which focuses on leading teens closer to Christ. This is an intensive retreat which focuses the teens on building their relationship with the Lord through team activities, reflection, and prayer. The focus of these retreats included Eucharistic Adoration, opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and participating in Mass.
Meanwhile, multiple Diocesan Catholic schools hosted STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Math) camps. Some of these camps covered several weeks and introduced the eager students to new projects such as arts and crafts, engineering various objects and other activities that incorporated the different aspects of STREAM. The longer camps stressed different skills and included field trips to augment the in-class experience. The camps actively incorporated Catholic values and virtues through the Diocesan curriculum called, “The Gifts of Christ: Truth, Beauty, Goodness, Affability, Fortitude, Humility, and Prudence.”
Catholic Charities in Bonita Springs held a summer-long camp for children which included a variety of fun games and projects giving the children the opportunity to show off their athletic, artistic and other skills. The campers also took a variety of fun field trips.
At Casa San Juan Bosco farmworker housing in Arcadia, Catholic Charities hosted a summer camp there for resident children. The activities included arts and crafts, as well as the opportunity to continue to develop their reading skills.
With six Parishes visited through July 22, 2022, the summer camp has brought hundreds of children and teens closer to the Lord. Recent stops included St. Catherine Parish in Sebring, St. John XXIII Parish in Fort Myers and St. Joseph Parish in Bradenton.
Each week there is a potluck when the missionaries get to meet the parents and the participants in the camp show off some of the things they learned. The potluck at St. Joseph on July 19 was a double celebration with a cake marking Father Ligenza’s birthday.
Each day, the children’s camp begins with music to pump the children up and get them ready for the full day ahead with all the time focused on learning key lessons about their Faith with a focus on the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. In addition to dancing, music and prayer, the children have time for activities such as crafts and games. There is time for Mass each day with additional quiet reflective time in Eucharistic Adoration and three days when there is opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
