Don’t miss out on youth summer camp opportunities!

by Bill Casey

Summer camps are a great opportunity for youth to not only learn leadership skills that can make a positive impact on their lives but can also provide practical skills that can be used for a lifetime.

- The Junior High Camp, for grades 7-8-9, will be held June 9-10, 2003 at the Center for Youth Ministry. Camp director will be

Teresa Rosseau, a youth minister from the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis.

- The Senior High Camp, for grades 9-12, will be held June 24-25, 2003 at the Center for Youth Ministry. Camp director will be Ken Schaan, a campus minister and teacher at Hill Murray High School in St. Paul.

The Center for Youth Ministry property is about 58 acres of diocesan owned land that includes outdoor hiking trails, sand volleyball court, basketball court, and an area for campfires. There is also a very useable space inside for sleeping, eating, and meeting with pool table, foosball, TV and VCR, and ping-pong table that also provides an area for youth to get to know each other better. Throughout the years, many youth have made long-term friendships through their camp experiences.

Region VIII Leadership Camp will be held June 16-20, 2003 at St. John’s University at Collegeville. The camp, also referred to as a Christian Leadership Institute, is held each summer for 9-12th grade youth and their adult leaders. There are usually about 100 participants and this is moved from one diocese to another. Last year the camp was held in the New Ulm Diocese for the first time. It was held in Marshall at Southwest State College. Parishes are encouraged to sign up a team. The training this year has been expanded one day from the previous year’s camps making it a five-day experience. As many as ten dioceses are involved in this camp experience.

For further information regarding any of the camps listed above, contact your parish youth minister, director of religious education, or pastor.

Catholic Youth Camp in McGregor, MN is for youth ages 7-17. Camp sessions last from 4-10 days. Paul Timmerman, a seminarian from the New Ulm Diocese, worked at this camp last summer and speaks highly of his experience. The camp is on Big Sandy Lake where there is a variety of things for young people to do including swimming, fishing, wilderness camping, crafts. There is daily prayer and devotions, weekly Mass, and many opportunities for young people to learn about their faith. Visit www.cycamp.org for more information.

If you would need assistance in obtaining more information about any of these camps, please call the diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, (507) 359-2966; cblickem@dnu.org.