Summer Camps for Youth

Quis ut Deus and Trahe Nos were the mottos for this summer’s boys’ and girls’ camps held by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest in Wausau, WI. St Michael’s battle cry, “Who is like God,” set the tone for the boys’ camp (July 16-20). The girls’ camp (July 23-27) motto, “draw us,” is taken from the liturgy of the feast of the Immaculate Conception and is a request to the Blessed Virgin Mary to draw us to Herself and to Her Divine Son.  The two camps were intended to promote virtuous friendship and catholic leadership among the youth, assisted by priests, oblates, seminarians, and veteran adult camper volunteers and parents. Choosing to leave their homes for five days, boys and girls from all over America came to these summer camps for a time of fun, competition, and activities—with Holy Mass, confessions, and devotions daily.

The theme for the boys’ camp was manly virtue. The world today tells young men “never grow up.” Camp this year was organized into several teams, representing different countries from Christian Europe. Each team had its patron, a canonized king who historically demonstrated catholic leadership and virtue. The boys looked to their patrons as examples throughout the camp activities and competitions. During the camp, the rallying cries could be heard among the teams “ST EDWARD, PRAY FOR US,” “VIVA CRISTO REY,” or “ST LOUIS, PRIEZ POUR NOUS.” The teams competed in numerous engagements including archery, sports, battling in flag wars, and olympic feats of throwing, jumping, and running. Each night, a campfire served as the center of entertainment with skits, jokes, and musical performances.  The final competition was in carpentry. Each team was required to construct something from given materials that would serve for future camps. The results were surprising. From among the projects, the camp now has a Communion rail and holy water font for the chapel, a clothesline for laundry, and a base for a flagpole or banner.

Taking place a few days later, the girls’ camp was identical to the boys’ in its intention to help form Catholic youth. Unlike boys, girls are told by the world today that they must grow up and be independent immediately. Thus, the camp was intended to help foster the innocence and purity that girls ought to have in their youth and for the rest of their lives, following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Like the boys’ camp, the girls’ camp was also divided into teams, representing countries. The girls were given holy Catholic queens or other women saints as patrons of each team. The girls had their own daily competitions, with the same stirring cries invoking their holy patrons throughout the day. The final competition was a cooking contest in which each team represented the food from its country. The tasty results included foods from Poland, Spain, England, Scotland, Germany, Hungary, Portugal and France.

The camps were a grace filled time of fun and growth for Catholic youth, supported by prayer and the sacraments. Each day began with the Holy Mass, during which confession was offered by two Institute priests. The priests of the Institute preached inspiring sermons on being real Catholic men and women who, enlightened with the Catholic faith and strengthened by grace, necessarily become leaders through catholic example. Each day after dinner, there the rosary was recited in procession, led by campers bearing a statue of Our Lady. At the end of each day, after campfire entertainment, one of the Canons concluded the evening with prayer, after which the camp remained in silence until breakfast the next day. Each week of camp closed with a Solemn High Mass offered at St. Mary’s Oratory in Wausau. We wish all the campers a blessed school year, and we look forward to seeing them all next summer.

Abbé Anthony Almeter, seminarian

Click the images below to enlarge them.

Boys’ Camp

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Girls’ Camp

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