Why have Holydays???

It was an innocent enough question. At the Finance Council Meeting Wednesday evening one of the members asked: "So why are we doing this Holydays Summer Day Camp?"
We were looking at the the numbers of registrants (60-70 campers each week), reviewing the budget (balanced), and discussing the feedback from parents (very positive). I said something like - well summer is supposed to be lighter and easier - but it sure isn't for us this year.  So then the question was asked "So why are we doing this Holydays Summer Day Camp?"
I wonder if you might also ask this question - and so I offer readers of the blog three main reasons:

1. Serving the grade 1 - grade 6 age group.  When our staff was reviewing the pastoral care offered in the parish - and particularly looking at youth programs and services - in our view this age group was under served. Other than the involvement in preparation for sharing in the Eucharist for the first time, and first Reconciliation, we wanted to provide faith and fun activities for this age group.
2. Leadership opportunities for our Teens. Part of a goal in offering any youth ministry is to find opportunities to cultivate leadership skills and mentor out older teens in Catholic Leadership qualities.  This camp allows us to employ these teens in a positive Catholic environment, and mentor them in relational ministry.  Relational Ministry means that the person is the goal of any interaction, not simply the program or the game or the activity.  It means getting to know the campers and witnessing to them how we are called to live the good news.
3. Evangelization. Pope John Paul II called for a new evangelization of the christian world.  A summer day camp such as Holydays offers our parish an opportunity to put the Gospel Message into practice. Even our final slide show and awards ceremony was rooted in the Catholic Faith, with awards given to different campers based on attributes of the saints:

• St. Andrew award: for courage to try new things
• St. Theresa award: for cheerfulness and kind nature
• St. Aloysius Gonzaga award: for demonstrating faith
• St. Martha award: for helping fellow campers
• Holy Family Award: Hard working, following God's path

                                  Each morning I was with the campers for the

opening prayer and reflection. On Thursday morning (the day after the Finance Council Meeting) I noticed one of the campers: the way he was throwing himself into the prayer and singing the song with "gusto".  I turned to Stephanie - our camp Director - and she turned to me and at the same time we both said to each other - THIS is why we do this!


Peace