These Summer Camps Make Lasting Impact

Viatorians were busy this summer living out their charism of accompanying young people on their spiritual journey. From Arlington Heights to Bourbonnais, and from Kankakee and to Las Vegas, Viatorian schools and parishes organized summer camps that immersed teens in service.

History shows that these experiences have long lasting consequences in building future faith leaders, as many past participants point to these camps as pivotal. Here’s a sampling:

Camp MOSH (Maternity Outreach Service for Humanity) returned in July to Maternity BVM Parish in Bourbonnais, bringing young people and adults together from the parish to serve those in need, right in their own backyards. The parish-wide effort drew Viatorians who serve there to take part, including Fr. Jason Nesbit, CSV, Pastor, and Fr. Moses Mesh, CSV, Associate Pastor.

From painting and cleaning to yardwork and light carpentry, more than 200 volunteers divided up into crews and spread out each day to different work sites. Each morning started with Mass, followed by a continental breakfast and preparing sack lunches, before heading out to an assigned site. In the evening, team members returned for a complete dinner and fellowship — from a live band, to karaoke, a dunk tank and motivational speakers. At one of the morning Masses, Fr. Nesbit described their work this way: “You are planting seeds of charity, friendship and goodness as you go out into the community.” Associates Ken and Michelle Barrie led their 17th Hearts of Hope this summer. The mission trip takes teens to Pembroke Township, one of the poorest areas in Illinois, located 30 miles from their homes. The trip took place from July 6 to 10 and as usual, it was one of the hottest weeks in the summer, but these young people were not deterred. Here are some of their accomplishments: building a horse barn, extending a hog pen, painting the side of a church, building a ramp for a senior citizen and repairing a pavilion they had built at an earlier camp. “We were truly blessed to work and serve with the people in the community of Pembroke,” Associate Michelle Barrie said. “We worked hard to accomplish many projects in our ‘COVID mission,’ but we received so much more than we gave.”

Saint Viator High School’s Service & Song camp returned in June and combined incoming students with young leaders from the school. Started by Fr. Corey Brost, CSV, in 2013, the camp combines a track in liturgical music with a service track, which sends teams of young people out to transform the community. Some of their projects this year included packing lunches for the homeless served by Journeys The Road Home, helping senior neighbors with their yard work, helping to weed and harvest the Viatorian Community Garden — which grows vegetables for area food pantries — and sorting through donations for Viator House of Hospitality. Many professed and associate Viatorians participated. Fr. Brost celebrated the closing liturgy. “Our intention was to let students directly serve those most in need in the local

One of the many projects during Camp MOSH was whitewashing this fence. This was the 17th annual Hearts of Hope service trip, which serves one of the poorest communities in Illinois. (Kids posed in front of barn)

community,” Fr. Brost says, “and learn why service is at the heart of a lived‐out Catholic faith.”

Restrictions from COVID-19 continued to affect the annual Viatorian Youth Congress, but after offering a one-day virtual version last summer, this year featured a two-day hybrid model. Called Viatorian Youth Connect, it drew teens from Saint Viator High School and the Bourbonnais/Kankakee region to come together and learn more about their Viatorian roots. Among the talks, discussions, Mass and Taizé prayer experiences was a service component, which took participants to the Viator House of Hospitality where they worked with some of the residents in improving its garden and compost system. “The VYC helps our young faith leaders realize that they are part of a worldwide family,” says Fr. Brost, “that is changing the world.”

Associate Rosy Hartz has run the youth ministry program for 20 years at St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas, but even she was surprised at the turnout of high school students to lead this summer’s vacation Bible study camp. “The leader turnout was amazing,” Rosy said. Young campers rotated through different stations, where they dug into action-packed, faith-filled adventures every day. Yet, embedded in each activity was a different Bible verse that was reinforced throughout the day. During the week, campers discovered God’s greatest treasure wasn’t diamonds, gems or gold, but each of them. Fittingly, the week’s theme was “Treasured: Discovering You’re Priceless to God.” However, the bigger takeaway, may have been the leadership displayed by the high school students who came up through the youth ministry program at the parish. Whether they realized it or not, they reinforced the mission of a Viatorian parish: to build up communities where faith is lived, deepened and celebrated.

Students from Saint Viator High School’s Service & Song Camp worked in the garden at the Viatorian Province Center.

Students at St. Viator Parish’s Vacation Bible Camp met in small groups to analyze the day’s Bible verse. Delegates who attended VYConnect worked on the garden at Viator House of Hospitality