Colm Fitzpatrick
Participants at last year's Youth 2000 event Colm Fitzpatrick explores Faith camps being offered this summer
With the summer holidays now here, it can be stressful for parents to try and keep their children occupied and entertained in lieu of the normal daily school routine. This can be even harder to combat with young teenagers who aren’t old enough to be left alone in the house without supervision.
Among the many activities that your kids can get involved in which will stave off boredom and be personally enriching at the same time are summer youth camps. Most camps offer kids the chance to learn new skills and develop talents, but there are also many that combine an element of Faith into them. For those parents who want their children to have a fun-filled summer with other young people passionately celebrating their Faith this year, check out the list below.
Music Ministry Together
The summer school ‘Music Ministry Together’ is a wonderful place for your child to strengthen their Faith as well as develop their playing and singing skills. The five-day summer course will be taking place from July 3-8 in Roscrea, and has a focus on musical, liturgical, spiritual and prayer formation. According to Ian Callanan, director of the initiative and this week’s ‘Personal Profile’, the camp has morning prayers, music teaching sessions, and break-out workshops where instrumentalists can attend masterclasses. Even if you’re not proficient with the guitar, the camp will facilitate those who want to learn. Ian also stresses that there are a team of leaders who are there to help and guide attendees.
The course was established in 2015 and is experiential – the participants not only learn new music but are also introduced to various styles of liturgy, celebrating the Eucharist and other sacraments. Nightly entertainment is also provided while afternoon activities ensure that everyone has an enjoyable few nights. This camp is the perfect opportunity for any budding musician who wants to learn about God through the power of community and melody.
For more information, see: http://musicministry.ie/
Youth 2000 Summer Festival
Another well-known Faith-formative camp for young adults aged 16-35 is the Youth 2000 Summer Festival which will be happening from August 16-19 in the Cistercian college, Roscrea. Youth 2000 is a Catholic organisation and runs lively festivals, retreats and prayer groups across all of Ireland.
The main speaker of this year’s festival is Fr Joe Freedy from the Diocese of Pittsburgh, and during the retreat you will learn the basics of your Faith and discover the great love of God. It is run by young people for young people meaning that there are plenty of opportunities to make friends who are your own age. There is no official cost for the retreat as it operates on a donation-only basis, so you give what you can afford.
Attendees sleep in a warm room, either in a proper bed in a dormitory or an airbed in a room. Many parents can be hesitant to send their children off to summer camps because of travelling complications but Youth 2000 offers buses up and down the country which go straight to the festival, so there should be one close to your location.
The Youth 2000 festival is a perfect fit for those who want explore their Faith in a deeper way, and also those who need guidance and support on their personal Faith journey.
For more information, see: http://youth2000.ie/
Scripture Union Family Week
For those parents who want to be a part of their child’s Faith formation, the Scripture Union’s ‘Family Week’ provides a prime opportunity for the whole family to have a week together having fun, praising God, meeting new people and living in community.
Running from July 29-August 4 and also August 5-11, the camps are brimming with energy and passion. Each morning and evening, there are age specific groups for adults, teenagers, children and if needed, a morning crêche facility. Afternoons are full of activities for the whole family to enjoy or you can take some time to yourself to reflect and pray.
According to Ministry Leader Emma Fawcett: “Family Week is an excellent way to spend quality time with your family in a fun, exciting and God-filled way…while the children are busy having fun, learning about God and making new friends, the adults have daily teaching, seminars and a chance to delve deeper into God’s word.”
Price varies depending on accommodation and catering choice. Families can stay in the stunning Avoca Manor in Co. Wicklow but also offered is camping with catering and caravanning with catering or self-catering options.
For more information, see: http://scriptureunion.ie/
The Michaela Foundation’s Girls’ Summer Camp
This camp is like no other as it gives girls aged 11-13 a week of unforgettable fun filled activities which includes games, crafts, and talks, all of which have Faith development at their centre. Originally founded in Co. Tyrone, the camp is one of many inspiring programmes to blossom from the Michaela Foundation, which was established in honour of the life of Michaela McAreavey (the daughter of Tyrone football manager, Mickey Harte) by her husband John McAreavey, after her tragic murder during their honeymoon in 2011 on the island of Mauritius.
The camp offers young women throughout Ireland different programmes tailored to establish a happy, confident and faith-filled life. Since the establishment of the first camp in 2012, more than 70 camps have been run, giving more than 6,000 Campettes the life without limits experience.
The camps run across most locations in the North of Ireland ranging from Derry to Monaghan, meaning that they’re probably a stone’s throw away from your house. They take place from Monday to Friday, the date of which varies depending on what location you decide to pick. One of the unique aspects of these camps is that they are run by young voluntary female leaders who act as inspiring role models for the girls attending. If you’d like your daughter to make friends with those her own age in a Faith-inspired environment, this is an opportunity not worth missing out on!
For more information, see: https://michaelafoundation.com/
St Aloysius Faith Camp
For boys and girls aged 5-14, this camp run by the Mallow Parish Youth Ministry is an opportunity for young people to develop confidence and character, and to know and experience the love of God through sports, arts and crafts, music, dance, drama, prayer and catechesis. The ministry project is funded by the parish of Mallow in Co. Cork, with a particular emphasis on the development of young people’s Faith and how young people exercise their spirituality.
According to Mallow youth worker Sharon Doody, alongside these various activities, there will be guitar playing where children can learn religious songs, and at the end of everyday a different priest celebrates Mass. Kids are broken up into different age categories so that can befriend those of the same age and learn a bit about their Faith together. She adds that from previous camps, the kids “love” it so it is certainly worth checking out.
The camp will be taking place in the Mallow Community Youth Centre from July 3-6 and application forms will also be available there.
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So now that you have a litany of summer camps to choose from you can be confident that this year your child will create great friendships, learn new skills and develop their Faith in a much deeper and rewarding way.