CAYOCA: Catholic Youth Camp draws hundreds of students

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
June 23, 2005

About 550 students from throughout the Diocese of Sioux City participated in one of five sessions of Camp CAYOCA this summer held at Twin Lakes Christian Center near Manson.

According to Linda Anderson, director of catechesis for the diocese, the first session was a service camp for seventh and eighth graders. These young campers helped ready the campground for the other sessions of CAYOCA as well as other camps to be held at Twin Lakes over the course of the summer.

She pointed out that the director of the campground expressed many positive comments about the campers and mentioned this group in particular had done a fantastic job.

"We did make some adjustments to the camp this year. We added a workshop each morning. It was a good improvement," noted Anderson. "It helped them better understand the concept of service and why we do it." Another addition was an evening prayer experience where they participated in three different prayer forms.

After the service camp, there were two sessions for fifth- and sixth-grade campers as well as two sessions for third- and fourth-graders. During these sessions, the campers attended six workshops - two per day - and also participated in daily prayer opportunities. Mass was celebrated each day and all students had the chance to actively participate in the liturgy - as song leaders, gift bearers, lectors and in other ways. A reconciliation service was also part of the Catholic camp experience.

This year the camp took on the theme of Our Radical God.

"The theme worked very well," said Anderson, who worked at four of the sessions. "Our God is a God of peace and love and forgiveness. It tied in easily everywhere. Music leaders could tie it into the songs they chose and it was tied in with the readings for Mass."

Julie Anne Bovenmyer, DRE at Sacred Heart Church in Boone, worked three of the sessions - two sessions as the head group leader and the final session as the camp coordinator. She has been volunteering for camp for three years.

"I think it is a fun camp," she said.

Bovenmyer mentioned that she thinks this camp is unique for Iowa. She wished everyone in the Diocese of Sioux City knew of and took advantage of this opportunity.

"It's a great way for kids to experience being away from home, getting out with other kids, having fun and sharing their faith," she said.

Anderson noted that what makes CAYOCA so unique is that volunteers from within the diocese write all of the workshops and prayer experiences. Additional volunteers help with the presentations.

Kerry Noethe, DRE at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Fonda and St. Columbkille in Varina, was a workshop presenter at the final third- and fourth-grade camp. She led a session called Be Attitudes.

This workshop featured an SOS activity where one camper was blind-folded, another couldn't use their hands and another couldn't talk. Working together they had to form the letters SOS out of sticks.

Noethe explained that some people may have disabilities, but everyone must learn to work with one another.

Linda Hepker, DRE at St. Malachy in Madrid, attended two sessions of CAYOCA and was presenter of the workshop God is In It - relating to vocations and how one's first responsibility should be their relationship with God. This was her first Christian camp experience, although she has been involved in camps for Scouts.

"I am having a riot. It's a lot of fun," she said. "It's important to be able to talk about God and in a lot of places that is no longer allowed."

Hepker said this camp allows the students a safe environment for which they can talk about and actually practice their faith.

There were five priests who served as spiritual leaders for the camps. These priests were Father Tim Johnson, Father Matt Hewitt, Father Joe Dillinger, Father Terry Roder and Father Brad Pelzel. They celebrated Masses during camp and led reconciliation services.

At the Friday Mass of the final camp session, June 17, Father Pelzel's homily centered in on mercy. He said that that people needed to have the eyes of Jesus so that they could see people hurting, have the heart of Jesus so could have compassion for others and finally people must have the hands of Jesus so that they can be the ones to serve others and be Christ in the world.

Along with providing leadership for the camp, numerous other adults served as small group leaders.

In a time when the Catholic Church is promoting intergenerational ministry, Anderson pointed out that this camp experience proves to tie into that concept. Adult volunteers and workshop presenters year after year speak of the positive and faith-enriching experience they have at camp.

For long-time volunteer Mike Hawn of Spirit Lake, this was his ninth year and 18th session of CAYOCA. Known as the fisherman, he has committed to two camp sessions each year.

"It is great fun and there is a spiritual part as well," he stressed. "During the year I taper off in my faith it seems like it. And then every year this renews it. This is like a whole renewal."

At the final session of camp, he had two granddaughters in attendance. One of them, Jessica Delaney of Lake Park, is a young adult who was serving as a small group leader and her younger sister Natalie Delaney was a traditional camper.

Jessica noted that she had attended CAYOCA as a camper, had served two years as a PA (program assistant) and returned to serve as a small group leader. Like her grandfather, this 18-year-old pointed out that she finds it to be spiritually enriching.

"Grandpa keeps coming. It's fun to be here as a family and to help at camp," she said.

It was Natalie's first CAYOCA experience. She learned new things about mercy and peace at camp.

Through the years Hawn has had other grandchildren attend camp when he has volunteered. There have also been youth from his parish attend. Sometimes, there is no formal connection. He just volunteers because he likes it.

"It is a wonderful place for kids. It would be a wonderful place for adults if they would take the time to give up something and spend three days with kids down here," he said. "I don't always like to tell too many people about the secret of Camp CAYOCA because then there might be too many people and I wouldn't get to come."

Lori Warnke, an adult small group leader from Sheldon, pointed out that she volunteered for camp because her youngest child wanted to go.

"It's been a wonderful time so far," she said. "It combines church, faith and fun." Warnke added that the experience has been as much fun for her as it has been for the campers.

The campers liked it, too.

Trevor Schnuckel, a third-grader from Odeboldt, said that at camp he has learned more about God and others. He has especially liked free time and reconciliation.

Camper Kelsey Croghan of Manilla noted that she learned about peace and other people. This was her second time to attend CAYOCA. Her favorite free time activity is the Craft Corner.