Hundreds of students attend diocese's Catholic youth camp - CAYOCA

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
June 22, 2006

Just over 500 students from throughout the Diocese of Sioux City participated in one of five sessions of Camp CAYOCA this year. The theme of camp was "Run the Race."

Throughout the five sessions of camp, there were 516 campers, 75 group leaders, 60 leader team members and 30 program assistants. The camp is held at Twin Lakes Christian Center near Manson.

The first session was a service camp for seventh and eighth graders held Memorial Day weekend. 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.

"They did different service projects around the camp and the surrounding area," said Jessica La Fleur, director of youth and young adult ministries for the diocese. "Because it has a service theme, we had workshops and different activities based around Catholic Social Teaching - the seven principles."

She noted that there were big and small group activities throughout the weekend. The participants talked about how to work through the seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching. They came up with action plans about how to respond when they see things.

"We are called as Catholics to minister and serve others," said La Fleur. "One thing we always run into is that service makes me feel good. At the end of the day, that is not what it is about. It is not about me. It is about me doing something for someone else in God's name."

One evening there were prayer rotations that all, in some way, connected to service. One of the rotations was about St. Francis of Assisi and the prayer that is attributed to him.

"It was neat for the kids to get to reflect on that," said La Fleur.

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 the sessions, the campers attended six workshops - two per day - and also participated in daily prayer opportunities. This year's workshops included Mass Preparation, Reconciliation, Put on Your Running Shoes, Just Do It, There is No "I" in Team and I Have Kept the Faith.

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.

The spiritual leaders for camp were Father Tim Johnson, service camp; Father Joe Dillinger, sessions 5-6A and 3-4A; Father Terry Roder, session 5-6B; and Father Brad Pelzel, session 3-4B.

During his homily at Mass on June 15 of session 3-4B, Father Pelzel reflected on the readings and pointed out to the campers that if they have faith in Jesus, they will also have love in their life.

"You are going to show that love by the things you do," said the priest. "Faith and works go together."

He presented the children with a tub of peanut butter and asked them what would go with it - jelly. He then brought out a hammer and a nail and salt and pepper to present his point.

"When we say that we love Jesus, there is something that naturally goes together with it - the works that we do," said Father Pelzel. "When we have faith, that faith has to go together with love. That is what we are talking about when we are talking about 'running the race.' Running the race is really learning about ourselves in the race of life and learning what we are supposed to do."

Another component of his homily recognized that while it is good for the children to go to reconciliation and learn about faith at camp, it would also be good for them to take it all home with them and apply it in their life. He added, "That is running the race well."

"Camp was absolutely awesome," said Kevin Vickery, superintendent of Catholic schools for the diocese. "We've had so many different situations in which we've been able to build as a community a chance for kids to see Christ in themselves, to see Christ in other people and to see Christ in the Eucharist."

Vickery was able to be at service camp and 5-6B and 3-4B sessions this year.

"It is a great experience for me to sit back and remember that life is busy, busy, busy. Sometimes we put God further and further away from the center. Here, at camp, it seems that God is the center of everything. It helps me re-center God back into the center of my life," said Vickery.

He pointed out that camp is what adults would call a retreat for the children.

"These kids need to have a chance to let God become the center of their existence for these four days," said Vickery. "It stays there for a long time."

Camp coordinator for session 3-4B was Beth Kisch from Lehigh and parishioner at Christ the King in Dayton which is part of the Webster County Team Parishes. She has been volunteering at camp for 15 years and usually helps with one session per summer.

"I enjoy the kids so much," said Kisch. "It is awesome to see the kids come as strangers and leave as friends. That is how I have met a lot of my friends that I am here with every year."

She thinks it is good to provide this camp for the youth of the diocese because "it shows them that being Catholic can be fun, can be a learning experience. They can take what they have learned about the church and their faith back to their community."

Lois Spaulding from Battle Creek and member at St. Mary's Parish in Danbury was a group leader at 3-4B camp. She has been a group leader for seven summers and helps at one camp each summer. Her children have been coming to camp for about 18 years.

"I love the atmosphere," said Spaulding. "It is a renewing of your faith. Everything here is Christian. You talk about Jesus and God."

She thinks that the people who plan camp come up with unique ways to teach the children at their own level. Children in third through sixth grade are able to relate with the different programs that are presented.

"I think it is awesome that they can take one idea and make it go to all the age groups," said Spaulding.

First year group leader Alejandro (Alex) Aguilar from St. Rose of Lima Parish in Denison commented that he was invited to help with camp this year. He works with children in Denison and thought this would be a good new experience.

"It is a place where they can grow in their faith," said Aguilar.

Twin sisters, Lydia and Kylee Schooley, from Sacred Heart Parish in Spencer experienced camp for the first time this year. They will be in fifth grade in the fall. Lydia pointed out that her favorite part of camp was the cable ride. She also liked learning how to make candles and to be a better friend.

"We decided to come because it would give us something to do for the week. We also heard from other people that it was tons of fun," said Lydia.

Morgan Muhlbauer, who just finished third grade, is from Sacred Heart Parish in Manilla. She mentioned that she went to camp because she wanted to have "lots of fun." Her favorite part of camp was wall climbing. She made it to the top twice.

Muhlbauer learned that there is no "I" in team and that "you have to work together."