Camp Christopher

Faith

Camp Christopher provides a perfect opportunity to pass on Catholic values to young people, attending to Nature, Community, and Spirit.

Catholic Social Teaching is the foundation of everything we do at Camp Christopher.

• Fundamental to the culture at Camp Christopher, we believe that all human life is sacred and that the dignity of every person must be our priority. Helping every camper reach his or her maximum potential throughout the session is the objective of our staff.

• We strive to include and accept all persons into our camp family, especially those who are most vulnerable. Your child will witness many examples of campers and staff supporting one another and working hard to establish a strong sense of community during each session.

• We value diversity and see it as integral to our ability to perform our mission. Through engagement with individuals who come from different backgrounds, campers gain the practice and preparation they need to live and lead in a complex world and to value inclusiveness and justice. At Camp Christopher, we can always widen the circle around the campfire to welcome people who are new or different from us.

• God blesses us by giving us both rights and responsibilities. Our Catholic traditions teach us that healthy communities exist when we protect human rights and responsibilities. Each of us at Camp Christopher has duties to perform and shares in responsibilities as we live together in the camp community.

• Catholic Social Teaching calls us to place the needs of the poor and vulnerable ahead of our own. At Camp Christopher, youth will hear the mantra, “I am third.” By this, we mean, God must come first; the needs of others come second; and only then, we may think of ourselves.

• We live in solidarity with the greater society. Through teamwork, we teach campers that we are our brother’s keeper. Our love for one another in this world means that we must work to promote peace in our daily lives.

• We are responsible for God’s creation. The pastoral setting of Camp Christopher makes the perfect place to teach stewardship of the earth. Campers experiencing nature in such a direct way are in a perfect place to learn to respect the environment and the duty we each have to be stewards of the earth. We view the outdoors as the ultimate classroom and recognize that it affords daily opportunities for a great variety of physical challenges, social play, and exploration of the natural world.

It is our Catholic tradition that is the source of the communal values and Christ-centered approach we emphasize in our programs and services. From the celebration of Mass several times each week to the prayer services on alternating days, to grace before meals, Catholic values are woven into daily life at Camp Christopher and reinforce faith formation for our campers.