Camp Tekakwitha: A Ministry at the Peripheries

 

Written by Jack 'Oak' Lawlis

As Catholics, we are missionary disciples by the virtue of our baptism, and are called to proclaim the good news of the Gospel to the world. We have encountered the Lord’s love, and know of the joy that is promised by a life devoted to Christ. This knowledge fuels our mission and efforts towards conversion.  

When embarking on mission, we must ensure that our evangelical efforts reach all people, so that every person may come to know and love the Lord. We must go to the peripheries—the margins of our social and ecclesial communities—so that all might have the opportunity to discover Christ.

During my time at Camp Tekakwitha, I witnessed firsthand a ministry which not only reached those at the peripheries of our society, but also fostered experiences at the peripheries of encounter and faith. We can learn from the ministry of Camp Tekakwitha as we continue on our own journeys as disciples on the way.

 

Mission to the Peripheries

Each summer, Camp Tekakwitha is home to campers of a diverse range of backgrounds and faith traditions. While many campers are practicing Catholics, some have not been introduced to the person of Christ. For these campers, Camp Tekakwitha is often one of the first fully Catholic experiences that they will have.

This initial encounter is not a “typical” introduction to the faith. Through shared experiences of joy and camaraderie, whether it be swimming in Loon Lake, playing slip-and-slide kickball, or spending an evening in Eucharistic Adoration, campers come to know the Lord in one another, and associate the most enjoyable aspects of their lives with their faith.

These communal experiences introduce us to a new aspect of encounter—one that is bolstered by friendship, punctuated by prayer, and which truly exhibits the joy of the Gospel. God calls us together as a people, and it is through these unique and exciting encounters that we walk towards the Lord together, and combat the spiritual pessimism that threatens the faiths of many.

Pope Benedict XVI describes faith as “an encounter with the living God—an encounter opening up new horizons extending beyond the sphere of reason.” I witnessed amazing encounters with the Lord every week for three summers at Camp Tekakwitha, and just as the Pope Emeritus said, these encounters left campers and counselors alike with a new and beautiful understanding of life.  

 

Visible Encounter

Camp Tekakwitha’s phenomenon of encounter is almost formulaic, and is a process through which campers catch their first glimpse as to what a life in Christ is like.

First, campers arrive uncertain, and with reservations. These uncertainties fade as they meet their counselors and cabinmates, who whom they quickly become friends. Then begins a week of great fun and excitement, and campers begin to feel at home. Next, the critical moment occurs. It could be in a kind word, or the example of a counselor, or in a moment of prayer. It is their first encounter with the person of Christ.

A boy from Cabin Seven spends an evening in Camp Tekakwitha’s St. Francis of Assisi Chapel, praying the Rosary with his cabinmates and counselors. He doesn’t know much about the Catholic faith, and his family doesn’t pray often, but he knows enough to respond during the prayers.

As he prays, he feels a calmness in his heart, unlike any he has ever known before. Reflecting on the days prior, on the laughter and excitement with his cabinmates who he has come to know as his best friends, this moment is inseparable from any other experience of joy. His heart opens to the Lord, and he experiences God’s love in its fullness. “This,” he thinks, “is what I desire.”

I’ve seen this experience many times at Camp Tekakwitha, each in a unique and beautiful way, and even in my own life. Camp Tekakwitha creates amazing experiences which bring both campers and counselors to the peripheries and opens their hearts to the Lord. This is the method through which Camp Tekakwitha seeks to lead all people to the Kingdom of God.

When we journey to the peripheries of our faith, we live as disciples for the Lord. Campers, counselors, and families all have a role to play in this effort—and it is through exciting, communal, and unique experiences that we will encounter Christ. By journeying to the peripheries of our communities and our faith in our efforts as missionary disciples, we help all people reach the Lord, and achieve their ultimate good in Heaven.