Hooray for Shrine Mont!

My daughter went to Shrine Mont for camp for the first time last week. We've gone often for parish retreats, but this was her first time there for camp (her first time at sleep-away camp in general). I'd always heard that if you want your kid to have faith of their own, nothing beats Shrine Mont. And I've observed for myself the effects of Shrine Mont camp on the teens I've gotten to know at St. Aidan's. Now I have a little taste of why.

It sounds like a lot of what happens at Shrine Mont is very typical sleep-away camp. Swimming, games, enthusiastic counselors, a rustic cabin full of kids, lots of time outdoors in a beautiful setting. But in addition to all this, the counselors are brimming over with love of God; there are daily worship services full of interactive, kid-friendly music; and each evening in the cabins the counselor leads the kids in thinking about where God was in their day (a good practice for any of us to engage in).

If you'd like a little taste, check out these videos from the closing ceremony.

The kids entering into the outdoor cathedral...

Sophia's favorite new song - Isaiah 40....

And the infamous Shrine Mont Shouting Prayer (you have to be there to hear the mountain's echo)...

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