Diocesan summer camps, Totus Tuus bringing eventful summer to diocese
Summer camp season is getting under way in the diocese, with 29 young adults heading out to serve on mission in parishes and at various youth camp locations.
Maureen Quinn, diocesan director of Religious Education and Youth/Young Adult Ministry, spent 10 days with coworkers getting everyone trained, prayed up and ready to serve.
“Bottom line: we want everyone to grow closer to Christ and let it impact them to be disciples and ultimately be the saints that we’re all called to be,” she said.
Twelve young adults are serving as missionaries for Totus Tuus, a fun catechetical summer program for grades 1-12, heavily based on the Sacraments and the Blessed Mother.
Totus Tuus teams will be spending time at 18 parishes throughout the diocese.
Seventeen young adults will staff summer camps for middle and high school age students.
These include:
Camp Lolek for sixth through eighth grade:
- Boys week: June 7-11, 2026
- Girls week: June 14-18, 2026
Camp Maccabee for high school age boys:
- North location: June 21-26, 2026
- South location: July 12-17, 2026
Camp Siena for high school age girls:
- North location: June 28-July 3, 2026
- South location: July 19-24, 2026
Mrs. Quinn noted that there are still slots open on some of this summer’s camps, although a few camps are completely filled.
Visit diojeffcity.org/youth-camps for information.
“We could certainly use prayers for God’s will to be done this summer and for him to be glorified in everything we do,” Mrs. Quinn stated. “And that the impact is not just for a week, but for the rest of their lives.”
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The main topics this year for Totus Tuus are the 10 Commandments and the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary.
This year’s theme for each of the camps is “Rejoice!” based on Philippians 4:4-9.
The diocesan youth office staff conducted intensive training for summer missionaries May 25 through June 5, mostly in Shelbina.
Among the participants was camp counselor Allie Mathews, who’s embarking on her fourth summer as a youth missionary for the diocese.
“It’s such a blessing and I’m excited to be able to do it again,” said Miss Mathews, a member of St. Mary Parish in Glasgow, who’s studying theology and youth ministry at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.
She previously served as a camp counselor for two summers, then as a Totus Tuus missionary last summer.
She’s back this year as a camp counselor.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “These camps changed my life, beginning when I first attended Camp Siena as a camper. And I’ve met some of my best friends working on and attending these camps. I can’t think of anything else I’d want to do with my summer.”
She recalled how Camp Siena helped her understand what it means to have an authentic relationship with God, “how it’s a personal conversation and connection with other people, other young people, who really care about it as well.”
The camp counselors get to spend five or six days working together with junior high or high school students each week.
“We’re just walking alongside them all day, every day,” said Miss Mathews.
Focused on mission
Jack Callahan’s friends Allie and Joe had been begging him to join them as a diocesan camp counselor since 2024.
A member of Cathedral of St. Joseph Parish in Jefferson City, Mr. Callahan will help facilitate Camp Maccabee, Camp Siena and Camp Lolek for middle school boys and girls.
He helped lead pilgrimages to Europe last summer and is happy to be staying closer to home this time around.
He said being a camp counselor requires “a lot of patience, a lot of humility and a lot of energy.”
“And most importantly, prayer!” he said.
Having attended the staff training with fellow camp counselors and Totus Tuus missionaries, he’s convinced that he’s going into this experience with the practical and spiritual foundation he’ll need to be a successful part of the team.
He noted that each camp counselor has a prayer partner among the Totus Tuus missionaries, and vice versa.
“We’re all missionaries, but that doesn’t mean we’re the only ones doing mission,” he said. “It’s really important for everyone to pray and be close to Jesus in your own life. I think if you do that, you’ll be surprised at how many opportunities you have for mission every day.”
Now’s the time
Nico Keegan-Caro, a member of St. John Henry Newman Parish and Newman Center in Columbia, who recently completed the first stage of seminary formation the Pontifical College Josephinum in Worthington, Ohio, will serve as sacristan for this year’s summer camps.
He’ll be in charge of the chapel at each camp, working with the chaplains to make sure it’s ready for prayer and worship.
He’s confident that every camper will head back home with the understanding that their faith is worth taking seriously, right now, “so that they’re not missing out on the joys of following Christ in their youth.”
“The best time to say ‘yes’ is now,” he said.
Aidan Lawrence, a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Vandalia, who’s entering seminary formation for the diocese this fall, believes being on the summer camp team is well worth the time and energy.
“It matters because Christ is Lord,” he said. “And you know, we have to share the Gospel. We have to share that with the new generation.”
He said he genuinely loves spreading the Good News and hanging out with young people.
“They remind me of my nieces and nephews and how excited they are for the faith,” he said.
Making it their own
This is Mariana Keegan-Caro’s first summer as a camp counselor.
“They fit a lot of preparation into those 10 days in Shelbina,” she said. “You get really close with the whole team, and you learn a lot about how to work well with other people.”
There was heavy emphasis on building a strong team, communicating with one another and scheduling ample time to pray alone and together each day.
This summer will be full of learning opportunities, “But I definitely feel really prepared,” said Miss Keegan-Caro.
She’s convinced that if everything works out according to plan and everyone’s prayers, the campers will return home “knowing they can make their faith their own.”
“Not just something they’re doing because they were raised to, or it’s because something their parents tell them to do,” she stated. “We want them to form a close and intimate relationship with Jesus, and that will be a good foundation for anything they go through later in life.”
Always something new
What continues to surprise Miss Mathews each summer is “the joy of serving with these people.”
“Every summer has been full of joy and love,” she said. “Even in the struggles and everything else, there is consistent joy, and you can feel it and see it if you spend more than 30 minutes with us.”
While the structure for the camps is consistent from year to year, each camp turns out to be a unique experience for participants and counselors alike.
“It’s always changing and it’s always evolving,” said Miss Mathews. “And it’s always getting better because we’re always learning.”
There are a few seasoned veterans among the camp counselors and Totus Tuus missionaries this year, but many team members are new.
“Every person brings such a special gift to every single summer,” said Miss Mathews.
Miss Keegan-Caro recommended that parents encourage their children to take on learning and spiritual growth opportunities such as these camps this summer.
“It’s okay for kids to go do difficult things,” she said. “If they get homesick, they get over that on Day 2. And in the end, when they come out of it, it really benefits everyone.”
Prayer and presence
Mr. Keegan-Caro asked for everyone to pray for trust and growth among the camp and Totus Tuus participants, as well as the counselors and missionaries.
“And for me, for generosity of spirit — just that I have an open heart that the Lord will increase my heart’s capacity to give without counting the cost,” he said.
Miss Keegan-Caro asked for prayers for mild temperatures and not too much rain.
Miss Mathews requested prayers for the grace to get through all the ups and downs of this summer, likely including a few sleepless nights.
Mr. Lawrence called for prayers of thanksgiving.
“God is so good,” he said. “He is so loving. He’s so merciful. All you have to do is ask.”
