SUMMERPROGRAM
How to launch a truly Catholic Summer Camp
This website is devoted to helping Catholic Parishes successfully launch Catholic summer day camps, by making it as easy as possible to do so, while minimizing the risks.
There are few things that will bring vitality and life into your parish like a truly Catholic summer camp will. The benefits - spiritual, financial and otherwise - will abound in ways that will exceed your imagination.
If your parish has a priest with an heart for youth and adventure (at times it can feel like a roller-coaster ride), adequate facilities (if not, then team up with a neighboring parish that does) and a Catholic high school in the area that can serve as a feeder system for your instructors, you have what it takes to launch a successful Catholic summer program.
How to Launch a truly Catholic Summer Camp
The 'How-To Videos' and the Resources pages are password protected. To receive the password, please contact us with your parish information. You can reach us at info@CatholicSummerProgram.org or 301-373-2281.
After visiting St. John’s Summer Program, I am convinced that they have found the winning recipe for a Catholic summer camp. With daily Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, intellectual and theological formation, and plenty of opportunities to have fun and build friendships, the Program gives instructors a chance to structure their summer around God. They are placed firmly in the lives of young children as faithful role models who demonstrate a love for Christ. As a priest I have personally witnessed the impact that such a summer can have on these young adults in their lives of faith and in their vocational discernment. God has bestowed many blessings to organizers, instructors, and children through this program at St. John’s, so I’m delighted to hear that other parishes are considering opening similar camps!
- Fr. Carter Griffin Vice-Rector Vocation Director,
Blessed John Paul II Seminary Archdiocese of Washington
"Thank you, thank you, thank you to Rich Olon, Fr. Ray and St. John’s Summer Program for all of your help and support in launching our own summer camp at St. Joseph’s in Pomfret MD. The amount of pre-planning and usable information on this website is astounding in its thoroughness and generous spirit.
With all of the help from this website, we’ve managed to wow everyone in the parish and generate real excitement about our new summer camp. Come see how easy it is: visit us at stjoesummercamp.com
The spirit is moving in Catholic summer camps! May God richly bless you and your efforts to get camps rolling everywhere."
- Marjorie Transue, Director of St. Joseph's Summer Camp
launching summer of 2014
About Us
Our parish launched our summer camp in 2011 to success we didn't see coming. God transformed our vision for a small and limited camp into something much larger and greater, and He did so in ways we didn't imagine. The more Catholic we made the camp, the larger it grew and the more successful it became. Over the past eight summers, we've grown from 116 weekly campers and 24 instructors to 390 weekly campers and a staff of 85 instructors. What's so amazing about those numbers is that our parish has a headcount of 1050, the county is surrounded by water on three sides with a population of 110,000, and there are five other established summer day camps in the county.
Contact Us
St. John's Summer Program
43950 St. John's Rd., Hollywood, MD 20636
Rich Olon - rolon@sjchollywood.org
PH: 301-373-2281