July 31, 2026

Children grow close to Christ at summer Bible camps

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Carolee McGrath

SPRINGFIELD – Children across the Diocese of Springfield are encountering Christ at Bible camps, this summer, which offer both faith and fun for the young campers and teenagers who volunteer. St. Mary Parish in Longmeadow kicked off the summer season for the Diocese of Springfield, holding their camp, June 22-26. One-hundred-forty-three children spent the week learning “The nature of God,” in the Rainforest Falls Catholic camp curriculum.

St. Mary’s also had 148 teen volunteers, leading music, Bible stories and games.

“Once again we were blessed with a wonderful week of our popular summer Bible camp here in Longmeadow,” said Father C.J. Waitekus, the pastor of St. Mary Parish. He started the camp off each morning with prayer.

“The children who attended and the army of young adults and adults who volunteered, prayed, sang, danced and praised Our Lord Jesus Christ inside and outside for five days were amazing. Our DRE Kathy Bladen did an awesome job directing it all and three cheers to her,” he said.

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in West Springfield also used the Rainforest Falls curriculum.

“We were blessed to welcome 19 children, from pre-k through 6th grade, for a week filled with faith, fun, and friendship. Through our rainforest adventure, we learned that God is our creator, God knows everything, God is our safe place, God is love, and God is forever,” said volunteer Sarah Niemic.

“A heartfelt thank you to our amazing volunteers who shared their time and talents to make this week so special. We are so grateful for this wonderful group of children and for the opportunity to grow together in faith and experience the joy of God’s love,” she said.

St. Cecilia Parish in Wilbraham held camp July 13-17. Fifty-seven campers learned about the Good Shepherd, the Prodigal Son, and the Good Samaritan. They also made cards for Wilbraham police and firefighters, and held a concert for them and their parents on the last day.

“Each year, our camp has been growing. It is so beautiful to see the faith of these children grow too, as they are totally engaged in the stories, the music and the fun. Our hope is that this experience will spark a life-long love and yearning for our Lord. We are grateful for the 15 teen volunteers who came back to help. They at one time were campers, so it is great to see them still wanting to be a part of it,” said Rosemary Oldread, the director of faith formation for St. Cecilia Parish.

At St. Mary Parish in Hampden, children learned about Jesus, “The Good Shepherd,” and about St. Catherine Laboure and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Twenty-eight children attended this year, which is an increase over last years numbers. On the final day of camp, the children performed two plays for their parents.

“Kids and their parents find a warm, welcoming and fun way to share our faith outside of Mass, discovering their abilities and talents that God has blessed them with,” said Deb Joy, lead catechist at St. Mary Parish. “We get to celebrate each other’s strengths, and uniqueness. Like Carlo Acutis said, ‘We are all born originals,’” she said.

St. Patrick Parish in South Hadley joined with Blessed Sacrament Parish in Holyoke for two weeks of camp, where more than 100 children went on “Mary’s Global Adventure.”

“In the two-week summer program, children discovered the universal Church by ‘traveling’ to different countries and learning about Mary’s apparitions from around the world,” said Kelly O’Connor, the director of religious education at St. Patrick and Blessed Sacrament parishes.

“The campers explored light, prisms, and rainbows while learning about the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima. During their visit to Ireland, children experienced the value of silence by quietly watching an hourglass for one full minute, listening to their heartbeats, and reflecting on how God often speaks to us in moments of stillness,” she said.

St. Agnes in Dalton held their annual Bible camp at Camp Holy Cross in Dalton. About 80 children were in attendance for the Rainforest Falls Adventure, July 20-24.

“Bible camps are a great way to keep faith formation programs going throughout the summer,” said Celeste Labbe, the director of the Office of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Springfield.

“They are engaging, fun, and offer an opportunity to build a relationship with Jesus, and a love for all the gifts he gives us,” she said.

Several other parishes across the Diocese of Springfield have held or are holding Bible camps this summer including: St. Jerome Parish in Holyoke; St. Michael Parish, East Longmeadow; Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish, Westfield; St. Rose de Lima Parish, Chicopee; and Holy Name Parish in Springfield.