Young Boys' Camp
July 19 to 26, 2009
There was only one single camp at Marienthal for the boys interested in participating. They are shown here with their camp counsellors, cooks, chaplains, etc. |
The day’s program began with daily Mass, either inside or outside, depending on the weather. |
The boys participated in different workshops: working with plaster with Brothers Marc Lévêque and Marc Boulanger... |
... wood sculpting with André Pelletier... |
... solar energy with Brother Dominic Larkin... |
... and times of relaxation in nature: excursions, sports activities or fraternal exchanges around a camp fire. |
From July 19 to 26, thirty-one young boys gathered together for the twelfth edition of the youth camps at Marienthal. After having welcomed them, our devoted lay organizers, Yvan Laprise and Alain Têtu, along with two confreres, Father Stéphane Boisvert and Brother Dominic Larkin, gave them valuable information concerning the day’s program, the basic rules and the virtues of a camp. The younger boys (11 to 14 years) were divided into five teams of five, while the older boys (between 15 and 17) formed a group of six. Each one could choose one of the six workshops offered during the camp: making a plaster bas-relief with Brother Marc Lévêque, fixing bicycles with Father Michel Dufour, leather works with Father Issa-Paul Carbonneau and Brother Renault Vallerand; renewable resources (especially solar energy) with Brother Dominc Larkin, wood sculpturing with Mr. André Pelletier, and electronics with Father Hervé Lemay and Brother Francis Thériault.
A BALANCED AND FULL SCHEDULE
The day’s schedule offered the campers a well-balanced and full program.
At 7:00 a.m., the older campers began their day with adoration before the Blessed Sacrament (Father Stéphane Boisvert prepared them for this); the younger campers joined them for Holy Mass at 7:30 a.m., followed by breakfast at 8:00 a.m. At 8:55 a.m., the campers gathered together at the outdoor chapel before a statue of the Lady to place their work and their day in her hands. At 9:00 a.m., the younger campers went off to the workshop they had chosen, while the older ones performed certain tasks with the help of the camp counsellors: the building of a “dry toilet”, painting at the St. Francis cabin, the stripping of prie-dieu and wooden chairs. At 11:15, it was the first of the day’s two soccer tournament games, a good way of building up an appetite for the tasty noon meal prepared by our hard-working group of cooks under the direction of Anne Laprise, assisted by Marie Têtu and numerous helpers. Once again this year, they spoiled us!
After the dishes were washed, there was some free time before getting together again at 1:30 p.m. for a variety of outdoor tasks: gathering wood and cording it at Val-Maria, work on the footpaths behind Spiri-Maria. At 3:30 p.m., it was the much appreciated moment for refreshments, and fifteen minutes later, the day’s second soccer match. After having showered, the young people gathered together at 5:00 p.m. to sing and prepare the evening’s camp fire. Then it was supper time, followed by dishes, before everyone met again at 7:00 p.m. at the outdoor chapel (weather permitting) or under the army tent (when it rained) for the recitation of the rosary.
This was followed by a conference, the subject of which reflected the year’s theme in the Work: “The Rainbow: the Symbol of Covenant and Sanctity”. Father Serge Lépine explained to the young boys the significance of the rainbow in the light of the different Covenants of the Old Testament (Noah, Abraham, Moses), of the New Testament (Jesus), and of the Covenant established in our time thanks to the Handmaid, the Lady of All Peoples. This was accompanied by a multimedia presentation prepared by Father Gilbert Damphousse.
On Tuesday night, Father Angelo Gonthier presented his testimonial of conversion and response to the religious and priestly vocation, adding his thoughts on his personal experience regarding the effects and dangers of certain types of music.
Wednesday, our two organizers, Alain and Yvan, gave a presentation on the theme, “The Rainbow: the Symbol of Sanctity”, drawing their inspiration from Marc Bosquart’s new booklet. Their presentation was accompanied by material prepared on computer and projected on a wall.
Friday evening, Brother Patric Carrier presented his touching testimonial. Notwithstanding (or as he himself says, thanks to) his accident which left him a quadriplegic, he did not hesitate to say “yes” to God’s call.
Almost every evening of the week, the weather allowed the young people to sit about a camp fire in a wonderful spirit of brotherliness to sing and participate in certain games.
The evening ended with a meditation prepared by a Son of Mary and a prayer around the camp fire. Then, in silence, and for the older ones, after a time of preparation for the next day’s adoration, everyone retired to their quarters to prepare for bed.
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
We cannot forget to mention certain activities which were not part of a regular day’s program. On Wednesday, after the evening conference, Father Hervé prepared the young people for confession and then they had the opportunity to go to confession to one of the many Fathers available.
Then it was the candlelight procession and the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the outdoor chapel for nocturnal adoration. Each in turn, the young people would come to adore during the night, accompanied by a religious or one of the camp counsellors.
On Thursday, Our Lady granted us ideal weather (neither too hot nor too cold) for a wonderful excursion at Sainte-Lucie-de-Beauregard in the Appalaches Regional Park.
Relating to the camp’s theme, Father Stéphane Boisvert and our two organizers prepared seven stations recalling the seven “mansions of the soul” and the virtues corresponding to them. The seven stations fit in well with the natural milieu in which they were presented.
After the excursion, our young people were quite proud to have accomplished this long trek of 15 kilometers, including a vertical climb of 275 m., a distant image of the wonderful route each one will have to follow to the summit of holiness.
Friday afternoon marked a very special step for some of our young campers who were received “Young Knights” or “Royal Servants”, as they desired to intensify their commitment in the service of their Queen. They wore the red scapular, on the front of which is a golden cross. This ceremony was presided over by Father Stéphane Gamache for the younger campers and by Father Stéphane Boisvert for the older ones.
DEEPEST GRATITUDE TO ALL THE ORGANIZERS
By watching a photo presentation together on Saturday evening, illustrating the outstanding events of the week, all the young people and adults gave thanks to the Lord and the Virgin Mary for so many beautiful graces and rich experiences received during the week.
It was wonderful to see, even in such a short period of time, certain young people evolve spiritually, as they learned to rise above themselves and discovered they had new talents. That is why we wish to express all our gratitude to our two organizers, Yvan and Alain, as well as to the camp counsellors for their devotedness, their professional know-how and their rich experience of life which they put to good use for the benefit of the young people.
Deepest gratitude also to our lady cooks and our gentleman cook, Serge Laprise, who gave themselves unstintingly to fight the “hunger of the world”(!).
Finally, a heartfelt thank-you to Father Stéphane Boisvert, Brother Dominic Larkin, Brother Marc Boulanger and all the confreres Sons of Mary from Marienthal and the other houses who made such a great contribution to the camp’s success, whether it be through the spiritual animation, the organization, the preparing of the infrastructures, the participation in the different activities, the celebration of Mass and the homilies, the confessions and the spontaneous conversations with the boys at meal time or during activities.
In closing, we would also like to thank our benefactors, as much from the material point of view (donations, time spent, etc.) as from the spiritual point of view (prayers and sacrifices).
A GRATUITOUS GIFT
Following the camp, four young people – Francis Robindaine, Vincent Dagenais, Jean-Luc Therrien and David Lefrançois – prolonged their stay by a week to help us put away all the camp installations and to accomplish certain tasks in the service of the Lady of All Peoples. Furthermore, this allowed them to have a closer look at the religious life with the Sons of Mary by sharing in their times of prayer, work, meal times and certain sporting activities at the end of the day.
May the Lady of All Peoples help our young people, as well as all of us, to spread about the rich lights of the rainbow of sanctity, in order to render the Covenant between Heaven and earth increasingly more visible before the eyes of all peoples.
Fr. Gilbert Damphousse