Rowan Fleming, left, shares a moment with a camp counselor after a shaving cream battle at Damascus camp in Brighton, Mich. last month.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
Madison Corbett was eager to tackle outdoor adventure activities in a Catholic environment this summer. At a Damascus camp in Brighton, Michigan, young adult camp counselors encouraged the Burlington-Notre Dame seventh-grader to lean into God as a source of courage. “Everything had to do with Jesus,” she said.
Though she looks back on her ropes course and zipline adventures with a smile, eucharistic adoration was the biggest thrill. She became emotional one evening as she viewed the monstrance up close and contemplated God’s role in her life. She realized that the opinions of others don’t matter “because God loves me… All my worries went away. I felt less anxious about life.”
“There are so many directions and voices that (youths) are being pulled to listen to in this world today,” said Anna Grace Marino, a Burlington native who recently wrapped up two years as a full-time Damascus missionary and now serves as a missionary recruiter. “Having the opportunity to root them in the one and only voice that truly matters, Jesus’, is the most rewarding and life-changing thing.”
Damascus summer camps offer students in grades 6-12 the opportunity to step away from the distractions of life and experience outdoor adventure activities in a faith-filled environment. The Michigan site offers a high ropes course, dance parties, ziplining, paintball, lake activities and archery in addition to daily Mass, prayer workshops, faith talks, reconciliation and eucharistic adoration.
Several Notre Dame middle schoolers attended Damascus this year after Anna Grace’s twin sisters, Kayla and Taylor Marino made a presentation at the school. The twins, members of Divine Mercy Parish in Burlington-West Burlington, served as camp counselors in 2023. Student Annemarie Baxter spoke about participating in Damascus in 2024 with a group from Monmouth, Illinois.
Rowan Fleming, one of Annemarie’s classmates, immediately expressed interest in going. It was an easy sell, recalls her mom, Beth Fleming. “Seeing how (Annemarie and the Marino sisters) experienced Damascus, and how it changed them, made us realize this experience would be something special.”
The camp began in Ohio in 2001, with about 60 youths participating. It has evolved into a national evangelization movement that serves nearly 7,000 youths a year, with an additional 1,000 youths on a waitlist. Spots typically fill up within hours of the online registration portal opening in October, according to a press release. Damascus offers middle school and high school camps in Centerburg, Ohio and Brighton, Michigan, and offers retreats and conferences for a variety of age groups throughout the year. Another campsite in Emmetsburg, Maryland, is expected to open next year.
Gianna Vaughan, a Notre Dame seventh-grader, thought Damascus would be a good opportunity to have fun with her friends while growing closer to God. The seven-hour drive to the Michigan campsite was long but “definitely worth it.” The camp showed her how other people experience God and how powerful the Holy Spirit can be. “So many memories were made and it was just an incredible experience all around,” she said. Her mom, Elizabeth Vaughan, added, “It’s so amazing how much (kids) learn about each other and relationships when they just don’t have access to all the electronics and outside events that overtake our everyday lives.”
Annemarie Baxter chose to attend for a second year and appreciated the opportunity to share the experience with her friends. Her older sister, Isabel Dance, served as a camp counselor. Isabel, an education major at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, felt called to serve after picking up Annemarie from camp last year. “I really learned to trust in the Lord… it was such a blessing,” Isabel said of working with middle- and high school-aged youths this summer. The experience reminded her how important it is to come to God with the belief and dependence of a child. “I really learned how to trust in the Lord… and surrender everything to him.”
Rowan Fleming said she enjoyed her time at Damascus. She especially loved swimming, adoration, music and taking time daily for prayer. She is already talking about wanting to go next year, her mom said.
