East Boston: Hot Steam’n Time

By Bro. Bob Metell, SDB

(East Boston, MA – July 23) – When I was a young brother (a few years ago!), I worked at the Salesian summer camp in Goshen, NY. I took the junior counselors to see a Jim Carey movie. Two of the buzz phrases in the movie were “hot steam’n time” and “sizzling.” Both became our slogan for summer camp. Many parents told me those phrases fit the summer well that year because it was an unusually hot and humid summer. That being the only summer I was there, I took their word for it.

That phrase describes our camp this summer in beautiful East Boston! The air is steamy, and the youngsters are having fun. To ensure the campers do not get overheated, every afternoon, Justin, our program director, and staff set up the water slide for the campers to have water fun and cool off. They get an extra bonus from being sprayed or drenched by a bucket of water. Last week, the campers went to a local state park and took a dip in the water fountain and sprinklers.

The summer is flying by! This week is week four of camp and the halfway point. It will not be long, and the youngsters will be returning to school.

On Friday, July 11, we celebrated the feast of St. Benedict, the founder of the Benedictine Order and the monastic way of life. He wanted the monasteries to be places of not just work and prayer, but also of hospitality and welcome. Don Bosco, in the model of St. Benedict, made his oratory, “a home that welcomes.” That is what we attempt to do in East Boston—provide the youngsters and their families with a home that welcomes.

Stay tuned for more updates from East Boston!