Edmonton: St. Dominic Savio Parish 2021 Summer Camp a True Success

By Fr. Sagayaraj Devadoss, SDB

(Edmonton, AB – August 25) – St. Dominic Savio Parish Youth & Family Ministry hosted a Covid-safe Vacation Bible School (VBS) from Monday, August 16 to Friday, August 20. It was well-received and wonderful to see that 35 children had registered to attend within three weeks.

The 2021 VBS was based on the Cat Chat program Radical Ride on the Wings of Prayer, where children between ages four through 12 learned about prayer, saints, virtues, countries, and cultures from around the world based on an air travel theme. Along with Michael Okwegba, (youth and family coordinator), four young adults and six adults volunteered for this event, and everyone worked very well together. A special thanks to all of them, particularly to Sandra Simard, chief volunteer.

Every morning, the "travelers" arrived in the boarding area (the church entry), stamped their passport with the flag of the day’s featured country, and received a saint-of-the-day collector card. Once their passports were stamped and their saint boarding cards distributed, the travelers were greeted by "the captain’s" announcement, which invited them to sit down inside a plane outline on the floor, buckle their seat belts, and enjoy their adventure hosted by the featured saint of the day. The children explored Canada with St. Raphael, Poland with St. Faustina, France with St. Bernadette, Italy with St. John Bosco, and Mexico with St. Juan Diego.

They also explored topics like prayer, saints, bible quotes, and virtues through discussions, demonstrations, songs, and activities. The daily activity stations were faith, crafts, games, and a snack with a movie. The children asked great, pertinent questions and were able to share different aspects of their faith, including songs and prayers they knew from home. Every day, the "travelers" went home with a memento of their trip.

On Friday, there was a Mass "layover," celebrated by the parish priest, in which the "travelers" each had a role. Families joined in, and some of the "travelers" asked if it was a Mass just for them, since it felt so special. A photo session, game, and closing celebration followed Mass. Many were sad it was ending and requested to return to VBS the next week.

A few quotes from the children:

• “I liked it, and I am having fun," Jerome, six years old, shared.
• “I liked the camp and activities," Elizabeth, four years old, proclaimed.
• “I liked and learned from the camp," Jenevive, six years old, shared.
• “It’s really fun, and I never want it to end," Amara, eight years old, declared.
• “It’s really good and awesome," Trinity, 11 years old, exclaimed.
• “I love the camp," Theodora, seven years old, commented.
• “I like this camp, and it was pretty good, especially stations and games. I liked learning about saints and interesting things about prayer," Alex, 12 years old, shared.
• “I really liked the camp and the food because it was all new to me. I enjoyed the activities, especially faith and the games," Michelle, nine years old, detailed.

Overall, it was a very successful and enjoyable experience for everyone, adults and "travelers" alike. We look forward to next year’s summer camp!