Tampa: Oratory Environment Enlivens Camp Mary Help

By Genaro Cantú, Salesian Candidate

(Tampa, Fla. – July 29) – Home. School. Church. Playground. Salesians know these as the four pillars of Don Bosco’s Oratory. At Camp Mary Help of Christians, these same pillars have come together uniquely. Local Tampa youths learn valuable life skills, share quality time with one another, and, at the same time, grow steadily to “discover their home in God's church,” in the words of Stephen Watkins, the camp director. “Fun” and “faith-filled” are two words he uses to encapsulate the camp’s mission.

One of the aspects that has truly set Camp Mary Help apart is celebrating the camp-wide Mass daily before any activities. It is celebrated by a Salesian priest on each day of the 7-week summer camp season. Campers are encouraged to participate actively by being an altar server, joining the camp choir, or serving as a lector.

A 10-year-old camper said of the opportunity to altar serve at camp: “I don't get to do it a lot, so I like doing it here.” He added that he found it “exciting.”

Activities at camp range from archery to canoeing lakeside, from arts and crafts to paying a visit to the barn on the complex (it's appropriately named Mary Has a Little Farm, with chickens, goats and many other animals present). A caring and energetic team of counselors — many of them former campers themselves — assists the young and helps them to feel at home.

“When a child comes to camp, we work hard to help them feel as if they are part of our family,” Mr. Watkins shared. “We build trust, share our love, and give them a role in our community, which in turn allows them to better understand how God wants them to use their talents outside of camp.”

Tubing on the lake is a favorite among the teenage groups, while the water slides and water balloon fights seem to be most popular among the smaller campers.

Faith time takes place in the afternoon. This is a period devoted to interactive catechesis in an age-appropriate setting, plus weekly “witness talks,” and an opportunity for campers to share about their life in Christ. Each week, a specific theme is emphasized. Important virtues such as forgiveness and prayer took center stage recently.

Bro. Pascal Mukuye, SDB, shared that witnessing campers approach God's mercy during forgiveness week was especially meaningful to him. “To see our young people adoring the Lord, getting to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation, and being able to pause was just beautiful and very inspiring,” he noted.

The week of camp concluded with a lively Friday afternoon talent show, complete with cheerful animation, skits, karaoke, and an awards ceremony. Finally, to cap the week off on the highest of notes, a time of song and worship of the Blessed Sacrament occurred.

Camp Mary Help, which just concluded its final week for 2026, can certainly be described as a tremendous success. The young in the Tampa area were able to spend their summer alongside Christ and enjoying themselves. By doing so, they learned to value a life in which grace and unity with Him is not something boring or old-fashioned. Don Bosco’s saying “Run, jump, shout, but do not sin!” truly came to life, made possible by the cheerful assistance of the counselors and by the camp leadership and Faith Team. But in the end, it's all made possible by the intercession of our mother, Mary Help of Christians, for Don Bosco says that every one of those sent this summer to that bit of paradise in Tampa made it there only by her hand. And for that, thanks be to God.