For many years, Catholic parishes in Korea have spent a great deal of time and money on summer camps for students enrolled in the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Pastors have tried all kinds of programs: sometimes including family members, separating the students into groups by age, and also having them all together from grammar to high school. The editorial in the Catholic Times this week stresses that it is not so much the contents of the programs that are important, as it is making clear to the students the reasons for having the programs.Camps are an extension of the Sunday school programs that we have in all the parishes. The programs are not intended to give students all they want during their summer camp experience, but an effort to cultivate their learning abilities and heighten a Christian awareness of the meaning of life.
Understandably, the students often want to have more time for play. However, the primary reason for these summer camps is not to alleviate the stress that the students have built up during the year by focusing solely on playing games. Play is a means to the goals the camps are intended to achieve. The editorial judges that we have prepared these camps in years past with too much emphasis on play, and the unfortunate results can be seen in our churches and Sunday school programs. How many of our children, the editorial asks, have experienced God in some way by going to these camps?
One of the slogans of the camps: "Together With" refers to bringing teachers and students closer together, but how many students become closer to the teachers in understanding what was planned for the camps?
A quote from Pope John Paul: " Humans to mature must know the value of virtue, love it and become habituated with virtue." Are we being successful in getting summer camp students to know and love this value, making it a part of their lives? The answer, for the most part, would have to be No. The editorial was critical of teachers for not having done their job well enough, suggesting that more effort should be made in the future to have our teachers trained in spirituality. The power of example needs to be emphasized. Bringing the students closer to Jesus is the core task of the teacher and is what the summer camps are all about.
The editorial gives us an ideal but pastors have difficulty getting volunteers for the parish catechetical programs. To find teachers who are willing to give their time, and have the necessary knowledge and spirituality required is a colossal job. However, the effort certainly should be made, and prayers for all those working in education would also help.
