This activity was funded by the Mission Enabling Fund.
Source: Diocese of Nottingham
The Holy Family Cluster of parishes in Leicester recently concluded its highly successful 4 Mission Summer Camp, bringing together nearly 60 children and over 30 young volunteers from all three churches within the cluster –Sacred Heart & St Margaret Mary's, Our Lady of Good Counsel and St Joseph's– as well as from various local schools.
Deacon Seamus, from the Holy Family Cluster, shared the origins of the camp, explaining that the idea for a parish summer camp had been a long-held aspiration. "We've been wanting to do a parish summer camp for a long time," he stated, noting that the initiative truly took off last year with the enthusiastic support of a parishioner named Rebecca. The inaugural camp last year saw 50 children participate, a number that grew significantly this year.
A core aim of the 4 Mission Summer Camp is to integrate faith seamlessly into the daily lives of the children. Deacon Seamus emphasised the importance of helping children "grow in their faith and to see that faith is just a normal part of being a human being." The camp deliberately blends fun activities with prayer life, ensuring that faith is not separated but is "part and parcel of everything that they do." This approach also fosters crucial relationships among the young participants. “They're going to be the parish for the future. So therefore, getting to know each other is important as well”, Deacon Seamus said.
The camp offered a wide array of activities, including performing arts, sports, or gardening. Grace, one of the camp young leaders, observed: “It was nice to see all the kids quite eager to do each activity. However, at the same time, they're quite happy to do adoration as well”. This willingness to engage in both recreational and spiritual activities underlines the camp's success in creating a holistic environment.
Each morning began with prayer, and the day concluded with a liturgy. Deacon Seamus explained that these prayer times included reciting a decade of the Rosary or the Divine Mercy Chaplet. “The catechesis wasn't just done by myself or Father David or Father Vitalis it was done by young people who were leading the week,” he said.
Abbie, another young volunteer, shared a touching anecdote illustrating the camp's positive impact. She recounted: “On the second day, we had adoration, loads of children were kneeling down and participating and it was just beautiful to see all the children just stare forward for God.”
Feedback from both campers and their families has been overwhelmingly positive. Grace noted that children were consistently "excited to come and see what new activities are going on each day," particularly as each day's theme was based around a saint or a feast day. Parents expressed gratitude for the camp, appreciating that it provided their children with "a chance to grow deep in their faith throughout the week."
“We'd like to say a huge thank you to the Mission Enabling Fund for being able to give us the money so that we can run this summer camp,” Deacon Seamus said. Find out more about how the Mission Enabling Fund could help your Parish here.
The Holy Family Cluster hopes to continue and expand upon the success of this initiative, with plans already underway for the 4 Mission Summer Camp 2026.
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