Camp Xavier 2022 Bread of Life: An Opportunity for Parish Youth to Grow in Christ

St. Francis Xavier is excited to host Camp Xavier for the youth of our parish later this month! Along with Steubenville and our annual summer mission trip, Camp Xavier offers a valuable opportunity for our youth to continue formation during the summer while growing in faith and community.

“We are looking forward to this year’s theme of Camp Xavier, ‘Bread of Life,” says Ashleigh Martin, Director of Youth Ministry at St. Francis Xavier. “We spend the school year growing in faith, but Camp Xavier is an opportunity for us to deep dive into a particular topic of the faith with our youth and really engage them on a deeper level about that topic.”

This year our youth — incoming sixthgraders through graduated 12th-graders — will have the opportunity to deeply encounter the Eucharist. Each evening, July 23-27 from 6 to 9 p.m., our youth will gather for dinner, games, talks, discussion, and adoration.

“We hope diving into the Eucharist this year will give the kids the tools to go out and evangelize because they grow in the knowledge and love of the faith,” Ashleigh says. “Each year we choose a different topic and our youth really love learning more about a particular aspect of our faith.”

Each night will end with time in adoration and confession, a unique opportunity for the youth to bring all that they have heard and discussed over the evening to the feet of our Lord in prayer. As they encounter the beauty of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, they will grow and deepen their faith.

“I love how we end each night with adoration and confession,” Ashleigh says. “It ensures we end each evening with meaningful prayer and caps off the insights of the night by spending time in front of the Eucharist.”

Although Camp Xavier does have a $10 registration fee, dinner each night and a t-shirt are included for each child. Ashleigh also encourages any parishioners that might find that cost to be a burden to contact her to discuss other options.

With only a few weeks until the start of Camp Xavier, we invite all families with children in sixth through 12th grades to consider signing up for this week of fun, community and faith. Registration can be found on our website under the “events” tab. If you would like to volunteer to help feed the youth at Camp Xavier, please email Ashleigh Martin at ashleigh@sfxstillwater.org.