HUNDREDS of young Catholics were keen to put down the Zoom calls and get out into nature for four days of games, talks, worship and music at Ignite Summer Camp held over January 14 to 17 at QCCC Mapleton.
Ignite Youth director Kym Keady said this year’s Ignite Summer Camp was the biggest they had ever had, flying in the face of pandemic expectations.
“I think they were really desperate to be together,” she said.
“There was just that feeling of relief, and all the parents have been writing in … thanking everyone to have the opportunity to go.
“It was a really powerful weekend.”
Teenagers had trekked in from all across Queensland, including a large group from Rockhampton diocese and some groups from northern New South Wales.
Mrs Keady said Fr Josh Whitehead had come along to celebrate Mass and Fr Andrew Chase, from Rockhampton diocese, had stayed on site the whole time.
“It was so good having a live-in priest staying with us,” she said.
She said the summer camp was “such a great start to the year for the high schoolers”.
“It’s an infusion of faith and encounter with Jesus, to the point where I think it sets the bar for their year ahead, it sets the vibe and the person they want to be for the year ahead,” she said.
“You can see, even the Year 7s who have never set one foot inside a high school, really dig deep, find themselves; they step in still a bit like they’re in primary school but, at the end of the four days, you can see their growth, their resilience, and them feeling like ‘I can do this’.”
Youth worker Nick Kelly said it was “really special seeing the young people journey through the camp”.
“Even like singing songs – comparing the first day and the final day of the camp, just the volume and the enthusiasm – just so genuinely worshipping the Lord,” he said.
He said it was “such a powerful experience”.
“We’ve had so much feedback from parents and students finishing summer camp of how their lives have been changed, how the Holy Spirit has been working in them, and parents saying they’ve received new children back to them.
“(They were saying) that they were filled with so much joy.”
