Threshold Fall/Winter 2008

Learning, Leading
by Suzanne Fitzmaurice, OSB



For the tenth year, the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, and the Ursuline Sisters of Paola invited 6th to 8th grade girls from the area to our the annual Leadership Camp for girls.

Leadership camp is an opportunity for junior high girls to spend three days with women religious from the area, learning Christian values and leadership.The girls form small groups that are facilitated by high school and college women. Each group spends the entire camp together in games, crafts, team-building activities, and opportunities for small group sharing. Each of the small groups then shares their insights and observations with the large group.

Along with the leadership activities, the girls are given an opportunity to spend time with the sisters of the various communities learning more about their faith. Each day the campers spend some time in prayer with the sisters, join them for Eucharist, and share a meal with the hosting community. Over the three days, the girls also take part in planning, preparing and participating in a closing liturgy which is attended by the families of all the campers and counselors and sisters from all the communities. It is a wonderful opportunity for the campers to experience new liturgical ministries and to share their gifts and talents with the gathered community.

One of the most enlightening experiences takes place on the final day. On the last morning of camp, the campers and counselors learn more about each of the religious communities. The sisters share the history of their community, their personal stories of call, and the ins and outs of their daily life. The campers are then given the chance to ask any questions they may have about religious life and the sisters they have come to know.

Leadership Camp provides young women of the area a great opportunity to grow in their faith and to learn new ways to include God in all that they do. It helps them to reflect on the roles of leadership and service within the Church and to move forward as young women confident in their ability to be leaders in the world today.


The campers watch a movie in the "comfort" of their sleeping bags!

View more photos from Leadership Camp 2008

Happy Camper
by Kristen Owsley (on the right in the photo working with campers)
University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth, Kansas

I was a camper for the first three years that there was a camp, and was more excited each year to go back. I decided my last year as a camper that I wanted to be a counselor, but was not able to go until 2008.

Being 12-14 years old can be a very difficult time. There are so many questions about life, and camp helps the girls to see that God is there, no matter what, to guide them to good lives. Camp also helps teach the girls leadership skills that they can use in school and in their careers. For some, camp is the first time without mom and dad and it can be hard. With trust in counselors and God, they open up and meet new people, which is hard to do, but is a nice trait to have.
I know camp is sponsored by Catholic sisters, but I have a friend who has been a counselor for two years now and is not Catholic. I think camp is a way to develop and grow in your relationship with God no matter what your denomination is. For the girls developing as women, it is nice to be able to develop your relationship with God at the same time. Camp is also a good time to take time out of our busy lives to be with God. While at camp, I feel so relaxed and at peace because of the time to reflect and clear my mind to focus on one thing … God.

Camp has touched my life in a great way. Everyone looks to older people at 12-14 years old, and as a camper I looked to the counselors. I wanted to be like them and to have the relationship that they had with God. I try to be like the counselors I had; to open up about my relationship with God. I want to be a leader in what a relationship with God looks like. Hopefully, my openness will help the girls keep God close to them. The last night of camp, we have a reflection period. I found a verse in Ecclesiastes that spoke to me, saying to enjoy being young and to follow what you believe in. It was my wish to all the girls.

I think the Leadership Camp is a good experience for anyone. With all of the activities during camp, one can really learn skills that can help in the future. The biggest skill that comes out of camp is the skill of believing in God. If you believe in God, everything works out.