Camp brings together local teens, young parishioners
CHILDREN OF LIGHT — Camp Guadalupe children practice the camp’s theme song “Children of Light” throughout the week.
(All photos by George Smith)
By NADIA MARIA SMITH
CS&T Staff Writer
MALVERN — Nearly 90 children ranging in ages from 4 to 12 years old descended upon the Malvern Retreat House for the 17th annual Camp Guadalupe.
The camp was started by the Living Bridges ministry, a nonprofit organization serving U.S. families and impoverished Latin American children. It began as a cultural program bringing together the Mexican children adopted by Philadelphia families through Living Bridges to learn more about their faith and culture. Now the week-long camp, although still infused with Mexican culture, has become an exciting Catholic experience for local parish children of all ethnicities.
Campers learned about the story of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the subsequent conversions of thousands of indigenous Mexicans, through a puppet show put on by the teen volunteers.
Campers also had their turn at hitting the piñata for some candy, a favorite Mexican children’s game, and interacting with bilingual children from Mexico, who belong to the Misión Santa María, a mobile ministry serving the Latino immigrant population of Chester County, based in Avondale.
The camp ran in two sessions over the summer. The first was held in June at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Springfield and the second was in July at the Malvern Retreat House in Malvern. This year’s theme was on the seven sacraments of the Church.
“The camp is impregnated with faith and that is what is so beautiful,” said Anna Iatesta, who founded Living Bridges with her husband Bob Iatesta.
It never ceases to amaze her, or any of the volunteers, how much children can grasp at such a young age, she added.
Throughout the week, campers heard from different speakers about one of the sacraments in a general session that also included practicing the interactive theme song, “Children of Light.”
Children then broke out into age-specific sessions. Some attended a catechism class, where the teacher reviewed the sacrament discussed in the general session, while others attended arts and craft classes where they made religious objects such as clay chalices and Guadalupe water fonts.
Still others headed to music class, where 18-year-old music director Jeff Bracconier of St. Francis of Assisi, taught them worship songs.
He has been the camp director for the past two years and directed his first children’s choir when he was in seventh grade. Now Bracconier enthusiastically helps the children come “face-to-face with Christ” through music.
By packaging the Gospel message in music, Bracconier believes that children are able to truly encounter Jesus, he said.
The camp is run by 40 other teen volunteers like Bracconier and a number of parent volunteers, who do everything from assisting in the various break-out sessions to cleaning, praying or instructing. Teen volunteers took turns spending 15 minutes before the Blessed Sacrament continuously throughout the day.
“That is the backbone of our camp,” Iatesta said.
As for the little campers, they couldn’t get enough.
“I like coming to this camp to learn more about God,” said 8-year-old Luis Cruz of the Misión Santa María. “My favorite is the art class because we do projects about God. I would recommend this camp to my friends so they can learn about the sacraments.”
William Ruiz, another 8-year-old from the Misión added, “Es muy divertido — it is really fun!”
CS&T staff writer Nadia Maria Smith may be reached at npozo@adphila.org or (215) 965-4614.
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