Notre-Dame de Paris (French for “Our Lady of Paris”), also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral or simply Notre-Dame, is among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world. / Credit: Sam valadi, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 14, 2025 / 18:10 pm (CNA).

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has become the most visited place in France. Since reopening its doors, it has welcomed more than 6 million people.

The childhood home of Pope Leo XIV in Dolton, Illinois. / Credit: “EWTN News in Depth”/Screenshot

CNA Staff, Jul 14, 2025 / 17:23 pm (CNA).

The village of Dolton purchased Pope Leo XIV’s boyhood home for $375,000 on Tuesday, July 8, after the village board unanimously approved its purchase at a special meeting the week before. 

Newly-elected Dolton Mayor Jason House said on July 10 that a steering committee would be formed in order to plan how to manage the property, which will become a historic site open to the public. He said the committee would then “lay out the plans to trustees and the community.”

House called for the special July 1 vote, which was unanimous, after hearing from the trustees and allowing for comment from members of the public, several of whom opposed the home purchase by the cash-strapped village.

Amid the pushback from Dolton residents who complained about the dilapidated state of local roads and the village’s high debt, House said the purchase of the childhood home of the first U.S.-born pope, Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, would eventually “pay for itself,” calling it a “historical opportunity.”

Dolton, a formerly prosperous village due to the industrial boom during the second half of the 20th century, has declined economically since the 1980s. The per capita income is $29,776 and 20% of the residents live in poverty, according to census data.

Trustee Edward Steave referred to the “busloads of people” in and out of the village to see the house, located at 212 E. 141st Place, since the pope’s election, emphasizing the economic benefits visitors to the historic site would bring to the community.

Also acknowledging residents’ concerns, Trustee Kiana Belcher asked them to “stand with us as we make this decision because we know it will help all of us as a village.”

Trustee Stanley Brown said that while he is not a Catholic himself, he is a Christian who would like to “help out the Catholics.”

“I just believe in this opportunity that’s been given us, and I believe in waiting on the Lord,” Brown continued. “He’s here to strengthen our town, so don’t let this opportunity get away from us!”

“We have been put on the back row … and now we have the opportunity to get on the front row, and we don’t want to let this opportunity get away from us,” he said.

Dolton City Attorney Burt Odelson agreed, telling CNA that a “world of opportunity” has opened for the small suburb, which is like “no other place in the world.”

“Things are just going to get better and better for the people of Dolton,” he said. 

On the Village of Dolton’s Facebook page on July 1, the village posted photos of the house getting a new roof, paid for by a donor, according to Odelson.

“The pope’s house continues to draw in people, bringing new energy and attention to our village. This increased traffic represents a new day in Dolton — full of potential, progress, and promise,” the village wrote on its Facebook page.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, House said he hoped the house could be “converted into its ultimate form” within 30-60 days after its purchase was finalized.

House said the village will have the help of a “number of partnerships,” possibly referring to the Archdiocese of Chicago.

As it considers next steps, Odelson said the village has done research on how former popes’ homes are preserved around the world. Last month, he told CNA that he was speaking with someone “high up” in the archdiocese who was helping “guide” the village in its goal to preserve the historic home.

The Archdiocese of Chicago did not respond to CNA’s request for comment by the time of publication.

Odelson told CNA in June that once the house was purchased, the village would set up a nonprofit charity to help fundraise for the preservation of the house and the revitalization of the neighborhood.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to preserve what many people believe is a sacred” place, Odelson told CNA about the pope’s former home. “We need to do it right and we don’t have the funds to do it right. We have to lean on others.”

People from “all over the U.S. have already offered to help preserve the house,” Odelson said, “and the charity will enable them to do so.”

On the heels of the pope’s election in May, Odelson and House said at the time that the city intended to purchase the modest three-bedroom, 1,050-square-foot brick home, which had been listed for sale since January.

Realtor Steve Budzik told CNA in May that as soon as the owner, house renovator Pawel Radzik, found out the house he had updated and listed for sale once belonged to the newly elected pope, he removed it from the market to “reassess” the situation.

Radzik relisted it for sale by auction through Paramount Realty auction house. The auction was originally set to close on June 17 but was extended by a month “to finalize negotiations with the village of Dolton,” Odelson told CNA in June.

The final sale price of $375,000 was much lower than the $1 million Budzik had said he thought the house might sell for at auction.

This story was first published on July 2, 2025, and was updated on July 14, 2025, at 5:23 p.m. ET with details on the purchase of the home.

The funeral of Matteo Balzano, a young Italian priest who recently took his own life at the age of 35, was held July 8, 2025, in the presence of the faithful — especially young people — he served at the parish in Cannobio in the Piedmont region. / Credit: Courtesy of Italian Episcopal Conference

ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 14, 2025 / 16:53 pm (CNA).

The funeral of Matteo Balzano, a young Italian priest who took his own life at the age of 35, was held in the presence of the faithful he served.

Charitable organizations distribute food to displaced people in shelter tents in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on June 9, 2024. / Credit: Anas-Mohammed/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 14, 2025 / 16:20 pm (CNA).

As U.N. agencies issue dire warnings of humanitarian collapse in Gaza, the Catholic arm of an organization that promotes Christian engagement in the Near East has announced a nine-day novena prayer for peace in the Holy Land to begin on July 16.

The Philos Project’s “Nine-Day Novena to Pray for Peace in the Holy Land” comes as Israel has intensified its bombardment of Gaza, and eight U.N. agencies have indicated that “without fuel, their lifesaving work may soon come to a halt.” Over the weekend, BBC reported the deaths of 10 people, including six children, who were killed in a July 13 Israeli airstrike while waiting to fill their containers of water in central Gaza. 

Fifty Israel hostages remain in Hamas captivity, including the bodies of at least 28 that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed dead, according to a Times of Israel report. Twenty hostages are believed to be alive, while “grave concerns for the well-being of two others” remain. 

The novena will begin July 16 on the feast of Our Lady of Carmel and end on July 24, the feast of St. Charbel of Mount Lebanon. A similar novena was held last year. This year, according to the Director of Philos Catholic Simone Rizkallah, participants will “dare to ask for more,” lifting up their prayers for an end to the conflict. 

“This jubilee year [of hope] reminds us that God’s promises are never revoked,” Rizkallah said, adding: “Let’s pray boldly together.”

The novena’s intentions are for a complete end to the conflict in the Holy Land, the return of all hostages, the rebuilding of devastated communities, the healing of deep wounds and the restoration of trust, and a prophetic sign of peace: that one day soon, Christians may walk safely on pilgrimage from Mount Carmel to Mount Lebanon, two sacred peaks tied by faith, history, and hope.

Last year, the Philos Project’s “emergency novena,” which was prayed by more than 1,000 people, centered on prayers for peace between Israel and Lebanon. 

“We began on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, asking that Lebanon be spared from imminent war,” Rizkallah recalled. “Against all odds, peace has held. Dialogue, not destruction, has taken root between Lebanon and Israel. It was almost unimaginable a year ago.” 

At the time, the novena was in response to ongoing clashes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed, Shiite Muslim militant group based in Lebanon.

“No one is useless and no one is expendable. This also means finding ways to include those on the peripheries of life. For they have another way of looking at things; they see aspects of reality that are invisible to the centres of power where weighty decisions are made.” (Fratelli Tutti) From his very first […]

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St. Peter’s Chapel and Native American Museum at Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site in Fonda, New York. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site

Chicago, Ill., Jul 14, 2025 / 09:20 am (CNA).

Shrines to various saints can be found in every part of the world, including every state in the U.S. Each one is dedicated to faith and prayer, but one shrine in the northeastern United States also has a distinct mission of connecting pilgrims with Native American culture and sharing the fascinating history of Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be canonized a saint.

The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site in Fonda, New York, honors not only the life of St. Kateri, whose feast day is July 14, but also the life and history of the local Indigenous people to whom she belonged.

“We have cultivated strong ties to both the Catholic Mohawk community and the traditional Mohawk community,” said Melissa Miscevic Bramble, director of operations at the Saint Kateri Shrine, in an interview with CNA. “We see it as our mission to educate about her Mohawk culture as well as her Catholic faith.”

Who was St. Kateri?

Called the Lily of the Mohawks, Kateri Tekakwitha was the child of a Mohawk father and a Christian Algonquin mother but was orphaned at age 4 when the rest of her family died of smallpox. Her own early bout with the illness left lasting scars and poor vision.

She went to live with an anti-Christian uncle and aunt, but at age 11 she encountered Jesuit missionaries and recognized their teaching as the beliefs of her beloved mother. Desiring to become a Christian, she began to privately practice Christianity. 

Beginning at about age 13, she experienced pressure from her family to marry, but she wanted to give her life to Jesus instead. A priest who knew her recorded her words: “I have deliberated enough. For a long time, my decision on what I will do has been made. I have consecrated myself entirely to Jesus, son of Mary, I have chosen him for husband, and he alone will take me for wife.”

At last, she was baptized at about age 19, and her baptism made public her beliefs, which had been kept private up until then. The event was the catalyst for her ostracism from her village. Some members of her people believed that her beliefs were sorcery, and she was harassed, stoned, and threatened with torture in her home village.

Tekakwitha fled 200 miles to Kahnawake, a Jesuit mission village for Native Amerian converts to Christianity to live together in community. There, she found her mother’s close friend, Anastasia Tegonhatsiongo, who was a clan matron of a Kahnawake longhouse. Anastasia and other Mohawk women took Kateri under their wings and taught her about Christianity, and she lived there happily for several years until her death at around age 23 or 24. 

Although she never took formal vows, Tekakwitha is considered a consecrated virgin, and the United States Association of Consecrated Virgins took her as its patron. She is also the patron saint of traditional ecology, Indigenous peoples, and care for creation.

A shrine with a special mission

The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site has a unique mission of archaeological and historical research related to Kateri Tekakwitha and her people. Welcoming several thousand visitors per year, the shrine ministers not only to Christians but also to all Native American.

According to its website, the shrine and historic site “promotes healing, encourages environmental stewardship, and facilitates peace for all people by offering the natural, cultural, and spiritual resources at this sacred site.” Describing itself as a sacred place of peace and healing with a Catholic identity, its ministry and site are intended to be ecumenical and welcome people of all faiths.

In keeping with this mission, the shrine’s grounds include an archaeological site, the village of Caughnawaga, which is the only fully excavated Iroquois/Haudenosaunee village in the world. St. Kateri lived in this village, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors can also visit the Kateri Spring, where Kateri Tekakwitha was baptized.

“The water from the Kateri Spring is considered holy water by the Catholic Church,” Bramble said. “People are welcome to come take the waters, and we regularly get reports of healing. We’ve sent that water all over North America to folks who have requested it.”

Besides the archaeological site, the main grounds of the shrine include St. Peter’s Chapel, housed in a former Dutch barn built in 1782; museum exhibits of Native American culture and history; St. Maximilian Kolbe Pavilion; a candle chapel dedicated to St. Kateri; Grassmann Hall and the shrine office; a friary; a gift shop; an outdoor sanctuary; and maintenance facilities. The 150-acre property includes hiking trails that are open to the public year-round from sunrise to sunset. 

Outside the candle chapel, which is always open for prayer, visitors can participate in a ministry of “Kateri crosses.”

“St. Kateri was known for going into the forest, gathering sticks, binding them into crosses, and then spending hours in prayer in front of crosses she created,” Bramble said. Sticks are gathered from the shrine grounds, and visitors are invited to make their own “Kateri crosses” and take them home to use as a prayer aid. Bramble shared that the shrine sends materials for Kateri crosses to those who aren’t able to visit, including recently to a confirmation group.

The feast day weekend

The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine hosts special events for St. Kateri’s July 14 feast day. The shrine usally welcomes several hundred visitors for these events, which include Masses and talks. (A listing of the schedule can be found here.)

This weekend’s Masses included a traditional purification rite, a solemn blessing with a relic of St. Kateri, and music of the Akwesasne Mohawk Choir, which “incorporates American Indian spiritual practices in keeping with the Catholic Church,” Bramble told CNA. “The Akwesasne Mohawk Choir is made up of descendants of St. Kateri’s community who lived in the area historically.”

“There is a reestablished traditional Mohawk community a few miles west of the shrine, and we feel very blessed that we’ve been able to cultivate a very cooperative and mutually respectful relationship with the folks there,” Bramble said.

The Saint Kateri Shrine is also a great place for families. Events often include activities and crafts for children, there is an all-ages scavenger hunt available at the site, and the shrine’s museum is “a phenomenal educational opportunity,” she said.

Bringing together Native American archaeology and history with the story of St. Kateri, the shrine and its programs shed light on the saint’s story and keep alive the traditions and history of her people.

This story was first published on July 13, 2023, and has been updated.

Pope Leo greets pilgrims during the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly on Sunday, June 1, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jul 14, 2025 / 08:05 am (CNA).

With less than a month to go before the Jubilee of Youth begins, the pope’s diocese is making final preparations to welcome tens of thousands of young people from around the world who will participate in this event of great spiritual significance. 

“Young people will never experience this in their lives again. I’m sure of it. In practice, it will be like a World Youth Day,” explained Father Alfredo Tedesco, director of youth ministry in Rome, the host diocese.

The Italian priest was 18 when he participated in the Jubilee of 2000 with St. John Paul II: “For our generation, it was an indelible mark. For them, it can be a new beginning.”

The truly great challenge for the Diocese of Rome is accommodations. The parishes of Rome and 10 dioceses in the Lazio region, those closest to the Italian capital, “are already mobilized to welcome young pilgrims into their facilities,” he explained. Furthermore, the religious institutes in Lazio closest to Rome “have also done their part.”

However, adapting these places has been a complex task: “We have had to refurbish these places. We have had to add bathrooms and showers, ensure breakfast service, organize the arrival of groups, distribute pilgrim kits, and coordinate transportation.”

In addition, the Italian Civil Protection Agency has also made 400 schools and state facilities available to meet this need, “especially gymnasiums with equipped restrooms,” Tedesco added.

According to preliminary estimates from the diocese, some 120,000 young people will descend upon Rome for the entire week of the event from July 28 to Aug. 3. Many others will pass through the capital only to participate in some of the planned events.

‘Registration is still open, and the number is growing’

One of the main highlights of the Jubilee of Youth will be the prayer vigil presided over by Pope Leo XIV at Tor Vergata, which will be preceded by several testimonies and musical concerts. This is a very large area located on the southeastern outskirts of Rome, known primarily as the site of the main universities in the Italian capital.

“Registration is still open, and the number is growing. Some even speak of a million people. But we don’t know if that figure will be reached. The Dicastery for Evangelization, the main organizer of the event, has the official data,” the Italian priest explained.

Since the young people will sleep at the same place as the event that night, the logistics for that event have been simplified for the Diocese of Rome: “We don’t have to worry about having to accommodate them elsewhere for that night.”

The Jubilee of Youth program, promoted by the Dicastery for Evangelization — the body responsible for the overall organization of the Holy Year of Hope — is in the last stages of finalizing various details.

However, according to the official jubilee website, several notable activities have already been confirmed. On Tuesday, July 29, at 6 p.m. local time, a welcome Mass will be celebrated in St. Peter’s Square. In the following days, Rome will host numerous cultural, artistic, and spiritual initiatives throughout the capital under the title “Dialogues with the City.”

On Friday, Aug. 1, a Penitential Day will be held at the Circus Maximus, where young people will be able to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.

On Saturday, Aug. 2, all participants will travel to Tor Vergata. Finally, on Sunday, Aug. 3, the pope will celebrate Mass at 9:30 a.m. before bidding farewell to the young pilgrims who will begin their journey back to their home countries.

4,000 young volunteers to assist the pilgrims

With registration still open, the final number of participants is yet to be determined. Nonetheless, what is certain is that they will be joined by approximately 4,000 volunteers from parishes in Rome and the Lazio region, who will donate their time and skills to welcome the pilgrims in the best possible way.

Regarding their countries of origin, Tedesco said there is a notable European majority: “France, Spain, Poland, Germany… and many even from Eastern Europe, despite the war. This will also be a sign of peace.”

There will also be a strong presence from the United States and Latin America. “Let’s not forget that we now have an American pope,” he pointed out. “This has also encouraged participation from the United States, where there is great veneration for the two young saints [Carlos Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati] who will be canonized in September,” the priest explained.

Asian participation, although more limited, will be significant. “We will have a significant Korean delegation — 1,000, 2,000, maybe 3,000 young people — which is quite a lot, considering the distance. Furthermore, the next World Youth Day will be in Seoul, so they are very motivated,” he noted.

Regarding Africa, the situation is more delicate: “Some countries haven’t been able to send delegations due to visa or diplomatic issues or armed conflicts. There will be African representation, but not as numerous. The dicastery and the Holy See have made arrangements to facilitate some visas.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

A Daily Quote to Inspire Your Catholic Faith “You wish to reform the world; reform yourself, otherwise your efforts will be in vain.” – Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest Image (inset) credit: Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons The Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest (1491 – 1556), is July 14. Please help spread […]

The post Daily Quote — Saint Ignatius of Loyola appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

Pope Leo XIV waves as he enters Liberty Square in Castel Gandolfo to give his first public Angelus address from the lakeside town 18 miles southeast of Rome on July 13, 2025. / Credit: Stefano Costantino/EWTN News

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Jul 13, 2025 / 10:05 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV recited the Angelus before a diverse and enthusiastic crowd in Castel Gandolfo on Sunday — the first time in 12 years that a pope has led the Marian prayer from the lakeside town 18 miles southeast of Rome.

The Angelus, prayed on a warm but cloudy July 13, marked the midpoint of Leo’s two-week stay for a summer break on the pontifical estate of Castel Gandolfo, a custom eschewed by Pope Francis. 

Despite sporadic light rain showers, shoulder-to-shoulder pilgrims from around the world — including Brazil, Italy, Poland, and the United States — filled the town’s main square and lined the side streets as the pope greeted them with “Happy Sunday!”

The hope of eternal life, Leo said before leading the Marian prayer, “is described as something to be ‘inherited,’ not something to be gained by force, begged for, or negotiated. Eternal life, which God alone can give, is bestowed on us as an inheritance, as parents do with their children.”

Crowds of laypeople, priests, and religious sisters alternatively opened and closed umbrellas, the sun bursting through raindrops right as Pope Leo appeared in front of the apostolic palace of Castel Gandolfo.

“That is why Jesus tells us that, in order to receive God’s gift, we must do his will,” he continued. “It is written in the law: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”

“When we do these two things, we respond to the Father’s love,” the pontiff said.

A married couple from the United States celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary said they came to Castel Gandolfo hoping for the pope‘s blessing. They were happy to have received a wave from Leo when he passed by on his walk from the local parish to the apostolic palace before the Angelus.

While the pontiff spoke, a father of four took turns lifting up each of his children so they could see Pope Leo over the crowd.

Pope Leo will publicly lead the Angelus again on July 20 before returning to the Vatican in time for a slew of events for the Jubilee of Hope, including jubilees of Catholic influencers and of youth.

Leo will also come back to Castel Gandolfo, found on the hills above Lake Albano, for three days over the Italian holiday weekend of “Ferragosto,” Aug. 15–17, which celebrates the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Before the Angelus, Pope Leo celebrated a Mass for local Catholics, religious leaders, and civil authorities at the 17th-century Pontifical Parish of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo’s Liberty Square.

Reflecting on the parable of the good Samaritan, the pontiff called for a “revolution of love” toward those who have been hurt by life, who are “stripped, robbed, and pillaged, victims of tyrannical political systems, of an economy that forces them into poverty, and of wars that kill their dreams and their very lives.”

“Are we content at times merely to do our duty or to regard as our neighbor only those who are part of our group, who think like us, who share our same nationality or religion?” he said. “Jesus overturns this way of thinking by presenting us with a Samaritan, a foreigner or heretic, who acts as a neighbor to that wounded man. And he asks us to do the same.”

This is why this parable is so challenging for each of us, he underlined: “If Christ shows us the face of a compassionate God, then to believe in him and to be his disciples means allowing ourselves to be changed and to take on his same feelings.”

“Looking without walking by, halting the frantic pace of our lives, allowing the lives of others, whoever they may be, with their needs and troubles, to touch our heart,” the pope added. “That is what makes us neighbors to one another, what generates true fraternity and breaks down walls and barriers.”

A high school camper venerates the Eucharist at Wednesday night adoration in 2024 at the Damascus main campus, Centerburg, Ohio. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Damascus Media Staff

CNA Staff, Jul 13, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

When St. Paul encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, his life was changed. A Catholic summer camp ministry based in Ohio — but expanding around the country — hopes to give young adults the opportunity to have a similar, life-altering encounter with Christ, but with the help of paintball, zip-lining, and Eucharistic adoration.

Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Damascus summer camps has grown from 63 campers in a parish-based effort to 7,000 campers across multiple locations — with a new location in Maryland opening soon. 

At the summer camps, youth spend six days away from their ordinary lives getting to know Jesus Christ and the Catholic faith better. For the organizers of Damascus summer camps, anything can be a vehicle for teaching about Christ — even rock climbing. 

But it’s not just one week, according to organizers. The “adventure” continues on long after the kids grow up. 

Dan DeMatte, co-founder and executive director of Damascus summer camps, told CNA that “high-adventure activities will lead to a high-adventure faith.” 

“We believe our faith is meant to be deep, contagious, and joy-filled,” DeMatte said. “Jesus Christ calls us to live a great adventure through the life of the Holy Spirit!”

From 60 to 7,000 

The idea for Damascus summer camps came about when many local kids in central Ohio would attend a nondenominational camp where they would have “a personal encounter with Jesus,” DeMatte said.

“As a result, many of them would come home wanting to leave the Catholic Church because that other church was ‘better,’” DeMatte said.

Damascus founders wanted to create something centered on the Catholic Church “where young people could have an encounter with Jesus through the very life of the Church, through the holy Eucharist, confession, lectio divina, and Mass,” DeMatte explained. 

“We wanted them to experience the fullness of the Catholic faith rooted in an encounter with the living God,” he said. “And it worked!”

“We created a high-adventure camp where young people had a true encounter with Jesus, and their lives were forever changed,” DeMatte said.

That was 25 years ago. Since its beginnings with about 60 campers, demand has grown rapidly. With an annual waitlist of more than 2,000 youth, Damascus struggles to keep up. This summer, it hosted nearly 7,000 campers total. 

Damascus also offers year-round retreats, conferences, off-site preaching, missionary opportunities, and worship events, enabling them to serve more than 30,000 youth, young adults, and families. Damascus has more than 250 missionaries who serve year-round in ministries for parishes, schools, families, and dioceses across the country.

“When parents saw how their children’s lives were changed, they too wanted an encounter, and that’s when we started offering adult retreats,” DeMatte said.

Damascus has locations in Ohio and Michigan, with a new location opening in Emmitsburg, Maryland — but DeMatte hopes to continue to expand. 

“We would like to see a high-adventure Catholic camp planted within an eight-hour driving distance of every Catholic young person in the nation,” he said. 

‘No one is alone’ 

Damascus doesn’t just offer an experience. It teaches young people to pray, fostering what DeMatte called “a hunger to attend Mass and Eucharistic adoration.” 

The goal is to “awaken a heart for adventure and foster courage and self-confidence as foundations for an abundant Christian life,” he noted. 

Damascus also emphasizes the Holy Spirit, encouraging young people to “start to recognize the promptings and convictions of the Holy Spirit in their everyday lives,” DeMatte said. 

“Our campers don’t just learn about the Holy Spirit, they become intimate friends with the Holy Spirit,” he said. “They know who he is and how he is our advocate.” 

What makes Damascus unique is the model of accompaniment.

“Our team models a spirit-filled life of joy, reflecting God’s individual love for each person through personal attention and accompaniment,” DeMatte said. “No one is alone.”

The adventure continues: A lingering effect 

When asked about the effect of the camp on youth, DeMatte quipped: “In these 25 years, what haven’t I seen?!”

“They not only hear the voice of God speak to them about their identities, but they are also filled with the Holy Spirit and sent forth on a mission, just like St. Paul,” he said.

Attendees often bring home with them a “missionary zeal,” DeMatte said. They start worship and adoration nights, host Bible studies, or get involved in social charities, “igniting a fire of greater conversion within their homes, their parishes, and their schools,” DeMatte said.

The fire continues into their adult lives, according to DeMatte.

“I’ve seen countless young faithful Catholics go into lay ministry, study theology, work full time as pro-life advocates, join ministries that serve the poor, the suffering, the sick, and those neglected by others,” he continued.

More than 51% of attendees say they are open to discerning a vocation after attending, DeMatte noted.

“I’ve seen young sixth graders hear the voice of God while sitting before Jesus in adoration on the sands of our beach, and now they are serving him at the altar as a holy priest,” he said. “I’ve seen young women fall in love with Jesus and grow up to become religious sisters.” 

“I’ve witnessed many vibrant happy Catholic marriages, coming forth from missionaries who met each other and fell in love while on mission,” he added.

The data support this.

More than 98% of campers last year said they believed in the Real Presence, compared with the national average of about 27%, DeMatte noted.

Daily prayer also becomes a bigger priority for campers.

“Before camp, 27% of campers incorporated daily prayer into their lives,” DeMatte said. “After camp, 82% of campers said they are extremely likely to incorporate daily prayer into their lives.”

In addition to the central Ohio and Michigan locations, Damascus Summit Lake is set to open for campers in the summer of 2026 in Emmitsburg, Maryland.