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Scouts encounter their faith in nature

Elizabeth Elliott | For the Catholic Herald

Scouts from the Arlington Diocese recently attended summer camp at the Goshen Scout Reservation.

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Scouts arrive for Mass at the Goshen Scout Reservation near Lake Merriweather.

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More than 6,000 Scouts descended on Goshen Scout Reservation
near Lake Merriweather to earn merit badges, explore nature
and cultivate friendships. They also learned about faith
thanks to Father Augustine Minh Hai Tran, Scouting chaplain
for the Arlington Diocese.

Father Tran, a parochial vicar at St. James Church in Falls
Church, has been serving as the full-time diocesan Scouting
chaplain since June.

During his month at camp, he balances his responsibilities
celebrating daily and weekend Masses for Catholic Scouts with
accompanying and counseling the Scouts and their parents at
Goshen – a facility of six camps including Camp Bowman, Camp
Marriott, Camp Olmsted, Camp PMI, Camp Ross and Lenhok’sin
that cater to campers ages 9 to 20.

Msgr. John B. Brady, who has served at Goshen since 1967, was
not able to do so this year because of poor health. Unlike
Msgr. Brady, a lifelong Scout, Father Tran has never been a
Scout and said this has been an eye-opening experience.

Father Tran said being the chaplain at Goshen has given him a
chance to see what is happening with other Scouts from the
diocese. Father Tran knows the troop from St. James but at
Goshen he encountered troops from St. Leo the Great, Holy
Spirit, All Saints, the Cathedral of St. Thomas More, Our
Lady of Good Counsel and others.

“We all come together,” said Father Tran. “Even though we are
from different parts of the country and parishes we are one
Catholic faith.”

Not all the Scouts are Catholic, but Father Tran sees many of
the boys interested in their faith lives.

“Even though the children are away from home they still make
the effort to come to Mass every day,” he said. “I feel our
diocese is very blessed because we have people like that who
take the initiative.”

The Scout Oath says, “On my honor I will do my best to do my
duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help
other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.”

Father Tran pointed out it is one thing to say it and another
to put it into practice.

At Goshen, “The Scouts have the opportunity to encounter God
in nature, in the words and in the Word made flesh in the
Eucharist,” he said.

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