High school boys discerning their vocation gathered at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in scenic Emmitsburg, Md., for the annual Quo Vadis summer camp. Organizers brought the popular five-day event to full capacity this year. Bishop Michael F. Burbidge welcomed the 88 campers and their families at the start of the camp July 10 by celebrating Mass together. Later that evening, vocations director Father Michael C. Isenberg introduced the theme for the preparatory year ahead of the Diocesan Golden Jubilee, “Do this in Memory of Me,” Jesus’ message to the apostles during the Last Supper.
Campers were then divided into teams led by seminarian leaders. Many of the seminarians are former campers such as Andrew D’Andrea and Paul Rhee who both attend St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington.
“My favorite thing about the camp was getting to know the seminarians,” said D’Andrea. “I didn’t know too many of them before Quo Vadis and I found they were very relatable. I also enjoyed praying with guys my age. Prayer is the center of the camp. Sports are fun and we all love to do it but prayer is the most important because it helps us know how much God loves and wants to be in our lives.”
The camp officially started Monday when campers woke early and hiked up to the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes for morning prayer, Mass and the rosary. They returned to the seminary for a talk on faith with former Quo Vadis camper turned priest, Father John Paul Heisler, parochial vicar at St. James Church in Falls Church.
“I’ve been in your seats,” said Father Heisler. “The impact of this camp on my life was really huge and instrumental.” He remembers learning to pray Lectio Divina during the first year he attended and really enjoying it.
“I thought, this is very different. I enjoyed speaking to God and coming to know that he loves me and hearing his voice in my heart speaking to me. It was very different than speaking about his life when praying the rosary or hearing about his works when I’m at Mass.”
During his talk, he told a story of how he got lost riding his bike in Washington the previous week. With no phone on him he was forced to seek out strangers for help but none of the people he would expect to help gave him any assistance. A police officer stopped just long enough to inform him he couldn’t bike on the highway, a fellow biker was in too much of a hurry to get home. Father Heisler finally decided to ask an older “neighborhood lady” he had passed a couple of times, which was further evidence of how lost he was. She turned out to be a fallen-away Catholic but was very helpful in pointing him in the direction of the nearest church. Before they parted, he asked if she would pray with him. She declined, but said, “You go to Mass so if you see him there, tell him I say hi.” That Sunday he was trying to think of a modern-day equivalent of the Good Samaritan story but was struggling a bit. It was only after going to God in prayer and with faith that he was made to realize the significance of his bike ride.
“There are many moments in our lives brothers that are very, very holy and this trust that we have in God, this faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence for things unseen,” said Father Heisler. “This faith that we have received is enlivened when we trust Our Father.”
Campers dispersed after the talk and met in their groups to pray Lectio Divina before breaking for lunch and then sports activities. Many of the first-time campers like Luke Hurley, from Christ the Redeemer Church in Sterling, were enjoying bonding with their groups and were looking forward to competing with them. William Copley, a third-year camper, was looking forward to soccer but also the holy hours in the evening.
“The holy hours before have been really life-changing to me,” said Copley. “They have shown me a lot of different things that I have never thought of.”
Quo Vadis ended for the boys July 14, but it will not be the end of the diocese’s time at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary. Fiat Summer camp for high school girls will begin the following week July 17-21 for more spiritual discernment and a whole lot of fun.
Kassock is a freelance writer in Fredericksburg.
