Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey gave a blessing and welcomed 68 campers on June 24 at the Father Walsh Annual Summer Camp 2013. This year the camp was a three-day event held indoors at the campus of Our Lady of Corpus Christi.
Bishop Mulvey introduced Father Patrick Higgins who is assigned to the Catholic Charities ministry. Father Higgins will celebrate Mass at the Immaculate Conception Chapel on the Blessed John Paul II High School Campus every Sunday at noon.
The camp is sponsored by Catholic Charities, Ministry and Life Enrichment for the Disabled and is named after Father David Walsh who devoted his life reaching out to persons with disabilities. The camp has been an ongoing event since the late 1980s.
This year’s theme was “Circus Divine - Under the Big Top with Jesus” where the focus is on abilities, not disabilities and a learning experience that is Christ centered, safe and fun.
Campers learned Bible stories, about how David defeated Goliath and how Deborah judged with wisdom. They learned about the three men who survived the fiery furnace and about Daniel and the lions.
Camp directors Marty and Emma Sais have been leading the camps since 2007 and students from Blessed John Paul II High School volunteer every year. The "Praise and Worship" music was provided by Chaplain Tom Dowdy from the Corpus Christi State Supported Living Center. Closing Mass was celebrated by Father Dan Estes with the assistance of Deacon Mike Rauen.
This year volunteers performed circus acts and campers performed in the talent show, which according to Celia Mendez, Director of Ministry and Life Enrichment for the Disabled, was "over the top, one of the best" as they danced and sang.