Attendees will hear from “great authentically Catholic speakers” and take part in praise and worship sessions, Sweeney said.
The last day of camp will feature a rosary recited around the baseball field.
“We’re going to line up around the bases. We’re going to have each kid lead half of a prayer and have the other hundred-something kids shout out the rest,” Sweeney said with enthusiasm.
The last day will also have an “open mic” night for youth to share their faith and say how God affected them during the three days of the camp.
Sweeney’s vision for the camp was based on his relationship with Fr. Kevin Lixey, a priest in Rome who created the Division of Church and Sport in Vatican City.
Though the baseball player has done Christian baseball camps before, they did not have a specifically Catholic focus.
After meeting with Fr. Lixey, Sweeney envisioned “a baseball camp that was not only Christian but authentically Catholic.”
“It’s super-cool to have an authentically on-fire Catholic faith in young men. That’s hopefully what we will accomplish,” Sweeney told CNA.
Applicants have already filled more than half of the 100 open spaces.
Sweeney’s camp is partnered with Catholic Soccer Camp, whose fifth event will take place at St. Norbert College in Green Bay, Wisc. from July 23-27. Italian professional soccer coaches Massimo Carli and Luigi “Gigi” Dussati from Verona, Italy will serve as camp leaders. Both have coached extensively at the youth, semi-professional and professional levels in northern Italy.
Fr. Jim Baraniak, the pastor of St. Norbert College and chaplain of the Green Bay Packers, will provide spiritual guidance for the event.
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The camps operate in cooperation with Catholic Athletes for Christ and Varsity Catholic, a division of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.
Sweeney sees the collaboration as an opportunity to build a reputable network of Catholic sports camps.
He has already received comments from possible organizers of a Catholic golf camp in Arizona and a Catholic basketball camp in Orange County, Calif.
Young players can find registration information for the baseball and soccer camps at the websites www.CatholicBaseballCamp.com and www.CatholicSoccerCamps.com.
Kevin J. Jones is a senior staff writer with Catholic News Agency. He was a recipient of a 2014 Catholic Relief Services' Egan Journalism Fellowship.