Catholic summer camp for teens aims to produce ‘active voices for life’

Washington D.C., May 28, 2021 / 18:01 pm

A five-day summer camp in California is aiming to give Catholic teens the tools they need to be “courageous and active voices for life” in the modern world. 

The Vox Vitae Catholic Pro-Life Teen Leadership Camp, to be held from July 18-23 at the Santiago Retreat Center in Silverado, California, will feature five days of guest speakers, Mass, prayer, and other activities. 

“Vox Vitae Camp fosters a deep love and understanding of the Catholic faith and equips teens and adults to be courageous and active voices for life,” the camp’s website states. 

“Nationally renowned speakers, dialogue practice, and daily access to the sacraments help equip participants to strive for holiness in their own lives and work to defend the right to life of all from conception to natural death,” the website says.

An online camp option is also available for those who are unable to travel to California to participate in-person. The camp is open to teens of ages 14 to 19. 

“The campers explore the truth of Catholicism, the destruction wrought by abortion and euthanasia, the beauty of chastity and holiness, the harms of homosexual activity and transgenderism, and the importance of civic awareness and involvement,” says the camp website. 

Each day of the camp is organized around a thematic concept, including “Catholicism,” “Pro-Life 101,” and “Action.” 

Campers will hear talks on different topics, including pro-life sidewalk counseling, gender ideology, physician-assisted suicide, theology of the body, and apologetics. 

Among the speakers will be Tim Staples of Catholic Answers, Jim O’Day of Integrity Restored, John Gerardi of Right to Life of Central California, and Astrid Bennett Gutierrez, co-host of EWTN’s The Catholic View for Women and executive director of Los Angeles Pregnancy Services. 

Campers will also hear recorded addresses from Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco; Bishop David O’Connell of Los Angeles; Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois; and Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas.

Vox Vitae is a pro-life group that aims to “educate, empower, and spiritually nurture people to actively be a voice for life.”