Why Community Matters
Why Community Matters
& how Camp Wojtyla helps middle school and high school students create an authentically Catholic community!
The Surgeon General recently issued a report on something we have been noticing for quite some time; that there is an epidemic of loneliness and isolation in the United States. This was truly a heart breaking study to hear that 1 in 2 Americans feel like they “shoulder all of life’s burdens alone” or feel that “if they were to disappear tomorrow, no-one would notice.” Despite the overwhelming amount of time our teens “connect” over social media, video games, or binging the same Netflix shows, they are more lonely than ever. Why?
“While the epidemic of loneliness and isolation is widespread and has profound consequences for our individual and collective health and well-being, there is a medicine hiding in plain sight: social connection.”
I think of the scripture in Isaiah, “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what fails to satisfy?” How true do those words feel now? The prophet shares the antidote:
“Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.
Our Lord is calling us to live with HIM and to know our worth—which is not known in the filtered instagram reel but in what is REAL, our identity as sons and daughters. And like all sons and daughters, that means we are a part of a family. This family happens to be pretty large filled with lots and lots of brothers and sisters. And yet, we often live as though we are orphans.
Our mission has not changed much since our inception in 2007, but the need certainly has.
There was a day a number of years back where I was chatting with one of the high school groups after their big rock climbing day. One of the girls said to me “Oh Miss Annie, this is the BEST” and I asked, what is the best, the big climbing day where you conquered your fears and grew in trust? The epic views you experienced as you swung across the Tyrolean traverse over Lily Lake? She responded, “yeah, all that was great, but just sitting here, talking to each other, sharing about the experience, and laughing (so much laughing), THIS is the best”. What used to be a given, teens growing in friendship and connecting, now has to be built and curated.
Luckily our pedagogy at Camp Wojtyla does just that—using adventure experiences to help young people grow in deeper relationship with God, others, self and creation has always been our mission. Now, we just need to focus a little more on helping young people flex those muscles of connection, knowing it can feel scary and quite vulnerable to do so in today's culture where public shaming and scrutiny is rampant.
The opportunity for middle school and high school students to be in creation without cell phone service or other digital distractions is crucial. Our young people need to be with their peers experiencing things together outside of virtual realities, or a keyboard, or a 5 second Snapchat video.
At Camp Wojtyla, we strive to show our campers what true authentic friendship looks like while they are living life to the full.
The Surgeon General’s advisory goes on to say that “Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. “ They likened it to smoking “15 cigarettes a day” which is even greater “than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity.”
Clearly, the physical impact from loneliness is shocking and terrible. Yet the spiritual impact is also devastating. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, he proposes that when safety, shelter, and social needs are met we can advance to the higher levels of his pyramid: self esteem, self actualization and transcendence. This is where the really beautiful stuff happens, we know our worth, we believe we can do hard things, and where ultimately our soul connects to the divine and we can best live out our spiritual life. If Maslow’s theory is true, then connection is vital to our spiritual lives!
As Christians, we are called to be the body of Christ, to live in the family of the Church. We are called to walk with each other, to shoulder each other’s burdens and to live the reality that we are inseparably linked. At Camp Wojtyla this is lived out each day in powerful ways. Campers are belaying each other while climbing 100 ft rock walls, they are cheering each other on while shooting archery or going through our high line course through the trees.
They learn how connected they are while with water rafting where each person’s contribution matters and listening to their guide is critical. They pray together each night in their teepee, sharing where God showed up for them that day. They share their hopes, fears, and accomplishments. They share laughter and love. It is common for us to hear “ I have never known community like this before”
Now, Camp Wojtyla is certainly not the ONLY antidote, but it is AN antidote to these heartbreaking times. We all have a call to respond to this crisis. Thank you for supporting Camp Wojtyla’s response and we encourage you as you respond in your communities. This will take all of us no doubt.
How has your family responded, we would like to hear! Let’s get ideas from each other and encourage one another.