Image via the Diocese of Wichita
CV NEWS FEED // The Diocese of Wichita, Kansas is alive, vibrant, and thriving—so much so that it recently purchased a 155-acre campground as a place for diocesan ministry and its popular Totus Tuus youth summer camp.
“Our hope is that this new camp will give people a place to go out into the wilderness and encounter Jesus,” Anthony Keiser, director of the diocesan Office of Faith Formation, said in a recent statement from the diocese. “In addition to Camp Totus Tuus, it’s exciting to think of the many ways our parishes, schools, and ministries will use this camp to help people grow closer to Christ.”
The diocese reported that in previous years, the camp used rented facilities that only accommodated 84 campers per week. Thanks to the new campground, over 300 additional campers will be able to attend this summer.
The new property, just over an hour’s drive from downtown Wichita, features a spring-fed lake, 12 buildings, an amphitheater, walking trails, and more. The diocese currently plans to build more cabins, which will allow even more young Catholics to experience Camp Totus Tuus.
“I’m thrilled that this new facility will allow us to serve even more children and families,” Keiser said. “Even with more capacity this year, Camp Totus Tuus sold out within just a few days. This is such a great sign for the future of our church.”
According to the counselors and campers, Camp Totus Tuus is a “life-changing experience” for young Catholics.
“Our campers and counselors are truly encountering the Lord in a unique and special way at camp,” Abby Godfrey, a former camper and camp counselor, told the diocese. “I’ve seen it myself…this camp changed my life and brought me back to the Church. It’s exciting to see what the Lord is going to do at this new camp.”
“This camp is a vital thing, a necessary thing, in a culture that is very nervous and anxious about quiet and separation and solitude,” added Fr. Drew Hoffman, a priest in the Diocese of Wichita and a former counselor. “With the new facilities, the potential to attract even more campers and shape their spiritual journeys becomes increasingly promising.”
Campgoers even reported that they experienced a call to the priesthood or religious vocations at camp that later grew stronger thanks to the formation they received at Camp Totus Tuus. According to the diocese, “More than 90% of diocesan seminarians have attended Camp Totus Tuus or served as a counselor at some point during their high school years.”
The diocese also plans to involve Catholics in the naming of the new campground—submissions for name suggestions will open in the next few weeks.
