ST. PETER
CATHOLIC CHURCH
CATHOLIC
HEA
A Valuable Opportunity for Students
An important part of the Catholic HEART Workcamp experience is the gathering time in the evenings, when the students can attend Mass and adoration, and share and build their faith with other Catholic teens.
A
lthough the pandemic meant that Catholic HEART Workcamp (CHWC) went on hiatus last summer, plans are underway this July for area high school students to travel to Kansas City to help struggling families with necessary home repairs. College students conduct the camps that send students to various communities around the country. “They serve various communities with Corporal Works of Mercy,” says Mike Young, local CHWC liaison and Director of Christian Formation at Quincy Notre Dame. “The programs provided by the CHWC teams are opportunities for them to grow in faith.” The high school students will usually have the chance to choose what work they would like to do, and the camp will try to place them according to their interests. Sometimes the
students are placed with a social service agency, such as working with children, but most of the work targets individuals’ homes. The home tasks include interior and exterior painting, yard work, and even fence installation. Ian Cawthon, a St. Peter parishioner and graduating senior from Quincy Notre Dame High School, has attended two Catholic HEART Workcamps and encourages other high schoolers to take part. “My first year in Nebraska, we went to an older couple’s home and painted the interior,” he says. “At Texas, we worked at a lady’s home putting in a ceiling fan, doing yard work, and organizing closets.” Ian’s travels with CHWC have helped him understand how he and his fellow students can bring the love of Christ to others. “You have opportunities to help here, but when
“You have opportunities to help here, but when you go to other communities you get to see how others are struggling. God uses you to help others in times of struggle.” — IAN CAWTHON 4
