For the past two summers, Regina Caeli families have worked closely with our priests to create our very own Catholic Kids Camp-- a three-day program of original skits, crafts, outdoor games, musical instruction, and sound traditional catechesis. We wish that we could do it again this year! Sadly, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has made a large-scale gathering imprudent and impractical, especially in our confined spaces.
So this summer, Regina Caeli is inviting families to bring the camp online. Together we can craft a free virtual program that rolls out gradually over the summer months, so that there's always something to anticipate. And as we-- children, parents, older siblings-- are creating content ourselves, we have (if we like) opportunities for our own personal or family projects as well as engagement with the fun and educational offerings of our friends. Our priests, as ever, will be fully present and engaged in the program, ensuring its orthodoxy.
This year's title of "Our Catholic Community" reflects not only the educational theme of religious orders-- Benedictines, Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, Jesuits-- but also communal values of charity, patience, obedience, and love of God's will, as well as the desire for togetherness that we're all experiencing. And while an online format may be less than ideal, with His grace it still may be a help-- and even a blessing as we grow in knowledge of our Catholic faith! Please be assured that your family's participation will be a needed, important gift to our parish community.
Kids love to take (and star in) videos, as well as to see videos of their friends! Why not offer them a project? This is an opportunity for budding actors and videographers to propose, create, and share their own original skits, how-to's, documentaries, or other material that ties in with the "Catholic community" theme. Kids can think beyond the familiar camp offerings, too. A tour of a shrine? An interview with a Dominican? Their own medieval-themed cooking show...? It's on the table!
Submitted videos will be reviewed and then shared with other participating Regina Caeli families via a secure, password-protected video platform. (Fr. Van Vliet and Fr. Malain will be contributing presentations, too.) Our goals are to have fun, learn, and stay connected!