Weekend Campout Kappe: Lionheart

Dodgeball, Obstacle Course and Jesus

Weekend Campout Kappe

BY: Mark LeGros, Texas Conquest Counselor

Weekend Campout Kappe: Lionheart, held at Camp Kappe Retreat Center in Plantersville, Texas, was filled with adventure, teamwork, dodgeball, and wrapped in prayer.  Campers were able to experience the exhilaration of firing off potato cannons and feel the satisfaction of seeing them explode into smithereens on the ground, trees and whatever other target that made it into their crosshairs.  The campers learned how to grow from boys to men, not physically, but spiritually, as our counselors helped impart onto them what it means to embody Catholic masculinity.

            

Once again camp started with dads and their boys in Father-Son Night 2.0!  Dads were able to team up to help defend their son’s team from the marauders (camp counselors) in a variation of the “Armor of God” game played at previous camps.  Campers and fathers vs. counselors offered a different twist to the usual team vs. team games. After the games, the dads had the opportunity to talk with the boys about their lives and give witness to living the faith as a son, brother, husband and father.  Father-Son night ended, with a discussion and night prayer, led by Fr. Michael Sullivan, and splitting the campers up into their teams for the weekend! 

            

Our Saturday started with Morning Prayer, Mass, and a fantastic breakfast courtesy of the dads that stayed to help in the kitchen.  The day continued with sports, talks by the Legionaries, a Rosary walk and Lunch.  After lunch we entered into our big events, from potato cannons to our Olympiad of sports and obstacle course.  The obstacle course ran up a pyramid of concrete, crawled through the dirt and under tables and ropes, across a rope bridge, through hoops, and other team activities marking the culmination of the team’s unity and strength.  Throughout the day, several of the teams made it a point to take time before and after meals to stop by our chapel to pray with Jesus in the tabernacle. 

           

Sunday started with an early wakeup call followed by sports and the Cleanup-O-Rama!  After some dodgeball, Morning Prayer, and breakfast, everyone got into their best dressed for Mass with the parents.  The final award ceremony was filled with anticipation, as reigning team captain champion (never been beaten) narrowly obtained victory from his new team captain rival (friendly competition only, of course, securing victory with only three points at an amazing 1240 to 1237 final point tally.  Overall, this weekend camp provided each individual with an opportunity to grow as men of God and leave with a renewed Lionheart, on fire for Christ!

Texas Conquest would like to recognize the fathers who stayed all weekend to help behind the scenes, the families who provided extra snacks, Mr. Howard Harrell (McDonald’s) for providing lunch, Mrs. Julie Baumann for breakfast and desserts and Gabriel Zanoff for the incredible photography.

Fathers and Sons vs. Counselors

Dodgeball

Rosary Walk

Potato Cannons

Obstacle Course

Mass

More photos at www.facebook.com/texasconquest

Trip to Sacred Heart Apostolic School (round 2) The Final. Day 4

Today marked the final day of our trip to Sacred Heart Apostolic School.  It was a mix of fun and reflection and contemplation.  The Dads, Brothers, and Fathers witnessed an incredible bonding between our boys and the Apostolic's studying and living here.  Many want to return.

Below you will see pictures of the crypt where the morning reflections and meditations were given by Fr. Daren.  The crypt is below the main altar.  You will also see photos from Notre Dame. Several show our walk between buildings and lease notice the grotto and Basilica of the Sacred Heart.  Both of which left our boys staring and in silence.  It was an incredible afternoon for them and many commented on the effect it had on them in their wrap-up interviews.

Today in the crypt Fr. Daren inspired the boys with a morning meditation that challenged the boys.  He told them that through us Christ still wants to be in the world and walk through the streets in our shoes.  He told them that Christ wants to do good things in and through us to change the world.  He challenged them to be open to the movement of the Spirit and let Christ work today and each day in their lives.  It is a great adventure following Christ and the boys were ready to go.

After meditation we were off to Notre Dame.  More games on the bus today and we were privileged to have one of the Apostolic's - Dominic, join us for the day.  Walking through the Notre Dame campus was awesome.  The golden dome was cool and the statue of the founder led us to the beautiful Sacred Heart Basilica.  There was just so much to take in at the Basilica.  The stained glass windows were amazing.  The paintings on the ceilings and walls were magnificent.  They had a whole area with sacred relics and even had a relic of the actual cross that Jesus was crucified on.  It was really amazing so enjoy some of the pictures below.

Next was over to the full size grotto they had just below the Basilica that was dedicated to Our Lady of Lordes and they also had little statue of Bernadette on her knees praying up to the blessed mother.  All the boys joined father for a decade of the rosary on a large kneeler in front of grotto.  After praying some of the boys went in and lit candles to offer up prayers for those special intentions they had.  We then went over to the administrative building where they golden dome is and were blessed to actually get a tour of the presidents office.  A very nice lady shared with the boys all about the school and gave the boys a small book about the school.  It was then getting late so we headed back to the bus and some of the boys stopped in the book store to pick up some Notre Dame merchandise.

We were then off to ice skating at the hockey rink.  When we got there the boys were very hungry so the first thing we did was eat lunch.  Then we laced up the skates and headed out to the rink.  Fr. Daren gave us Texans and Floridians a little lesson in ice skating since most of us had only been on skates one or only a few times in our lives.  After the lesson was complete we started a hockey game.  Brother Jarik, Fr. Daren, and Anthony's brother Patrick were the strong skaters so they were split up as the rest of us just tried to skate around as best we could.  It was a lot of fun and we played about 2 hours which was a long time and very tiring.  The kids had a blast and the game ended 10 to 9.  Everybody really made a lot of progress from the beginning of the day to the end and it was great fun for all.

We came back to the Sacred Heart School so the boys could join the Apostolic's once again for sports, house chores, and rosary before dinner.  The dads ran out to get supplies for smores.  After dinner the boys did their night prayers and the apostolic's were able to join us for the bonfire.  The boys enjoyed some s'mores with Hershey chocolate bars and Reese's peanut butter cups.  Brother told the boys stories and they sang songs around the fire.  After the fire the boys played a little sports activities.  Then they got ready for bed and headed to sleep for the night.

It was a great trip for the boys and we are very thankful for our wonderful hosts.  Some boys will definitely be back and we will continue to keep all the apostolic's and pre-candidates in our prayers.  Praying that everybody has a safe trip home and looking forward to seeing our loved one's.  God Bless!