How do you react to seeing yourself doing the following activities with a bunch of other guys your age?

• Rock climbing . . . not at the YMCA, but at a park in nature
• Going on a float trip
• Hiking in the woods and through nature
• Being outdoors seeing God’s creation

Now, how do you react to seeing this same bunch of guys doing these things while on retreat?

• Listening to stories about heroes and role models – saints in the Catholic Church
• Learning to live lives of virtue
• Living a masculine spirituality
• Attending, participating in, and leading prayer services
• Celebrating daily mass and having opportunities for reconciliation
• A chance to talk to a priest one-on-one each day
• Free time and personal prayer time
• All men. No need to measure up to the girls. Four days to just be yourself with God.

This retreat, called Camp Maccabee, is for guys entering their freshman through senior years of high school and will be led by priests, seminarians, and lay men to help you grow in masculine spirituality to become the man God has called you to be. If you are looking for the retreat’s agenda – that is it – to help you become the man God wants you to be. The retreat primarily looks at masculine spirituality through the lives of heroic saints in the Church’s past. While we’re at it, we’re going to spend a lot of fun-filled hours outdoors doing “manly things.”

What do you need to bring to Camp Maccabee?

• 6 days’ worth of clothes realizing the days will be spent outdoors and the nights indoors (please be moderate in your clothing; check the wording on your shirts and the fit of your pants and shorts)
• one pair of non-jean long pants and one polo shirt
• a couple pairs of shoes, one of which you won’t mind wearing in water
• sunscreen
• bug spray
• swim trunks
• towels
• washcloths
• toiletries
• medicine (must be listed on the medical form)
• sleeping gear (pillow, sleeping bag, sleeping clothes)
• any musical instruments you play
• rosary
• Bible
• a fun-loving, ready to be open to the retreat experience attitude
• camera, but the staff will be taking plenty of pictures too.

What do you need to leave at home and not bring to Camp Maccabee?

• whining, complaining attitude
• electronics including: cell phones, i-Pods, laptops, anything with a battery that has to be recharged or that has an on / off switch that would go into your ear (retreats are a chance to unplug from electronics and plug into God and his creation)
• illicit drugs
• alcohol
• tobacco
• snack foods and drinks (will all be provided)

We know this is going to be an awesome six days filled with God’s grace and a ton of fun and spiritual growth. Please refer to the Camp Maccabee portion of the Jefferson City Diocese website for dates for summer 2108. The cost is $150.

Camp Maccabee involves high school men from across our diocese representing many parishes. To make this an effective week, we are limiting the number who can participate. If you are interested in becoming more a man of God by learning and implementing healthy masculine spirituality, fill out the application and recommendation letter from your pastor.

Applications will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis using the post-mark date. You will be notified when your application has been accepted. You will get more information as the time draws near.

Return the application with the full $150 fee, along with the referral letter from your pastor, and medical form (all in one envelope) to: Camp Maccabee; Attention Jose Lopez; PO Box 104900; Jefferson City, MO 65110

If you have questions regarding Camp Maccabee, feel free to contact Jose Lopez or Father Bill Peckman at (573) 635-9127.

In the meantime, keep the planning committee and fellow members of Camp Maccabee in prayer. We look forward to you being with us for this camp / retreat experience.