Service, song at heart of St. Viator camp

There was a buzz of excitement at Saint Viator High School for a week in July as more than 120 students - incoming freshmen, current students and young alumni - gathered for the third annual Service & Song Camp led by the school's president, the Rev. Corey Brost.

"As we go about this, there are people in the world who are hungry, lonely and sick and alone," Brost said on opening day. "This week we're going to feed the hungry and visit the lonely. We'll be changing the lives of people by the work you do. You'll be changing the world because you had the guts to come this week."

One of those who came was eighth-grader Aisling Finnegan of Barrington, who attended the camp for the third straight summer.

"The word for this week would be 'doors,'" Aisling said, "because we opened doors for the people who need it most."

Students like Aisling in the "service" track completed a variety of projects, from light maintenance at the homes of local seniors to making lunches for the homeless and blankets for hospice patients.

They also collected food in the neighborhood and worked in the Viatorian garden, which grows vegetables for the Wheeling Township Food Pantry.

In one day, 13 of the campers weeded and watered all of the raised beds before adding 14 wheel barrels of mulch to the garden pathways and harvesting nearly 50 pounds of fresh produce.

"Our intention was to let students directly serve those most in need in the local community," Brost added, "and learn why service is at the heart of a lived out Catholic faith."

One day of the camp was spent at the Feed My Starving Children facility in Libertyville, where campers and student leaders worked together to pack nutritious meals for children living in Third World countries.

"I've learned this week that all of us spend so much time doing stuff for ourselves," said Tom Constertina of St. James School. "But instead of spending all our time on ourselves, we could spend time, maybe just a few hours, and we could pack about 50,000 meals."

Campers following the "song" track worked under the direction of camp newcomer Norma Garcia, as well as students involved in the current music ministry program.

Together, they learned and prepared different liturgical music every day, which they performed at the beginning and end of each camp day.

Saint Viator officials were thrilled with the response to the camp, which fulfilled 20 hours of service per student. A requirement of the school is for each student to complete 25 hours of service per year, as part of a goal of building lifelong spiritual growth.

In summary:

• More than 1,100 pounds of food collected for suburban pantries;

• 53,000 meals packed at Feed My Starving Children;

• 35 wounded veterans sent letters of prayerful support;

• Eight critically ill children sent cheerful letters;

• 84 blankets made for hospice patients and their families;

• 40 lunches made for the homeless;

• Dozens of seniors visited by camp participants, who helped them with chores, played games with them, listened to their wisdom and joined them in prayer.