| Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan |
"Then way up to Wurtsboro, to be greeted by close to 400 exuberant young people—12 through 18 years old—at Camp Veritas. This appealing project is the fruit of much prayer, effort, dream and daring by Ryan Young, a physician’s assistant from Poughkeepsie, and his family.
Ryan has made Camp Veritas a hit. His genius is that he makes faith fun! Can you imagine hundreds of teenagers, in a rigorous daily regimen of prayer (daily Rosary and Holy Hour), catechesis (daily presentations on the essentials of our Catholic faith) and the sacraments (daily Mass and confession by almost everybody during the week), who love it, who enjoy it, and wind up coming back? When you add that to swimming, sports, friendship, and an attractive outdoor setting, you’ve got fun faith!
I am convinced that Ryan’s project can captivate the entire archdiocese. Attendance swells each year, and he’s already expanded to a second week. Many of our pastors and catechists note that genuine conversion happens at Camp Veritas, with kids excited about their faith. Their parish priests, catechists, teachers, parents, and youth leaders tell me that a week at Camp Veritas can be a very effective part of the solid preparation for the sacrament of confirmation, as well as a compelling Catholic version of the very successful Protestant Vacation Bible Schools. May it continue to grow!
