by John Sorce
john.sorce@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – While much of the winter has felt like spring, summer will be here before you know it.
For students entering fifth through 12th grade in the fall, that means Camp Tekakwitha is around the corner.
This will be the camp’s 29th summer of operation with over 45,000 campers over that time.
The idea for a youth camp in the archdiocese originally came from Msgr. Thomas Tank in the late 1960s but did not become a reality until decades later, when he approached Deacon Dana Nearmyer and his wife Deborah with the idea.
“We are constantly looking for the deepest faith experiences that help individuals as they grow up, and we also have family camps to keep people strong in the faith for a lifetime,” Deacon Nearmyer said. “That’s our goal.”
Camp Tekakwitha is held annually at Prairie Star Ranch, which sits on just under 300 acres of sprawling prairie, wooded forests and clear blue lakes in Williamsburg.
While part of the goal is to get kids outdoors, the main reason remains rooted in growing the campers’ spiritual lives.
“Camp Tekakwitha’s zip lines, mountain bikes, water slides, kayaks and campfires are only part of the story,” Deacon Nearmyer said.
“The reason people come year after year is the closeness that they feel to God and the Catholic community,” he added.
A big reason for that is the staff, many of whom are former campers themselves.
“The high school and college students that are on staff are so mission-focused,” Deacon Nearmyer said. “It creates this incredible opportunity for our campers to let their guard down and really explore some of the deeper questions that they have.”
Each June and July, the camp hosts approximately 1,700 campers in various sessions, while the ranch welcomes nearly 18,000 guests and hosts over 100 retreats each year.
Some improvements made to the campgrounds for this summer include the painting of several dorms as well as adding more accessible sidewalks and restrooms.
Heather Brulez, parishioner of Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa, has sent her three kids through the program and was surprised by what impacted her oldest son — normally one to never sit still — the most.
“I knew he’d love the activities, but I was genuinely surprised when he told me his favorite part of camp was [eucharistic] adoration two years in a row,” she said. “Hearing that from him was powerful.”
There will be 10 different camp sessions this year: one high school, three junior high, three fifth and sixth grade and three family camps.
One family camp session will be for people with special needs, and another will be in both English and Spanish.
The central theme for Camp Tekakwitha in 2026 as selected by Archbishop Shawn McKnight will be: “The Sacred Heart of Jesus and our Mission to be Sanctuaries of Love and Mercy.”
The U.S. bishops have called for the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart in June.
In concert with the USCCB, Camp Tekakwitha with continue in July to promote devotion to the Sacred Heart as part of the church’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The camp is named after St. Kateri Tekakwitha, a Native American who died at the young age of 24 and had a deep respect for nature.
She also had strong Christian faith in a time and place where it wasn’t easy to do so.
“She was a young person who had a turbulent upbringing, and she really sought Jesus out in an environment that was hostile to Christianity,” Deacon Nearmyer said. “But she had a deep purity of heart in finding the peace of the Lord, and I think our campers really gravitate towards her story.”
After sending her kids to camp, Brulez is most impressed by how the kids return home.
“What stands out most is how they come home: calm, joyful and at peace,” she said. “None of them ask for screens right away. They came back full — in the best sense of the word.”
Registration opening dates
Jan. 27 at 9 a.m.
High School Extreme (campers entering 9th-12th grades in fall 2026) and all Family Camps
Feb. 3 at 9 a.m.
Jr. High/Middle School Camps (campers entering 7th/8th grade in fall 2026)
Feb. 10 at 9 a.m.
Kateri Camps (campers entering 5th/6th grade in fall 2026)
To register, go online to: archkck.org/camp-tekakwitha.
