{"id":4921,"date":"2014-04-24T22:54:00","date_gmt":"2014-04-24T22:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opsisters.org.nz\/preview\/2014\/04\/24\/camp-kateri-tekakwitha\/"},"modified":"2023-05-10T02:58:06","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T02:58:06","slug":"camp-kateri-tekakwitha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/opsisters.org.nz\/preview\/2014\/04\/24\/camp-kateri-tekakwitha\/","title":{"rendered":"Camp Kateri Tekakwitha"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n<\/a><\/i><\/div>\n
\n\u201cDear
\nFuture Missionary            <\/span><\/span><\/i><\/i><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\u201cYou have been called to join the Blackrobe
\nand his white-robed assistants at the Kateri Mission where the North American
\nWilderness blends with the New Zealand landscape.  It is the year of our Lord 1635 and barbarism
\nstill reigns<\/i>\u2026. “<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\nThis
\ninvitation to the campers in the flyer for New Zealand\u2019s Camp Kateri Tekakwitha
\nwas but the introduction to the life in the wilderness of the American
\nMissionaries into which the camp endeavoured to plunge girls for seven days.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nThe
\ngirls were to set out upon a grand adventure, covering nearly the length of the
\nNorth Island -1,782 kilometres <\/span>traveled<\/span> to be exact – though this is not counting the numerous times the campers got lost and the ever increasing number
\nof U-turns<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Actual Locations For Our Camp<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\nThe Camp\u2019s Mission Statement:<\/span><\/h4>\n
\n“To
\nhelp our girls and young women to develop steadfastness of faith <\/span><\/i><\/div>\n
\n
\nand purity of life with missionary zeal to extend the Kingdom of Christ.”<\/o:p><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/i><\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nIn order to do this, the camp took as its
\nthree-fold patrons St Kateri Tekakwitha, Father de Smet, and the eight Jesuit
\nproto-martyrs of North America.  Based
\nupon the lives of these heroic models, the camp determined to give the girls a
\ntaste of what life would have been like in the 17th<\/sup> – 19th<\/sup>
\ncenturies, where the American Indians were still being converted by courageous
\nsouls. Of course, Our Lady was not left out, and since two of her feasts fell
\nduring the camp, it was providential that Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and
\nOur Lady of Guadalupe would be the object of camps’ two-fold Marian  devotion.<\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n\u201c\u2026In
\nteaching them (the Indians), remember that we have two powerful weapons.  One is God\u2019s grace.  The other is the example we set. We can teach
\nthe Indians kindness only by being kind. We can teach them goodness only by
\nbeing good ourselves. We can teach them love only by loving them\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/i>  – St John Br\u00e9beuf<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nThe campers were divided into four tribes,
\nall of which had connection with the camp patrons – the Hurons, the Mohawks,
\nthe Algonquins and the Flatheads. 
\n(Father and Sisters did not \u2018join\u2019 any one tribe, but rather worked with
\nall four equally.) The tribes worked together, under their generous ‘squaw’ helpers, to gain competitive points on a variety of
\nlevels throughout the camp.  Additionally, at the end of the camp, each of the campers received a certificate awarding them “Most ______ Indian Maiden<\/i>” with a descriptive adjective based upon their spirits and involvement during the camp.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Four Tribes: Mohawks, Algonquins, Flatheads and Hurons<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nThe campers learned American Indian sign
\nlanguage in their respective \u2018ships\u2019 (sailing as the true missionaries would
\nhave across the ocean – except for our missionaries, the ships were vans
\ntravelling across the NZ landscape\u2026). 
\nThe first stop was a horse trek through the wilderness – something that
\nreally got the campers into the feel of the theme of the camp.  Each girl rode her own horse up and down
\nsteep inclines and through the backwoods.  <\/o:p><\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Various Camp Adventures<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nOnce
\nthe weary campers arrived the first night in Auckland, they were given the
\nonce-in-a-lifetime chance to spend the night camping out in the soon to be
\nparish Church.  It was not yet in use and
\nso provided a dry place for the missionaries to sleep.  On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the
\nmissionaries\/Indian tribes trekked to the top of the Island in search of the
\nresting place of Bishop Pompallier.  He
\nwas a French missionary to NZ and was NZ\u2019s first bishop.  <\/span>
\n
<\/span>
\nAfter a long drive and many U-turns, the
\ngirls finally reached their destination and were greatly rewarded with being
\nable to pray before the holy Bishop\u2019s remains as well as touch their rosaries
\nto his coffin. His remains are brought out for veneration only four times a
\nyear and we were blessed to be able to visit on one of these days. (Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed of girls in front of the Bishop\u2019s remains, but we took
\none outside instead.)<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tribes working on their Indian crafts, a photo of statues of the camp’s patrons
\nand a view of a once-in-a-lifetime overnight stay in a church.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n

After
\ntrekking through the Northern wilderness, with an overnight stop at a
\ncharitable parishioner\u2019s house, the camp finally made its way to the official campsite
\nin Thames in the scenic Coromandal region.<\/span> 
\n<\/span>Large tents were erected for each tribe and the campers were ready with
\na smile to brave the elements.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n


\n<\/span>
\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Scenes from the campsite, including the makeshift chapel and dining hall.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n

\n\u201cCHEERFULNESS IS THE DISTINCT MARK OF A
\nTRUE MISSIONARY\u201d<\/h4>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
An Unforgettable Hike<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\nThe next day was the \u2018big hike\u2019
\nday.<\/span>  <\/span>The Pinnacles is a famous hike in
\nthe North Island and was well worth the toil and sweat to reach the top.<\/span>  <\/span>As the <\/span>New
\nZealand Tramper<\/b> aptly remarks: <\/span>\u201c The
\nPinnacles Track follows the old pack horse trails\u2026 over the river and up the
\nvalley to the Pinnacles hut\u2026 The track was used in the good old days to bring
\nsupplies up to the millers and tree fellers, who cleared out hundreds of acres
\nof kauri trees in the valleys. In the late 1990\u2019s, the track (which had become
\na bit scungy) was upgraded, and rebuilt, close to what it looked like
\nat the start of the century. The result is spectacular . . .  stone
\nsteps {<\/i>big enough for giants\u2019 legs}, <\/span>wide
\nenough for packhorses, dominate most of the track, crossing the
\nriver three times as it rises steeply to logging camp at the
\n\u2018near\u2019 top. I warn you now \u2013 the stone stairs are great to look at but hard on
\nthe legs\u2026 <\/i>From
\nthe first swing-bridge, the stone stairs come into play \u2013 it will
\ntake 1\u20131\u00bd hrs to leave them and get to the logging camp. It’s not all
\nstairs, but they are what you\u2019ll remember most\u2026. <\/span><\/i>Once at the hut {at the top}, you can leave
\nyour pack and climb the Pinnacles proper.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
“Forward March!” – Blackrobe                                         Some Relaxing moments on the way up the mountain<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

\nWhilst
\nnot dangerous, it isn\u2019t for the faint hearted. It\u2019ll only take 45 minutes to
\nget to the top, but you go up some steep rock faces, and several ladders before
\nnegotiating a large boulder, to get to the narrow ledge at the top. From the
\ntop, you can see both sides of the Coromandel \u2013 Tairua \/ Pauanui on one side,
\nThe firth of Thames and Hauraki Plains on the other. The view is breathtaking\u2026\u201d<\/o:p><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n

All the campers made it to the hut (some quicker
\nthan others), most continued on to the top of the Pinnacles and were well
\nrewarded with the spectacular views.  The
\nlong hike up and then down again, through all sorts of terrain, gave the girls
\na good idea what it would have been like for the missionaries in the untamed
\nAmerican wilderness.  Indeed, all agreed
\nthat this <\/span>was
\n<\/span>not<\/i> a \u2018boring\u2019 hike.<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nBack
\nat the campsite, the next day signaled the start of activities closer to home.<\/span><\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/span>
\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n

\nArchery
\nand target shooting reminded the girls about the \u2018Wild West\u2019 and kayaking and
\ncanoeing gave them a true taste of what travelling would have been like for the
\nearly missionaries navigating down the St Lawrence River in Canada. It was made even more like North America when the girls had to climb out of their kayaks and drag them along at different stretches of shallow water in the river, making them reminisce about the missionaries having to carry or drag their boats for miles on end in between long sessions of boating down the river. Our girls, at least, did not have to worry about enemy tribes ambushing them from the surrounding forests.<\/span>
\n
<\/span>
\n Campfires, swimming, orienteering, Native
\nAmerican songs and crafts were but a part of the camp routine.  Somehow, go-carts were allowed into the theme
\none day and so the tribes took turns seeing who could race around the track the
\nfastest.  Our Black Robe sped around with the fastest record, which all the girls then attempted to match or outdo.<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/span>
\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nEach morning was begun with the Holy
\nSacrifice of the Mass, where Father preached a sermon upon the virtue or patron
\nof the day.  After being spiritually
\nrefreshed, the campers ate their breakfasts and headed quickly down to the camp
\nheadquarters, the uniquely-made tepee, for the daily PowWow. 
\nHere it was that they learned more about the missionaries and Indians
\nfrom the talks given by their very own Blackrobe and from these talks were
\ngiven the theme of the day.  Each day was
\nassigned its own theme, its own missionary quote and its own virtue to be practiced. Each evening, for the last talk of the day, the campers all assembled in their home-made Native American costumes, which made the theme of the camp feel all the more real.<\/o:p><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\n
\nThe last full day of camp was one
\nloaded with adventure.  The packed-lunch was
\nmuch desired after the campers made their way across beach, rocks, rocks (and
\nboulders, and more rocks\u2026), forestry trails, until they finally came to New Chums Beach
\n(voted one of the top ten beaches in the world). <\/o:p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n

\nThey
\ncould not tarry long<\/span>, though, as boats were especially booked for the
\nafternoon.  The girls gleefully held on tight to their boats as they traversed a<\/span> water-tour of Mercury Bay,
\nCathedral Cove (made famous through one of the Narnia movies), Cooks Beach,
\nShakespeare Cliff, Orua Sea Cave, and the stunning marine reserve in Gemstone
\nBay.<\/span>
\n
<\/span>
\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

\n<\/a><\/div>\n

\n The
\nwater was crystal clear, and in the Gemstone Bay, it did actually glitter like gems in the sunlight with a brilliant hue. The fish swam all around as the girls were
\ngiven a chance to snorkel around the boats. 
\nThis was a magnificent way to wind up the camp\u2026. But to the girls\u2019
\ndelight, it was not over yet!  <\/span>
\n
<\/span>
\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/a><\/div>\n


<\/span><\/span>
\nAfter quite an exhausting day, they returned back to the camp for a relaxing dinner and then prepared themselves for ‘late-night’ which always closes our camps.  After the sun had set, <\/span><\/span><\/span>the girls went through an ‘obstacle’ course in the bush, blindfolded, which tested their endurance and courage; this was followed with<\/span> our Blackrobe good-naturedly joining in to play ‘spotlight’.<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\nThe next morning the camp had to be packed up and tribes prepare for the long trek home.  Even this was not without its adventures.  While on the road, one of the tribes composed a song which we include below.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n<\/p>\n

\nWe
\nThree Vans (to the air of \u201cWe Three Kings\u201d)<\/span><\/u><\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n<\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/div>\n

\n<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nWe
\nthree vans from Wanganui<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nTravelling north as
\nmissionaries<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nOver rivers, through the
\ntunnels<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nFollowing the Blackrobe<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nChorus<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nIndian maidens that we are<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
\nSaving souls from near and
\nfar<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
\nNorthward driving, horseback
\nriding<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
\nBringing the light of faith<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nMany trials we had to bear<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nClimbing mountains, sailing
\nthrough bays<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nChainsaws here and ghosts
\nthat scare<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nChallenging our resolve<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nChorus<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nDaughters of the forest free<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nGetting lost wherever we be<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nU turns here and u turns
\nthere<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nFollowing google maps<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nChorus<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Mohawks kind, Algonquins sweet<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

\nFlatheads, Hurons dare to
\nmeet<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\n2013\u2019s Camp Kateri <\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nNever will we forget<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nChorus<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nWe have reached the end of
\nthe road<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nSome will have much further
\nto go<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nOver oceans, through the air<\/span><\/span>
\nTo more distant lands<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nCamp Kateri Tekakwitha ended as it began, with joyful hearts and good spirits.
Singing rang through the evening air as the vans approached Wanganui at last.  <\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n

\n“Who can tell me what is most pleasing to Jesus that I may do it.” – St Kateri Tekakwitha<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cDear Future Missionary             \u201cYou have been called to join the Blackrobe and his white-robed assistants at the Kateri Mission where the North American Wilderness blends with the New Zealand landscape.  It is the year of our Lord 1635 and barbarism still reigns\u2026. “ This invitation to the campers in the … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-apostolate","infinite-scroll-item","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/opsisters.org.nz\/preview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/opsisters.org.nz\/preview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/opsisters.org.nz\/preview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opsisters.org.nz\/preview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opsisters.org.nz\/preview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4921"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/opsisters.org.nz\/preview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5269,"href":"https:\/\/opsisters.org.nz\/preview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4921\/revisions\/5269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/opsisters.org.nz\/preview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opsisters.org.nz\/preview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opsisters.org.nz\/preview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}