North Idaho Catholic summer youth camp is back!

From left, North Idaho Camp Coordinator Jason Chavez, Director of Diocesan Services Christian Welp, St. Pius X Director of Faith Formation & Coordinator of Youth Ministry Wes Miller, and Diocese Director of the Office of Youth and Youth Adult Ministries Andrew Furphy are at Damascus Catholic Camp in 2024. (Courtesy photo/Jason Chavez)

By Lisa Ormond

ICR North Idaho Correspondent

This summer, Northern Idaho is on track to once again have a Catholic camp for youth thanks to the committed and growing partnership between the Diocese of Boise and Communio CDA (Coeur d’Alene).

“This region has been without an active Catholic camp for years, but that will change in June when a camp opens with the theme ‘Awakened: Encounter Something Real.’”

“It was time to bring this back. It was God’s providence,” said Jason Chavez, founder of Communio, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring, uniting and discipling Catholics in Northern Idaho. He is also the campus minister at Holy Family School in Coeur d’Alene and the father of four.

“The youth are not the future of the Church. They are the Church now, and these young people are not passive or disengaged,” Chavez shared. “I have seen this with my own eyes, and they are filled with a deep desire and passion for our Lord.”

What’s ahead

The camp takes place Aug. 9-13 in Newport, Washington, at Camp Bear Paw, where 135 acres of beautiful, wooded land along the Pend Oreille River provide the backdrop.

“It is a place for encounter, for identity, for formation and for young people to experience the living presence of God in a real and lasting way,” Chavez said.

The cost is $450 and covers all activities, lodging, meals and trained staff. Sign-ups will go through the Diocese of Boise website. The online form is expected to be live in early April at dioceseofboise.org.

An invitation to join

Chavez said he and his core planning team will welcome approximately 100 youth, grades 9-12, to this outdoor spiritual adventure, which will include hiking, swimming, campfires, sacraments and high-energy activities such as ziplining, rock climbing and a ropes course.

Chavez made this promise to high schoolers who attend:

“This is not simply another event,” he said. “What you will discover is a quality location, theological and intellectual offerings, and a ton of fun outdoor activities mixed with solitude, prayer and the sacraments.”

Committed, experienced partners

Carlos Gonzalez is part of Chavez’s core planning team organizing the camp. He is an active member of St. Pius X Parish’s youth ministry and a high school math teacher for at-risk youth.

“I’m excited about this camp!” he said. “As a high school formation leader, I love to see the youth engaging with Jesus. My goal is to facilitate that through intentional encounters.”

He offered an additional perspective:

“One of the best things about the camp is the timing,” Gonzalez said. “Many of our youth will have the opportunity to have this experience and go straight into school with intentionally made Emmaus partners and new tools to continue their relationship with Jesus.”

Word spreads

The camp’s revival and return are stirring excitement among North Idaho’s parish communities.

St. Mary’s Youth Ministry Coordinator Jenny Morrison in Moscow has been waiting patiently for its comeback. She said many of her youth remember the camp fondly.

St. Mary’s parish Youth Ministry Coordinator Jenny Morrison (front right) with parent chaperones and her parish high schoolers at 2026 Idaho Catholic Youth Conference in March. (Courtesy photo/Matt Couch)

“Many of our youth grew up going to this camp for years and were sad to hear of its closing,” Morrison said. “I have been following news of the camp’s reopening, and our families are looking forward to the opportunity to have their sons and daughters attend.”

St. Thomas the Apostle parishioner Louis Zember, who is also a core camp team member of Chavez’s group and an active area youth minister, said growing closer to Jesus surrounded by natural beauty, friendly peers and the sacraments is a “successful formula” for engagement that speaks to young people.

“Getting them outdoors in the Lord’s creation with Christian music, campfires and like-minded Catholic youth will result in creating new friends bonded in Christ Jesus through their experience,” he said.

Strong alliance

According to Chavez, joining strengths with the Diocese is giving rise to more than the camp itself.

“We are blessed to have this partnership with Andrew Furphy of the Diocese. It is a relationship that has grown into a true brotherhood in mission,” Chavez said. “There has been a growing spirit of unity, collaboration and communion between us and many faithful here in North Idaho.”

But it was Chavez’s vision and determination to reopen the camp that helped move the effort forward. Chavez deflected any praise, choosing instead to shine a light on the relationships forged in faith.

“God is laying the foundation for something far greater than any one person or ministry,” he said.

Coming back to life

“For five years, I’ve chaperoned at Steubenville in Spokane, Washington, and I’d hear about this Catholic summer camp that wasn’t going on anymore,” Chavez said. “Right away, I had this desire to bring this back to our youth in the area.”

For more than 15 years, a Catholic youth camp did exist in North Idaho. The camp was a nonprofit organization started and operated by the Loe family, members of St. George Parish in Post Falls. It had no direct association with the Diocese of Boise. The camp shut its doors in 2023.

For the past two years, Chavez, recognizing the value of its return for faith formation, kept it close to his heart in prayer and continued conversations with the area’s Catholic community.

“Move forward, my son”

What happened next was divine intervention, Chavez said.

“A couple of months ago, in prayer, the Lord made something clear to me. He said, ‘It is time.’ This did not come from a conversation or an idea. It came from Him, with clarity, conviction and peace,” Chavez recalled.

Additionally, he said a “heartfelt and powerful” conversation with former Catholic camp director Tammy Loe was a final Holy Spirit nudge to launch.

“More than anything, it confirmed what the Lord had already spoken: ‘Move forward, my son,’” Chavez said. Surrounded by committed, encouraging and engaged Catholic partners, he wasted no time in doing so.

Ways to help

Chavez emphasized that the North Idaho Catholic community’s support will be key to the potential fruits and outcomes of the camp.

“We need people to give their time, talents and treasures,” Chavez said. “If you feel called to be a part of this mission, I invite you to literally call or text me at (626) 615-1904. I will answer.”

Chavez said some ways to “be a part” of the mission include donating money and/or volunteering as an on-the-ground helper at camp.

“We especially seek financial backing to help sponsor youth, particularly families with multiple children,” he said.

Zember also added an important caveat: “Catholics must step up to give financially. We really don’t want young people turned away from encountering Christ because they can’t afford it.”

Blessed path forward

From where Chavez sits, he knows “timing is everything” when it comes to new initiatives and a person’s faith formation.

“This is not a moment to hesitate; this is a moment to respond,” he said.

Zember agreed and offered a deeper consideration of importance.

“I pray all youth will encounter Christ Jesus on their own and truly know how his unconditional love will always be there for them no matter what,” he said.

Ultimately, Chavez recognized what comes next rests not in his hands, but in the Lord’s.

“Our hope is that this camp becomes a lasting legacy in North Idaho for years to come,” he said. “We cannot fully see all that God has prepared, but we trust that He is building something far greater than we can imagine.”