Jesus isn't boring.
His Church isn't, either.
(Following Him shouldn’t be either.)
Damascus offers camps, retreats and resources that help people encounter Jesus and live the adventure of the Catholic faith.
What does it look like to live the adventure?
Encounter.
An encounter with Jesus changes everything. A 3-day retreat or a week of summer camp can be the time and space that you need to experience the love of God in a powerful way, and ignite the spark of a relationship that will grow deeper every day.
Mission.
Every Christian is called to share in the mission of Jesus, but many don’t know where to start. Discover how you can transform the lives of people around you through the power of the Holy Spirit, wherever you are.
Why We Exist
Damascus is a community of missionaries who are passionate about bringing revival to the Catholic Church. The polls and the pews tell the story of a crisis of faith, where over 80% of young people are leaving the church within 10 years of their confirmation. In response, we believe that God is inviting us to partner with Him in reversing the trends and rewriting the story towards renewed hope and life in Him. We believe that when a generation of people are awakened to God’s love, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and equipped with the tools to live a life on mission, it will change the world.
Our Impact
Since the inception of Catholic Youth Summer Camp in 2001, we have seen thousands of lives transformed through encounters with the living God. In 2016, the Lord blessed us with 500 acres in Centerburg, OH and we began to build a campus to serve the youth of the Church. We dreamed big, but God dreamed bigger.
What started with a handful of missionaries serving 1,000 youth a year, has grown to now be 250+ missionaries serving over 20,000 each year through 3 summer camp locations and year-round ministry to parishes, schools, families, and dioceses across the country. As we boldly move forward to take the Gospel across this nation, we know that this is just the beginning of a movement to reclaim a lost generation for Jesus!