A camper grins while climbing Tower #68 on July 15, 2026, while attending Expedition 2 Camp for 5th and 6th graders at Gasper River. ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD | WKC
‘This is the place for you!’
Gasper camps provide space to encounter Christ
BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
At Gasper River Catholic Youth Camp and Retreat Center, “you learn to honor and glorify God in everything, not just prayer and Adoration, but also in adventure time and the canteen,” according to a Hopkinsville camper who attended this past July.
James Lansford, a rising sixth grade homeschooled student from Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, attended Expedition 2 Camp at Gasper, which took place July 12-17. He said appreciated the time spent “with people from other places and other dioceses.”
“If you’re looking for a way to learn more about Jesus and the Catholic faith and want to have lots of fun, this is the place for you!” he said.
Two campers read the bible during bible study time on July 15, 2026 at Gasper River Catholic Youth Camp and Retreat Center. ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD | WKC
The eight weeks from May 31-July 22 saw Gasper River’s 19th summer of camp as 530 kids participated in adventure activities, small groups, and prayer experiences, as well as Mass and opportunities for confession.
Gasper welcomed a variety of ages ranging from rising third graders to graduating high school seniors, with each camp tailored to campers’ specific age groups with the overarching 2026 camp theme of “Life with Christ is a Wonderful Adventure.”
This was the first summer at camp for Elliott Green, who is going into fifth grade this fall and attends St. Albert the Great Parish in Louisville.
He enjoyed “all the friends I have made,” and “all the activities because everything is about Jesus and we have Mass every day!”
Vivian Ross, a rising sixth grader from St. Leo Parish in Murray, said this was her third year attending camp at Gasper.
“Making new friends is my favorite thing,” she said, adding that, “I’ve learned new ways to pray.”
In addition to regular summer camp, Gasper also offered Called to Love, a camp for high school and graduating senior girls, which focused on helping campers understand their identity as beloved daughters of God.
Gasper staff member Jenna McCarty, who belongs to St. Stephen Cathedral in Owensboro, was a camper for 10 years before joining the staff.
In the evening of July 15, 2026, Fr. Jason McClure, Gasper River’s chaplain, leads campers in a Eucharistic procession after Mass. RILEY GREIF | WKC
“I would not have the prayer life I have now” if it was not for the staff’s regular prayer routine, she said. “Chapel time is built into our staff schedules, with 30 minutes to spend time with the Lord.”
“I just really love this place,” said McCarty, who today is studying nutrition and dietetics at Murray State University. “I love what we do here. It brings me hope.”
According to another staff member, John Blair, making a difference in campers’ lives tends to make a difference in the staffs’ lives, too.
Blair, who is studying business management at University of Kentucky, learned about Gasper River through a friend who volunteers with him in UK’s prolife club.
He said that most of his college roommates have not been Catholic, and “being here with a full Catholic community has been really awesome.”
Winter Wells, who belongs to Christ the King Parish in Madisonville, will enter fifth grade this year and said her favorite aspect of Gasper is learning about Jesus: “I feel like I listen more in church and try to be closer to Jesus” as a result of her camp experiences.
“It’s fun and you add Jesus into everything,” she said.
A camper climbs the vertical playground during Expedition 2 Camp on July 15, 2026 at Gasper River Camp. RILEY GREIF | WKC
Originally printed in the August 2026 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
