Youth gather for annual Baraga Youth Fraternity trip

Submitted by Fr. Corey Litzner

The Baraga Youth Fraternity (BYF) once again held its two annual camping trips, one of which was Aug. 14-17. Father Corey Litzner, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus in L’Anse, St. Ann in Baraga, and Most Holy Name of Jesus/St. Kateri Tekakwitha in Assinins, was the spiritual leader for the trip. Fr. Litzner said, “We had three moms, who did the cooking for us, 34 boys, and 13 dads on the trip with us this year. I want especially to thank Mike Nelson from Gladstone for all the work he does every year to help put together this amazing event.”

The group met on Aug. 14 in Rapid River and then traveled to Kitch-iti-kipi near Manistique for lunch and a boat ride across the Big Spring, and then celebrated Mass in the Baraga Chapel on the northeast shore of Indian Lake. From there, they headed to their campsite on the grounds of the Companions of Christ the Lamb (CCL).

“On the Feast of the Assumption, we started the day with a 6:30 a.m. Mass for the Holy Day followed by an amazing breakfast cooked by the moms, and then a 13-mile canoe trip on the Two-Hearted River.” Fr. Litzner said.

On Aug. 16, a Mass was celebrated at 8:30 a.m. Deacon Marty Thompson from Hancock preached, and then after another wonderful breakfast, the group headed for the Upper Tahquamenon Falls. “After viewing the falls themselves, we made the four mile hike to the Lower Falls where after a lunch of homemade pasties, we swam in and under the falls themselves. After swimming in the falls, we had ice cream to celebrate one of the boy’s birthdays, and then headed back to CCL where after dinner, we had a Eucharistic Procession,” Fr. Litzner said of the activities that day.

After another early Mass on Aug. 17 and breakfast, and having taken down the tents, they ended at the Log Slide near Grand Marais.

During the four days, almost all the boys and the chaperones had a chance to make a good confession, Fr. Litzner said. He added that while traveling to their destinations the boys “eagerly participated in praying the daily rosary.” They also prayed at every Mass for Tommy Lundholm, one of the diocese’s new seminarians, who had attended many of the Baraga Youth Fraternity camping trips over the years.

Fr. Litzner also said, “As we all parted the Log Slide, I was so moved as one by one the boys came up to me on his own initiative and thanked me for putting together the trip every year, told me how much they are looking forward to coming back next year, and most touching of all, how deeply Jesus had touched them during the week. May God be praised and glorified!”

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