Summer Missions

(Following Him shouldn’t be either.)

12 weeks of life-changing adventure at Catholic Youth Summer Camp

Apply Now

This summer could change your life.

Saying yes to a summer of mission at Damascus means saying yes to:

  • An on-fire community pursuing mission together
  • In-depth formation and equipping
  • Cultivating a deeper life of prayer and intimacy with God
  • Growing your personal gifts and leadership
  • Working hard and letting God work through you to change the lives of thousands of campers
  • Being launched into your next mission

Is God calling you to a summer of transformation and adventure?

join the adventure

Applications for the summer of 2024 closed on January 15- but don't hesitate to reach out to mission@damascus.net to ask about your options!

Will you answer the call?

Every summer, young adults from across the United States and beyond answer the call to be missionaries. They leave behind homes, campuses, and workplaces to spend a season investing their time, energy and prayer for the sake of sharing the Gospel with a generation of young people who desperately need it.

They are the leaders, the listeners, the truth-speakers and the intercessors who will help thousands to discover and accept the love of God in their life. And in giving of themselves, they will discover the adventure of living generously for the Lord, and return to their communities equipped to launch into a lifestyle of mission.

Join the Adventure

Be a CYSC Missionary

Applications for the summer of 2024 closed on January 15. If you're interested, please don't hesitate to reach out to mission@damascus.net to ask about your options!

Ways to Serve

Whether in a classic summer camp role or a more specialized opportunity, each staff offers a unique experience of mission during the summer. Check out the staffs below to learn more.

In 2025, CYSC will operate at 2 locations:
CYSC Main Campus (OH)
CYSC Great Lakes (MI)

Classic Staffs

Specialized Staffs

How do I get there?

Apply

Submit your application between August 15 - February 15.

Interview

Continue your discernment by attending an on-site or web-based interview retreat in the month you submit your application.

Commit

Offers will be extended within 2 weeks of your interview. Location assignments will be determined by early March.

Invite

Get more people involved through Mission Support Raising

Train

Arrive in late May for 2 weeks of training and formation at the EQUIP Conference

Serve

Live the adventure of 9 consecutive weeks of camp from early June into early August.

Deploy

Launch into the fall ready to take on your next mission!

Mission Support Raising

Your mission begins before campers even arrive. Every missionary at CYSC engages in Mission Support Raising: inviting others to join the mission prayerfully and financially so you can have your needs provided for and be fully available to mission.

Specific, hands-on training will be provided in order to help you attain your goal, which you will determine according to your circumstances within the range set by Damascus.

Some of the amount raised will cover the cost of food and lodging, after which missionaries receive 100% of everything they raise after taxes up to their limit. Missionaries can raise between $1500 and $8500 in support. This stipend will be disbursed in 5 installments beginning June 15 and concluding August 15.

Questions? Email msr@damascus.net!

Requirements

Age Requirement

Applicants should have graduated high school prior to serving at CYSC, with the exception of incoming seniors in high school who may serve on Service Staff or Kitchen Staff.

Those who will be 18 or older during their service with CYSC must complete the following requirements prior to the start of camp. Opportunities for both will be offered during training at the beginning of the summer, and we strongly recommend taking advantage of the on-site opportunities. Once accepted, if you have already completed one or both of these requirements or have questions about the process, please email mission@damascus.net.

1. Background Check

Those who have lived in Ohio for the last five (5) years consecutively must obtain an Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification (BCI) background check.

Those who have resided outside of Ohio in the last five (5) years must obtain BOTH an Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification (BCI) AND a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background check.

2. Protecting God’s Children for Adults (PGC) / Virtus training session.

All missionaries must complete a VIRTUS Protecting God's Children Training and have a record on file that is either documented with the diocese of Columbus or can be transferred to the diocese of Columbus.

3. Selection.com online background check

All missionaries who have created a VIRTUS account on or after January 1, 2024 must complete an online background check through selection.com. This should be available to complete and should be completed in its entirety immediately when you create your new VIRTUS account online.

Questions?

We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at mission@damascus.net