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.                    St Cassian’s, with Cedric, the oldest cedar tree in England

St Cassian’s Centre in Kintbury Berks. is a retreat centre owned by the De la Salle Brothers. Once a year they hold Lasallian Camp which is only open to Lasallian schools and Lasallian associate schools.

This year along with St Augustine’s in Trowbridge, De la Salle Liverpool, De la Salle St Helens, St Peter’s Bournemouth, St Simon Stock Maidstone, St John’s Southsea and De la Salle Malta, St Joseph’s took nine boys, Dicken, Kaylem, Micah and Rohaan from year seven with Andrew, Ethan, Kaiden, Niroshan and Shornu from year eight.

We arrived about 5pm after a 70 mile journey and proceeded to put up the tents, which we did with great efficiency.

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The weekend started properly after we had met in the marquee to say evening prayer together, this was followed by a barbeque.

 

We broke up into small groups which included students from other schools, we were soon meeting new people, by the time we met around the campfire at 10pm, friendships had been forged.

 

While the boys had complained about being at breakfast for 8am, there was no need, they were all up early, showered, dressed and playing football with many of the students they had met just hours before.

 

And then the day began, there were several activities.  There were some team building tasks, such as having to walk from one set of cones to the other on four tyres, without touching the ground, there was also archery, artwork, a climbing wall and human table football.  Each group also went on a long walk through the woods.

 

 

After supper we met to prepare for Mass, of our group, Andrew  wrote a bidding prayer which Rohaan read, and Ethan was the lone altar server.  In his homily Fr Peter urged us to be kind, just as the Good Samaritan was kind.

 

There was some free time when you could play chess, spend your money in the tuck shop, walk by the pond, build a den or (as our chaps preferred) play football.  there is also a delightful chapel at St Cassian’s for when you need peace and quiet.

 

 

After Mass on Saturday night there was a disco, much to the disappointment of some, it did not go on until the early hours as Camp has to be silent by midnight.

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Breakfast on Sunday morning was at 7.30, then we took down the tents and headed to morning prayer in the marquee.

Our final liturgy saw all the different school take a part.  Our boys told the rest of the camp what they had enjoyed most, and that they would take the Lasallian Camp motto of Faith Fun and Friendship back to St Josephs.