WorkCamp 2023 was a week-long experience providing the teens of the Diocese with an opportunity to encounter Christ through service, faith, and fellowship.
Our Nativity teens share their witness and experiences:
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Zach Smith
As I got out of the car, bag in hand, ready as I could be for WorkCamp, I had my mentality for the week cemented in my mind: “I’m going to work my butt off, but I don’t know about all of that God stuff, I’m going to stay away from that.” For my whole life, Jesus has been important to me. I could pray to Him in my time of need, use Him as my stabilizer when things got complicated, and give Him the respect He deserved in Mass. However, that childlike devotion took a sharp decline when I reached my junior year of high school. This is when I started to stray from my faith life and turn into a man who favored worldly devotions over prayer and meditation, because faith took energy and time, and after a long day as a junior, those are two time-users that I did not have. So, when I was feeling stressed, I would stay up all night on my phone, ruining my sleep schedule. I’d take long warm baths, ruining my skin. I’d eat a feast fit for a king at 1:00 AM, ruining my diet, instead of giving my stress up to the one being that can handle it. I gave in to a world full of problems and unpredictability. I became pretty comfortable in this state, so any poke to my ego-encased methods of stress relief gave me an uneasy feeling that I tried my best to avoid. This was me until I went to WorkCamp.
I truly thought I was alone in my mindset, but when Dan (our leader for the week) laid out my mentality for all to see, telling everyone to “lean into it,” I felt strange. I felt as if I should be feeling discomfort, but I didn’t. Instead, I felt relief. A warm presence within me said, “Everything will be ok if you let go.” For the first time since my childhood, it felt okay to drop my ego and pride at the feet of my Savior. From that point onward, not only did I enjoy WorkCamp way more than I ever thought I would, but the work was easier because I knew I am doing it for Jesus. He who took away the sins of the world, He who closed the gates of Hell, He who saved me from continuing down a road of self-destruction just a few days prior.
At WorkCamp, I didn’t learn anything new, but I felt the brand new emotion … peace. For Jesus’s presence cannot be taught in a classroom, for it must be felt in a relationship with Him. After feeling this, I knew I couldn’t pay back the grace that my Savior has given me, but if I serve others with Him as my reason why, I could try.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
David Griffith
My WorkCamp experience was amazing. It is crazy how this life changing experience can make up for the cold showers, the no phone policy, and lack of regular water. Those problems just don’t amount to the levels of fun I had this week at WorkCamp.
I just loved the amount of connection I was able to get between my crew, contractor, God, and even further my friendships with other parish members this week. The food was surprisingly good, music definitely grew on me, and the adoration/confession night was an amazing experience that I would definitely be open to repeating one last time in my senior year, next year.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Alex Lazarte
My WorkCamp experience was wonderful. From meeting new people, going to daily Mass, and working with my crew made it a fun week. As this was my first time ever going to WorkCamp, I truly enjoyed it. Even if the showers were cold and we had the same breakfast and lunch every day, I still enjoyed being with my friends and meeting new people.
Some highlights of my week were going to confession. I enjoyed it because I felt free of everything and plan to go more often. Seeing the residents as they came to the school on Friday for the Appreciation celebration was amazing. Dinner was also a nice way to talk with your friends and meet new people, especially coming back from a long day of work. It was nice to sit down and hang out with friends. I can’t wait for next year to go again, to help people in need, and take cold showers.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Gabriella Lazarte
WorkCamp was a life changing experience for me because it helped me see the gaps in my faith life. It made me realize that my faith was more like a routine, a mechanical action in which I was not always really present and I didn’t really understand who God was for me. While at daily Mass, I witnessed how much the young priests loved the Lord with their whole being and how they experienced the Lord in their lives. It made me wonder and really think about what that feeling is like, to experience the Lord in such an intense way. I desired that joy, and feeling and it made me really reflect on what I was doing wrong in my faith life. I realized that I was living the Catholic faith mindlessly. My life was not centered on God. I was prioritizing school and down time over having a conversation with God or reading some Scripture.
WorkCamp was truly eye opening for me. It changed my perspective to not just look and seek for my own personal growth, but to learn and grow in a community. To fully know and understand the Lord, I need to continue to open my heart like I did at WorkCamp, embrace every ounce of God’s love, and actively seek the Lord through reading the Gospel daily and talking with God with true sincerity.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Noel Mazzola
WorkCamp has had a big impact on me. I was in an interesting place before I arrived. After the car ride to WorkCamp in Mr. Stephen’s “spacious” car, all I could think about was getting down to finally stretch my legs. But once we got down I was surprised by another thing. The water. How interesting. Here I was thinking wow, I’m going to sleep on the floor, eating PB&J everyday, weird water, a room full of the boys from church, and we had just spent all this money for fundraising and stuff. Wow what a terrible week it would be. But through the week, I learned and was reminded that I am very lucky to have all the things that I have. In the Bible, Jesus says whatever you do for them you do for me. When I was hungry you gave me food. When I was thirsty you gave me drink. When I was naked you clothed me. When I was imprisoned you visited me, and so on. We were able to serve those in a local community which was absolutely life changing. This non-profit organization was helping adults with mental disabilities get jobs and become competitive candidates in the workforce which was amazing in itself, but then we were able to replant their flower beds with our contractor who was being served by them through the soup kitchen at the Knights of Columbus. It was such a wonderful thing to see this almost infinite circle of God’s mercy and love and kindness being shown.
It impacted me a lot, because the very next day my contractor said “ You just have to pray the rosary every night. You just have to, it will change your life.” Lucky for me Adoration was the next day. It was perfect because I was waiting for the perfect time to have one-on-one time with God which was wonderful. I came back from work and had dinner and rushed to the chapel. That day I think I wrote about 3 front and back pages in my journal full of just whatever I wanted to say to God. It was my way of praying to him. Then I read about 3 Bible verses at random which were just wonderful. And then during Adoration I prayed the rosary twice. It was the best thing I have ever felt.
But something that might have impacted me a little more was when Simon came and sat with our group during Adoration, and I saw he didn’t have anything with him. I had 2 rosaries with me, so I handed my extra one over to him. He was really grateful, but then during parish discussions, he said that he really liked praying the rosary, and it made me feel wonderful. That he enjoyed this simple prayer pushed me to keep on praying the rosary at least once a day and praying and reading the Bible.
WorkCamp has just been wonderful. It made me think. What is my vocation? For many years since I was a young young boy I had wanted to be a priest, but things such as doctor and lawyer were in the mix as well. Now that I have been maturing, I couldn’t help but think it’s going to be law. But then I thought, I love this religious life that I attempt to live and I love seeing all these holy people. Maybe I need to be something amongst them. Maybe a deacon. Nooo. I can’t be that. But you know, this week has shown me that there are so many people who love God and Jesus as much as I do and maybe I am being called to be a priest. But if that is what God wants he will make it happen. If it isn’t, then whatever he commands I will do. But Workcamp has helped me appreciate all the things that I take for granted. It showed me that God is always there, and it doesn’t matter what happens, he will never fail me. My redeemer until the end.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Megan Smith
Lean into it. These three words have been everywhere the past week. People have been saying it. It’s been on signs, posters, and t-shirts. It was an all-encompassing motto to live by. And I definitely think I did. This was my first “real” WorkCamp. I did a local one in 2021, but we got to go home at the end of every day. So, I was nervous. I loved my experience in 2021, so I knew I wanted to do WorkCamp again, but I also knew it would look a lot different than two years ago. I had heard some things from WorkCamp alumni I knew, but many details weren’t clear. However, I decided to go anyway. To lean into it. And I am so glad I did.
Witnessing the love of Christ in the face of everyone I encountered was an incredibly profound experience. My guarded heart became more and more open every day I spent with my parish, my crew, and the other teens in general. Team building day on Sunday allowed me to connect with my crew in a way I didn’t expect. I had to remind myself to really lean into the awkwardness of meeting new people. It was hard, but I’m glad I did because my crew became some of the closest friends I made.
Monday through Thursday, the real work was happening. We got up at 6:30 am, started each morning with Mass, and then hit the road to travel to our resident’s house. I loved having that routine, even if some mornings I really had to lean into starting the day strong. Once we got to the work site, it was hard not to feel energized. Jumping straight into work allowed us to stay motivated all day, and watching the look on our resident’s face when she saw our finished projects was worth it. It took a lot of courage and vulnerability to allow a group of five teens into your home to see the messiest parts of it, and I hope we made that courage worth it. My favorite part of every workday was lunchtime. Not just because we got to sit down for the first time, or because we got to eat another PB&J, but because of the conversations that were had. We had a wonderful devotion leader who encouraged us to share, and that helped us all feel comfortable during a sometimes hard or heavy conversation.
I really loved hearing our contractor share his thoughts on the devotion topics. He has had a lot of experience with the Catholic faith and was really beneficial to the conversations we had. But my favorite person to hear from during lunch was our resident. She ate with us every day and was fully engaged in our conversations. In every word she spoke, I could hear the voice of Christ and how filled she was with His love. She shared so much of who she was with our crew, and it was a huge inspiration to me to be more open in my faith. By the end of the week, she felt like another member of our crew. Seeing her come out to program on Friday and share her experience having us at her house was really emotional, I won’t ever forget her.
Going forward, I don’t want the energy of WorkCamp to end. To help keep it alive, I have made a promise to myself to go to daily Mass at least once a week, in addition to Sunday Mass. Having my mornings start with Mass every day this past week was beautiful, and I know it’s something I can replicate back here at Nativity. I want to take the spirit of leaning into things into the rest of my faith life and challenge myself. I was challenged at WorkCamp, and it helped my faith life grow so much. I want to keep that momentum going and continue to develop into the person God has planned out for me.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Austin Nguyen
My WorkCamp experience was great because I was able to make lasting memories, and it changed the trajectory of my life. I was able to get along very well with my crew members and the past 5 days I probably laughed the most in my life. I was reacquainted with friends from my Vietnamese parish, and it inspired me to begin participating in their church again next year.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Liam Caron
I came to WorkCamp because my dad said so. I was skeptical on my first day out on the site with people I didn’t know at all. However, once I got to the site and we all meshed together and got all the painting done in one day, I wasn’t worried in any way. I haven’t had a change in faith, but I’ve gotten to know the Catholic part of my faith better. I could not in good conscience be confirmed and take the Apostle’s Creed when it was time for confirmation with the rest of my class, and now that I have met another part of my Christianity, I’ve gotten to learn more about how I pray and worship. Shout out to my dad for making me come.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Dylan Aranibar
This week at WorkCamp I experienced all types of things. I experienced some good and some bad. This week though, I became closer to the people of God. That includes my parish and all the people of WorkCamp. All the people were so welcoming and I felt like a real part of the community. I especially liked our parish discussions. They let me reflect on my day. I am thankful for the time that I had there and can’t wait to go back.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Charlotte Gaeta
My experience at WorkCamp changed my perspective of Jesus and my faith in general. I was very hesitant about joining WorkCamp and I was nervous about it. The motto, “Lean Into It” helped me to adapt and get comfortable with putting myself in uncomfortable situations. Meeting new people and making friends along the way helped me feel closer to God and comfortable at camp. I’ve never felt closer to God than this week, because I actually got to act on my faith and help others.
It’s hard for me to feel close to God when I just go to church once a week and pray. But actually being able to gather in a middle school with 700 other students, and helping our resident, gave me a new perspective on the faith and what it is really about. I feel happy and closer to God knowing that my crew gave our resident’s Jesus’ joy and hope.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Hannah Engdahl
At first I was very hesitant about going to WorkCamp, but I decided I would give it a try. I knew WorkCamp would help me grow my faith, but I didn’t know I would experience a totally different aspect of my faith. I have experienced Christian community before, but nothing like the community here. Everyone was so joyful, welcoming, and kind. It was amazing to be able to share my faith with so many people. Before WorkCamp I was not living a Christ centered life, but this experience has inspired me to grow my faith and work towards that goal more. I am so glad I gave WorkCamp a try, and I would recommend other teens to go on this adventure next year.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Simon Resch
As with new experiences you kind of have some sort of expectations, whether they’re good or bad. When I was driving to the parish with my Dad in the car, I had pretty low expectations. Packing for the trip was a bit of a challenge just because I didn’t know anyone that well. But over the course of this week I got to know EVERYBODY in our parish group and it was great.
My first crew was also amazing and they were all really fun to hang out with. One of my crewmates was very beneficial for me to be around, because I wanted to get to know my faith better and he had a lot of answers. Peter also had a very interesting story to tell, and while listening I was thinking to myself how blessed I am to have a supportive family with basically no major drama.
One thing that was a big challenge at WorkCamp were the outdoor showers. Because of the rain and clouds on Thursday, which was the coolest day of the week, that shower felt like I was showering under the frozen tears of Jesus. This was the hardest thing I had to do at WorkCamp.
These past few weeks have been extremely difficult for me because I had project, after project, after final, after final, and after all that I had to go to WorkCamp right after school let out. “Past me” was very unenthusiastic about the whole thing, but “present me” is glad that I came. Something me and my sister Sydney say, “Me screaming in victory after God gave me grueling challenges,” and “I am God’s strongest soldier.” So, whenever we have a challenge come our way, or we have to do something hard, we always quote those two things. All in all I loved WorkCamp and everyone I got to know there.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Jaren Fontejon
At the beginning I only joined WorkCamp to try something new and experience something different during my summer. I started the week with an open mind, but was still sort of reserved and did not entirely lean into it. My crew kind of had the same mentality as me, and were not very invested in any of the praying or shaping of our experiences. This outlook changed throughout the week. The bonding between my crew allowed for people to open up and start appreciating everything we were doing.
There were two instances that impacted me the most during this week. One was going to confession where I believe I got closer to God and released myself of my sins. The other time was during one of the showers. All of the guys started praying the Hail Mary to protect themselves from the cold. It was astonishing to me the fact that people who were meek and quiet at the beginning of the week turned towards God to solve this issue. These two instances made me look back more towards myself and my relationship with God.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Anonymous
Starting work on the site came slow. The constant cheer and prayer gave me a headache. As the week went on I started to open to the questions and participate. My crew was amazing to work with. We all got along well. Praying and talking with my crew, contractor, and resident really opened my eyes to God and the world around me. I am leaving WorkCamp with a smile on my face and a new appreciation for what I have.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Anonymous
This year’s WorkCamp experience can only be described in one word: magical. Despite the cold showers, rainy days, and the lack of sleep, just about all of us managed to experience an abundance of God’s work. For instance, seeing the impact we left on all the residents’ lives on Friday brought an immense feeling of happiness to me. Additionally, cultivating new friendships at WorkCamp with my crew and the homebase staff was an extremely fruitful experience. All in all I had a great time and would recommend WorkCamp to any teen at Nativity.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Rachel Pryor
This summer I attended my second WorkCamp, and it was as amazing and transformative of an experience as my first. The thing that really struck me about this experience was the joy present in every aspect. Whether it was in the morning getting ready to start a long day with Mass, enjoying another PB&J sandwich with our lunchtime devotional, or witnessing the presence and love of the Lord in adoration and confession. Everybody was outwardly fulfilled and every person and environment radiated joy. Even in moments of exhaustion from the long and busy days, or the countless experiences that were less than comfortable in an unfamiliar environment there was joy.
My final workday was freezing, cold and rainy, and at times mind-numbingly boring when there wasn’t any more I could be doing. Even then, I noticed that I was smiling, joking and laughing with my crew. In these more difficult moments, not just in the numerous beautiful and fun and moving ones, there was nowhere else I would have rather been. This week served as a much needed reminder that whenever and wherever you can encounter the love of God, you can find real joy.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola
Noah Mazzola
This week I had an encounter with my resident where he told us that happiness comes from within, you just have to find it by doing things that make you happy. He said that he used to wait for things to come his way, but it wasn’t until he went on a search for himself that he found happiness. So from this I realized that when I get back home I will seek out my own happiness and not wait for it to come to me.
Zach Smith • David Griffith • Alex Lazarte • Gabriella Lazarte • Noel Mazzola • Megan Smith • Austin Nguyen • Liam Caron • Dylan Aranibar • Charlotte Gaeta • Hannah Engdahl • Simon Resch • Jaren Fontejon • Anonymous • Anonymous • Rachel Pryor • Noah Mazzola