Young men attend Quo Vadis Days
BELMONT — Young men thought about the question “Where are you going?” during a week-long discernment camp at Belmont Abbey College.
The annual five-day Quo Vadis Days camp was held June 12-16. Local priests, seminarians and others gave talks about vocations to the priesthood, marriage and fatherhood.
“We were blessed to have a fantastic Quo Vadis Days camp this year,” said Father Brian Becker, promoter of vocations for the Diocese of Charlotte. “Seventy-five young men from across the diocese had a great experience of time with Our Lord at Holy Mass and in Eucharistic Adoration, of time with our priests in conferences and spiritual direction, and of time with each other in sharing meals and lots of sports together. So many campers spoke about the special experience they had and of how grateful they were for the chance to spend time with Our Lord in discerning their vocation.”
Priests across the diocese often credit the camp as being a major influence on their discernment, including newly ordained Father Christopher Brock.
“Being a priest was something I was attracted to ever since I was a boy,” Father Brock said. “However, it was in high school that I began to really take the possibility of a vocation seriously. The Quo Vadis Days retreat, which I attended for multiple summers, played a huge role in my discernment, and being an altar server played an important role as well.”
The central goal of the camp is to challenge young men to ask the fundamental question “Quo vadis?” (“Where are you going?”), while equipping them with the tools and opportunity to discern God’s will for their lives. The attendees also found time for fun with sports and team-building games.
The young men also visited St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly. Seminarians who currently attend St. Joseph College Seminary, the diocese’s new deacons and some of the recently ordained priests point to Quo Vadis Days as a key aspect in their discernment.
— Spencer K.M. Brown. Photos by Bryan Ilagor
