Seek And Ye Shall Find

Every summer at Camp Ozanam, there is a theme that embodies our effort to make sure every camper has a positive experience during their week spent with us. The theme often connects with a verse from the Bible, and in the summer of 2025, the theme was “Seek, and ye shall find”. This theme comes from a verse originating from the Book of Matthew, specifically from the seventh verse in the seventh chapter. The complete verse is: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

The staff of 2025

Although I was only at Camp Ozanam for two weeks of the summer, I was able to experience the energy and spirit of the camp firsthand. Even in just those two weeks, the summer’s theme left a lasting impact on the campers, counsellors, and myself as a member of senior staff.

Andrew paints war paint on eager campers.

For both groups I was at Camp Ozanam this summer  I was a section head of the Water section (our middle age group), and a section head of the Sky section (our youngest). In both weeks, I saw lots of campers in my section who were able to seek and find opportunities to have fun and enjoy themselves on a daily basis that were unique to them being from the city. One camper from the Water section that truly demonstrated the impact of the theme Seek and ye shall find was a camper who was in the Castor cabin. His cabin was full of campers with strong personalities and had lots of energy, however, he was having fun at every activity and had a positive outlook on every situation, despite it not always being the most ideal situation. He was able to seek out positivity, and find it at every turn. The impact that the theme from the Book of Matthew had on this camper proves that the efforts from the counsellors and staff at every level is most important to the kids who come off the bus every summer and every group. 

During my second week at camp as section head of the Sky section, there was a camper in the Aquila cabin who had never been away from home before. He was somewhat nervous and needed extra guidance and leadership from his counselors and from myself during the week. Despite being in charge of the entire section, I spent a lot of time with him. At the beginning of the group, he was often shy and got upset when things did not go his way, which required more effort from his counselors to make sure he had a good time. We had to ask ourselves how we can make the week awesome for him, and by the end of the group, we were given a positive answer. As the week went on, he had more and more fun as he tried new things and made friends in his cabin. On the last day of camp as he was getting on the bus, he was telling me that he was excited to get home and play on his iPad. However, I knew the impact that his counselors and being at Camp Ozanam had on him. The Bible verse and theme for the summer of 2025 Seek, and ye shall find helped both myself, the counsellors of the Aquila cabin, and everyone at Camp Ozanam spread joy and positivity to their campers. 

Spider-Bud, the Canadian Spider-man

During the offseason, I am a teacher in the Durham region, and on the first day of school when all the students gathered to meet their teachers, I saw the camper from the Water section. When I saw him, I went to go talk to him to see who his teacher was, and he was surprised to see me. We talked about camp for a little bit before we each went with our classes. However, during our conversation, and still to this day when we cross paths in the hallways, we talk about camp and he asks me about other staff members like the Program Director, about his counselors, and Spider-Bud, the Evening E hero for the week. 

Most recently I asked him if he missed camp, and he said yes. The positive interactions that I continue to have with this student/camper at school is evidence that Camp Ozanam and the theme of this past summer result in campers having positive experiences that have a lasting impact on their lives. 

At Camp Ozanam, Seek, and ye shall find came alive every day. Campers laughed, grew confident, and found friendships they hadn’t imagined. By seeking joy, faith, and kindness, they discovered more than memories—they carried lessons and values that last long after summer ends.