Clearing the skies to look for faith

Deacon Dean Johnson shared a reflection on how wilderness experiences can help students see beyond difficult home environments. Writing for the Catholic Star Herald, Johnson described a former student from Camden who participated in the Outward Bound USA program during her junior year of high school.

The student traveled to the Appalachian Mountains in Maine for a two week program involving camping, rock climbing, and canoeing. Johnson noted that the student was most impacted by seeing a sky filled with stars, an experience made possible by the lack of light pollution compared to Camden and Philadelphia. He compared this clarity to faith, suggesting that just as the stars are present even when obscured, faith involves a relationship of trust and opening oneself to Christ.