SAN DIEGO — The diocese’s Catholic Filipino community is hosting a Filipino Culture Immersion Camp Aug. 9 to 11, at Good Shepherd Parish.
The camp is open to children from kindergarten to high school age. Participants will be immersed in the Filipino culture and traditions, including language, song, arts and crafts, folk dancing and faith expressions.
Many Filipino families include parents and grandparents who are immigrants from the Philippines. The camp’s designer, Juanita Santos Nacu, PhD, explained that the camp gives participants the opportunity to know and experience their family’s culture, and have fun.
“The camp is one of the best ways for children to know who they are culturally,” she said.
And since the camp includes expressions of Filipino faith, she sees it as
“Evangelizing through culture.”
The camp began in 2006 and has been held every other year, except during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Rancho Peñasquitos until this year.
Nacu said 25 youngsters participated in the inaugural camp, held for one day. Participation had grown to 150 by 2022.
For this year’s camp, the hours are Aug. 9 and 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Aug. 11 from 8:30 a.m. to noon, then return at 4 p.m. for a family rosary, soup potluck and children’s performances.
This year’s camp is presented by Good Shepherd Parish and supported by the Diocesan Commission for Filipino Catholics.
The cost to attend is $65 per person.
More information registration is available online at www.goodshepherdparish.net/fcic.