Maple Hill Madness

The carefree days of summer are a fun and busy time for our bustling apostolate in Maple Hill, which is situated about 24 miles west of Topeka, KS and is celebrating its 25th anniversary as an FSSP apostolate this year. Fr. Marty Adams, assistant Chaplain at St. John Vianney Chapel, told us more about some of the events that the parish has enjoyed together during the warm weather months.

Each summer, FSSP seminarians are sent out for an assignment, helping at the different Fraternity parishes or organizing and running youth camps, with the goal of gaining valuable knowledge and experience for running a parish someday (God-willing).

There is a wide array of different talents that men bring with them to the seminary, and oftentimes they prove to be very useful at the seminary, in parish life and at the various youth camps happening throughout each summer.

St. John Vianney Chapel in Maple Hill, KS, with the help of one of these seminarians, held a basketball camp on three consecutive Wednesdays – June 19th and 26th and July 3rd – to teach the parish boys some of the fundamentals. Besides playing basketball, the boys get to spend time with the priests and the seminarian, listen to talks on sportsmanship and different virtues important for young Catholic men, participate in communal prayer and compete for best parish team!

In the midst of that, the families of St. John Vianney hosted their 16th annual family weekend, where anyone looking for a few days of organized, wholesome fun can come together to meet other like-minded Catholics to learn about and grow in their Faith. The event took place during the last weekend in June, in between the last two Wednesdays of the basketball camp.

Lectures, organized dancing, sports, a talent show and Holy Mass comprise the event, which has led to happy marriages, the chance for families from different parts of the country to meet and interact, and most importantly, a kindling of the hope that there is still a Catholic culture alive.

This year’s lectures were given by Fr. Scott Allen, FSSP on The Nature & Purpose of Marriage and The Elevation of Marriage by Christ, considered in light of the family of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

Everyone had a great time, despite the hot Kansas days, and is already looking forward to next year. +