By Andrew Winter
1. The origins of Camp Kateri in McCool Junction lie with Craig and Marge Buescher, John and Pat Miller, John and Debi Crotty, and Mike and Chere Kane. These four couples sent their children to a Christian summer camp for several years, but then decided it would be better for their children to experience a Catholic camp of their own. This Catholic camp began at the Manna Resort in Fairfield, and the diocese bought the current land in 1998. The Diocese of Lincoln now administrates Camp Kateri.
2. The great purpose of Camp Kateri is to challenge campers to grow beyond their comfort zones through exciting outdoor activities. Prayer and virtue are major parts of the Catholic atmosphere of Camp Kateri. The result is a combination of fun and spiritual growth.
3. Camp Kateri hosts an assortment of summer camps for grade school and high school-aged children, as well as families. Many other organizations, such as TEC, Marian Camp and Leadership Camp, also rent Camp Kateri for their own programs.
4. The flagship work of Camp Kateri is SKY Camp, a three- to four-day adventure for boys and girls alike. SKY stands for “Summer Kamp for Youth,” born from the original vision of the four founding couples.
5. Camp Kateri’s facilities can house a total of roughly 160 campers and staff. It also features a full-service kitchen, outdoor and indoor eating space, and a washhouse. The chapel is the centerpiece of the complex, and it has a rectory for chaplains nearby.
6. Each of the eight cabins has a special name: Apostles, Martyrs, Saints, Angels, Evangelists, Prophets, Doctors, and Confessors.
7. Camp Kateri’s 80 acres provide campers with an experience they would likely not get in their day-to-day lives. The camp has axe-throwing and archery stations, ziplines, a human foosball structure, an obstacle course, hiking trails, and two gaga ball pits.
8. Jacob Brouillette is the current director of Camp Kateri. Jacob was a dedicated camper starting in the fourth grade and later, a counselor. He spent two summers at Camp Wojtyla, a similar institution in Colorado, and on his return, brought with him new perspectives on the ideal Catholic camp. He became the director of Camp Kateri in the summer of 2024 after graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
9. Grade school camps like SKY Camp, Marian Camp and Leadership Camp have high school-aged counselors, who help facilitate events and mentor the campers. In the summer of 2025, Camp Kateri had 77 volunteer counselors for SKY Camp alone. Counselor forms and camp registrations for 3rd- through 12th-graders are open now.
