Faith, Vision and a Willingness to Say Yes Guide New CYC Camp Director

BIG SANDY LAKE, Minn.—Nearly 80 years ago, Catholic Youth Camp was founded on the belief that young people could encounter Christ through time spent in nature, community and prayer.

Today, that same belief continues to guide the camp on the shores of Big Sandy Lake near McGregor — and it is also what new Executive Director Erika Johnson said she felt when she first stepped onto the property.

Founded in 1947 through the vision of Father Jack Sweeney, Catholic Youth Camp began as a small boys camp in northern Minnesota. The camp eventually found its permanent home on Big Sandy Lake, where generations of campers have encountered God through friendships, adventure and the beauty of creation.
When Johnson first visited the property, she said she sensed that the mission established by the camp’s early leaders was still present.

“There was just a spiritual sense in my gut that God is here,” Johnson said. “And I thought, if God is here, I can follow that. I can follow God. I can’t follow broken buildings.”

That feeling would help lead Johnson, a native of Canada, to take over as CYC’s executive director in the fall of 2024.

Johnson first discovered the position while looking for a new opportunity in late 2023.

“I had just been looking for a new job,” Johnson said. “It was fall of 2023, and I just Googled ‘executive nonprofit,’ and this camp came up.”

Interested in the position but aware that she would need a visa to work in the United States, Johnson contacted the camp and asked if she could speak with someone about the job.Her first conversation was with the board chair.

“My first question to her was, ‘Why are you even willing to talk to me? Because I’m Canadian, and I’m going to need a visa to work for you,’” Johnson recalled.
The board chair explained that her brother-in-law was an immigration lawyer and could likely help.

“I had worked in the States a lot, and knowing that there would be an immigration lawyer in our corner was like, ‘OK, I think God is up to something with me in this job,’” Johnson said.

Johnson visited CYC over Thanksgiving in 2023 to see the camp for herself. She had read that it was a rustic camp but wanted to know just how rustic it was.
“Is it falling apart rustic? Do I want to say yes to this?” she wondered.

Instead, Johnson said she immediately sensed something special about the property.

“I just knew right away there was something special about this place,” she said. “I thought, ‘You know what? If I can find out how much work the buildings need, I think this might be a really good fit.’”

While the property had plenty of areas in need of maintenance, Johnson said she saw past the peeling paint, aging buildings, broken doors and other cosmetic issues.

She saw potential — and a place where the mission of CYC could continue for generations to come.

“There’s just so much potential, and I could feel that and see that throughout the property,” she said.

The physical condition of the camp was also important. After Johnson accepted the position, a contractor walked the property with her, examining each building and providing reassurance that the facilities were safe and functional.

“Nothing was going to collapse. Nothing was going to fall down,” Johnson said. “There were no roofs that needed immediate attention.”

The buildings may need work in the years ahead, she said, but the camp remains a safe and workable place for young people.

That reassurance helped Johnson move forward with her first summer in 2025.

Her faith was tested almost immediately when the board asked her to launch a fund-raising campaign. Johnson knew fund-raising was part of her job, but she had just moved to the area and had few local connections.

“I am not from Minnesota. I had no contacts here,” she said.

The campaign, called CYC Bingo, allowed donors to choose a bingo square representing a donation amount. The goal was to raise $50,000 by Jan. 1.
Johnson was unsure how the campaign would perform.

“We hit January 1st with just over $51,000,” she said. “It was like, praise God. I don’t know how I did that because I don’t think I did.”
For Johnson, the success was another confirmation that she had made the right decision.

Her vision for CYC extends well beyond the summer camping season. One of her primary goals is to eventually make the property a year-round Catholic retreat and ministry center.

Johnson believes CYC has the potential to serve Catholic families, schools, parishes and organizations from throughout Minnesota and beyond.
She envisions future programming that could include confirmation retreats, Catholic high school groups, service weeks and retreats for priests and other Catholic groups.

The property also includes additional unused land and cabins that could eventually support future development.

Johnson’s long-term dream includes building a year-round facility with a small chapel, dining hall, private rooms, offices and staff housing. The facility would also make CYC more visible and accessible to the community throughout the year.

“I would like to make it a bit more obvious and hospitable and welcoming and just present year-round,” she said.

She also hopes the facility could be used by local organizations during the off season.

“We want to give back,” Johnson said. “That’s what I would like to see.”

While the long-term vision is ambitious, Johnson remains focused on the experience CYC provides today.

She said one of the things that has pleased her most since taking over has been the quality of the camper experience, regardless of the size of a particular camp session. One week may bring only six campers, while another may have more than 40. Johnson said the goal remains the same — creating a meaningful experience for every child.

During one boys’ week, a camper arrived without knowing any of the other boys. By the end of the week, when asked which friends he could bring back the following summer, he named all five of the other campers. “To me, that makes a difference in those kids’ lives,” Johnson said. She has also enjoyed watching campers grow in confidence, whether through friendships, prayer, learning about the saints or participating in activities such as archery.

Johnson began leading archery this summer and said she enjoys watching campers overcome their initial hesitation. “You see a kid come with zero confidence and have all the confidence by the time they end,” she said.

For Johnson, that transformation captures much of what CYC is about.

Campers spend their days swimming, playing games, participating in camp activities and building friendships. They also take part in Catholic programming, including learning about the rosary, praying together and learning about the saints.

Johnson said she has enjoyed seeing campers who initially arrive quiet and hesitant become more engaged as the week progresses.

“You get to watch them become closer than friends in a matter of five days,” she said.

That combination of faith, fellowship and outdoor adventure is what Johnson believes makes CYC special — and what has sustained the camp since its earliest days.

As she continues working to build relationships throughout Minnesota, strengthen partnerships and raise funds for the future, Johnson remains focused on the same principle that brought her to Big Sandy Lake in the first place.

“If God is in this, he’s the one that’s going to make it happen,” she said. “And if he’s not in this, there’s nothing I can do to make it happen. So we’re just going to live by faith and see what happens.”

Nearly eight decades after the camp’s founders envisioned a place where young people could grow closer to Christ through nature, community and prayer, Johnson believes that mission remains as relevant as ever.

With that faith guiding her work, she is looking to build on CYC’s long history while helping shape its future.


“I think God is doing something,” she said. “And I’m excited to see what that becomes.”