Nestled in the Indiana countryside, Camp River Ridge is a year-round Regnum Christi youth and family camp owned by the Legionaries of Christ, dedicated to serving the needs of ECYD Youth, RC localities and apostolates, and other organizations as they are accompanied and formed within the Regnum Christi charism. This July, Camp River Ridge celebrated its 20th anniversary with a family picnic that brought together family, friends, volunteers, supporters, and former campers to celebrate two decades of providing a safe and adventurous environment for people to encounter Christ through nature, community, and the Eucharist.
The seed of what would become Camp River Ridge was planted during the first boys’ summer campout at Tom and Barb Weisbrod’s residence and ranch in Milan, IN, in June of 1997. Fr. Matthew VanSmoorenburg, LC, and many Legionaries to follow would host countless retreats and summer camps out of the Weisbrod’s home over the next two decades, but it was Fr. Matthew’s dream to ultimately build a permanent camp with all the facilities necessary to host youth camps, sports camps, and even retreats for adults and couples. In December of 2003, the current property, located between Indianapolis and Cincinnati, was purchased, and over the next two years, large groups of volunteers transformed the original farming property into a rustic camp, with events being held beginning in the summer of 2005. Soon after this, a second piece of property, St. Joseph’s Lodge, was acquired nearby.
The camp entered an active period of facility development under the direction of Fr. Daniel Brandenburg, LC, from 2012 to 2016, bolstered, in part, by the establishment of the Legionaries of Christ community in Cincinnati in 2012. By 2016, the camp, having been integrated into the locality, had outdoor shower and toilet facilities, an indoor chapel, an undated dining area, air conditioning for all downstairs areas, improved gym and platform tents, fields cleared for sports, two wood forts, a lake shed, and equipment for various camp sports, among other smaller improvements.
In 2016, under the direction of Fr. Lucio Boccacci, LC, several projects were undertaken that would move Camp River Ridge toward becoming a fully functional camp. The camp received state approval as a youth camp following large construction projects: the long-awaited septic system bathhouse facility (which includes an infirmary) was finished in June of 2020, and the kitchen and pantry facility was competed in May of 2020.
Small property improvements to the St. Joseph Lodge in 2017, such as increasing the number of bunk beds and the remodeling of one of the rooms as a “missionary room,” made it possible for all Camp River Ridge events to be fully transferred from the Weisbrod family home to the camp property. Camp River Ridge continues to welcome retreats and camps for middle school and high school boys and girls under the direction of ECYD Youth, as well as parent/child campouts, work/volunteer days, young adult ministry events, parish and school retreats, and Regnum Christi family and adult events, retreat days, and campouts.
At the anniversary celebration this summer, which included morning Mass, a family picnic, outdoor activities, and lake time, past and present friends and supporters had the opportunity to share their memories and experiences of what has made Camp River Ridge such an important and unique place of encounter over the past 20 years.
“Camp River Ridge is a place where Christ is King—here we try to bring young people to an experience of Christ's love for them. And through that experience and that encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, their lives can be transformed, and they transform our world here. This is one of the beautiful things when we contribute to a mission—it's not just in the moment, but we are laying the foundation for many other young people to experience the love of Jesus Christ, to grow in their Catholic faith, and to continue the beautiful work that has already been done in these first 20 years.”
“From the very beginning when the camp was first purchased, this property had been dedicated to Mary—she sits right in the middle of the camp. And that has really been my experience—that this camp is in a particular way protected by Mary. Camp River Ridge is a powerful program, property, and more—it’s a real mission center. All the campers that are to come can know that the Lord is waiting for them here.”
“First and foremost, Camp River Ridge reminds me of my own childhood, when my relationship with God began. It’s a place where boys can have fun and encounter God through prayer, where real true friendships can be developed and grown, and where they can really discover God's love and appreciation for them in the people that he has put in their paths. These boys really need to encounter God in these fun and meaningful—and sometimes even dangerous!—experiences, and God has given them such a beautiful place to be able to encounter him and to build those relationships.”
“For the last 13 years, I've been actively volunteering with the youth ministry in my parish and with the diocese of Covington. It's important to me to help our youth build a strong, personal friendship with Jesus that will help them grow spiritually and give them someone they can turn to in rough times in their life, so it was a natural fit for me to volunteer at Camp River Ridge. Camp River Ridge is a beautiful, spacious, and safe camp to come and just be a Catholic camper. There are lots of fun camp activities, and the bonus is that your soul will experience Jesus as your friend, and you’ll learn on a personal level how to stay close to him for the rest of your life.”
“I'm really grateful to Camp River Ridge, and for everyone who makes it possible for youth and families to be able to come and experience Jesus in a very special way and grow in their faith here. There’s something about the environment—Camp River Ridge is such a special place through nature, through adventure, through the friendships that are built there to experience Jesus. So, I've loved being able to run camps for the last five years and hope that Camp River Ridge can for many years in the future be a place to encounter Christ and grow in faith.”
These first 20 years are just the beginning for Camp River Ridge—the goal is to build a future for Camp River Ridge that is sustainable, financially stable, and fully integrated with the Regnum Christi charism for generations to come.
“There have been so many adventures, so many beautiful moments and memories that that stick with me even over a decade later,” says Fr. Daniel, “so many blessings that God has brought and will continue to bring in the next 20, 30, 100 years.”
From its beginnings, Camp River Ridge has relied on the generosity of volunteers; Camp River Ridge has a volunteer board, which includes members of the various branches of Regnum Christi. Additionally, the Greater Cincinnati Regnum Christi Men’s Section invests time, talent, and material goods in service of the camp as its primary apostolate. This apostolate offers a tangible way to invite and accompany men while serving God and the Regnum Christi spiritual family.
The volunteer board of Camp River Ridge has crafted a multi-year strategic plan, which includes both the maintenance of the camp and a few important enhancements. The board seeks benefactors to help with major projects, such as the completion of a year-round staff cabin, renovations to St. Joseph Lodge, and the design and construction of a chapel overlooking the lake. To make a donation to help maintain, preserve, and improve Camp River Ridge for future generations of campers, visit the donation page here or reach out to board chair, Charlie Bradley, at 859-801-3506.
You can discover more about Camp River Ridge in 20 Years of Camp River Ridge: A Story of Memories, Growth, and Community. Or visit their website here, follow them on Facebook, or check out their upcoming events—like the Family Campout September 27–28, or the Father-Son Campout on November 1–2.
To learn more about the Ohio Valley Regnum Christi locality, visit their website at rcohiovalley.org.