Support The Summer Camp

The Summer Camp of the Western Diocese has been of historical significance in the life of our Diocese. It is a Diocesan treasure. Since 1964, our camp has impacted countless lives throughout our communities, providing a serene retreat-like atmosphere where its community can enjoy their heritage, culture and faith. Next year marks the 30^thanniversary of the acquisition of the amazing property, located near the entrance of Kings Canyon and the Sequoia National Park. The Summer Camp was the vision of the late Primate of the Western and Eastern Diocese H.E. Abp. Torkom Manoogian who in later in life was enthroned as the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem. Later, during the Primacy of H.E. Abp.  Vatche Hovsepian and with the help of Arch. Fr. Kevork Arakelian, and late Diocesan benefactors Vartkes Barsam and John Ketchoyan, a 160-acre property located in the Sierra Mountains, roughly 35 miles east of Fresno, was acquired to serve as the Summer Camp site of the Western Diocese.
 
With the support of many of you and your parishes over the years, we have built the camp into what it is today. We have now embarked on a five-year capital campaign to continue to build and update our beautiful facility.

With the support of a key donor, we have updated our 30-year-old site plan, and prepared the plans to construct a mixed-use Chapel and Retreat Center on the site of the current camp office. Overlooking Barsam Lake at the entrance to camp, this new multi-purpose structure is designed to be the “Heart of Camp.” It will add critical meeting space, with the state of the art audio/visual technology, a new camp office, accessible restrooms, outdoor decking/meeting space and much needed storage space. With funding, we will be in a position to launch our project this fall. We also plan to add two cabins on camper hill to expand much needed camp capacity and complete other capital improvements.

SUPPORT THE SUMMER CAMP