Life Teen is thrilled to present our newest camp: Life Teen Camp Cana! Located just outside of St. Louis, Missouri, this stunning property – a former vineyard and winery – will become a sacred space for teenagers from across the Midwest and beyond to experience a life-changing encounter with Christ.
With its existing facilities easily repurposed, including lodging, a restaurant and a chapel, Life Teen Camp Cana is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reach more teens for Christ at a fraction of the cost of building a new camp.
“I am delighted to welcome the opportunity for a Life Teen camp to be built within our Archdiocese. Truly, this is an opportunity to cultivate the ‘vineyard of the Lord’ and invest in a meaningful way in the young church.”
– Most Reverend Mitchell T. Rozanski
Archbishop of St. Louis
Property Features:
SUMMER CAMP EXPERIENCES
Life Teen Camp Cana will host transformative week-long summer camps that invite teenagers to step away from the busyness of everyday life, experience the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith, and participate in thrilling high-adventure activities.
PARISH-BASED YOUTH EXPERIENCES
Life Teen Camp Cana will foster a culture of parish-based ministry by serving small and large parish groups throughout the year. Life Teen transforms adult chaperones into missionaries to the youth by setting the example of relational ministry, led by our staff and missionaries. Groups will go home ignited to stay connected to their home parish and form small faith groups that grow into large youth ministry discipleships.
NEW PARENT & TEEN EXPERIENCES
Life Teen Camp Cana will become the home of Life Teen’s most exciting new initiative, Parent & Teen retreats and camp experiences. These 3-day retreats and 6-day camps will help families navigate these difficult times when the world begins to lure teenagers away from their parents.
ADULT TRAININGS & RETREATS
Life Teen Camp Cana will serve as a training ground for current and future youth ministers and adult volunteers (Core Members) through retreats and training seminars. These youth minister and core member retreats will provide much-needed renewal to those in direct ministry with teenagers.
Life Teen Camp Cana is a part of something bigger, the Life Teen movement, whose mission is to lead teens closer to Christ.
By creating an environment away from the chaos of everyday life, Life Teen Camp Cana will allow the young Church to hear the voice of God that calls them to “follow Me.” This calling is the foundation of all Catholic discipleship and if young people learn to hear it they will renew our churches, seminaries, convents, homes, and schools.
Why St. Louis
Under the leadership of Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, The Archdiocese of St. Louis – historically known as “the Rome of the West” – has made a bold commitment to evangelization and discipleship. This commitment cannot be fulfilled without an investment in the young Church. The archdiocese boasts the strongest Catholic school system in the United States with 87 Catholic elementary schools and 24 Catholic high schools.
By purchasing this facility, Life Teen can partner with St. Louis to serve the Catholic elementary schools and high schools in the area for retreat year-round, while opening its doors to teenagers from all over the Midwest. Life Teen Camp Cana will serve as the premier training ground for the New Evangelization, sending teenagers back to their schools and parishes as disciples of Jesus.
Will you join our mission to train the next generation of Catholic Church leaders at this center for miraculous encounters?
“A camp like this isn’t just another program—it’s an opportunity for transformation. It’s a place where teens can step away from the noise, distractions, and pressures of the world and truly experience what it means to be loved by God, to belong to a community of faith, and to live a life of purpose. St. Louis has many great Catholic schools, but academics alone won’t make lifelong disciples. Young people need an encounter with the living God, and they need it in an environment that allows them to truly listen, respond, and be changed. I wholeheartedly support this effort to bring a Life Teen camp to St. Louis, and I pray that it becomes a place where generations of young people encounter Christ, fall in love with Him, and live their lives for Him.”
– Fr. Mike Schmitz
Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth as well as the Chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth