Damascus
Private
Damascus is a Catholic youth ministry (recognized by the Diocese of Columbus) that runs Catholic Youth Summer Camp on a roughly 500-acre campus in Centerburg, Ohio, begun in 2001. Overnight camp sessions combine faith formation and encounter with traditional camp activities on facilities that include a lake, high-ropes course, and zipline; the organization now serves tens of thousands of youth annually across two camp locations plus year-round retreats.
The practical details
We list only what the camp itself publishes, and programs change — dates, prices, ages and availability can all move after we check. Confirm the details on the camp’s own website and contact Damascus directly before you register or pay. Last checked August 2026.
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Google Reviews
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★Some PersonTLDR; Megchurch Catholicism Do you want to be a nondenominational Catholic? Yes? Well, this place has music and theology to boot! If you are a fan of Jesus raves and total disregard of the traditional liturgy (Cough cough Frankie) then this will be the place for you. The young missionaries here certainly have a zeal for Christ, but definitely not theology. The individuals here worship the chase for a "Jesus High" (their words, not mine) over the traditional Catholic understanding of relationship with God. The smoke machines were a nice touch.
★★★★★Kay MetzlerIf you are unsure, pray about it and go! So glad we have trusted Damascus for our own faith development as adults and for our teens. All who serve on staff and missionaries exude literally this contagious authentic joy that can only be fueled by HIM. Damascus is well worth the time and small financial investment to re-charge spiritually and physically and is sooo much fun for teens and adults. It is so inspiring to see so many young folks so on fire for the faith.
★★★★★HeidiI lovveeeddd Damascus! It was my first time going and I was a bit nervous at first, but everybody was very welcoming. We had soooo much fun between the activities and beat drop. I also grew in my faith with the help of my amazing counselor Kenzie. I highly recommend coming here if you want to have fun while learning more about the Catholic faith.
★★★★★Brian FrucheyThis place is doing great things in the world of evangelizing all Catholics, young and old. Come with your mind and heart open to the Holy Spirit and the Trinity will speak to you and through you. Beautiful surroundings that highlight some of God's greatest gifts. This place has a camp for everyone! Please keep changing lives and moving hearts toward God!
★★★★★Steve MosholderI have a hard time putting into words how strongly I feel about Catholic Youth Summer Camp / Damascus. This is the real deal. If you want a place passionately seeking Jesus Christ and wanting to help others experience His love- come here. My 11 year old daughter was deeply impacted by her time at CYSC and can't wait to come back. She's been home for a few weeks now and has daily (on her own) been carving out time to read scripture and pray- and the way she is interacting with others and living day to day life (she was already a "good kid") has clearly been impacted by the Holy Spirit. The unexpected grace is that I have also been impacted by her being there. I had the opportunity to listen to camper testimonials and the closing Mass literally had me in tears. THANK YOU Missionaries of Damascus. May God bless you and your ministry abundantly.