MANCHESTER (NH)
WMUR-TV, ABC-9 [Manchester NH]
October 20, 2024
By Imani Fleming
An annual weeklong camp in Gilmanton for people with special needs will no longer be offered, the Diocese of Manchester announced on Friday.
For 60 years, Exceptional Citizens’ Week at Camp Fatima in Gilmanton offered people ages 9 and older with intellectual or physical challenges a week of traditional camp activities such as horseback riding, swimming, boating, arts and crafts, and more at no cost to the camper.Advertisement
In a statement, Bishop Peter Libasci of Manchester said all programs at Camp Fatima and its sister facility, Camp Bernadette, must “create a strong and healthy Catholic culture, remain faithful to Church teaching and, very importantly, reinforce the Camps’ values. These imperatives supersede any one program of the organization and is why E.C. Week will not continue at Camp Fatima.”
When News 9 reached out to the diocese for clarification, a spokesperson provided a statement that said, “Code of conduct violations occurred during E.C. Week over the years despite the Camp Board of Directors’ efforts to ensure appropriate volunteer behavior and camper safety.”
The statement did not describe the nature of the code of conduct violations. However, it did say none of the incidents involved reports of abuse.
A camp volunteer told News 9 that he and others feel the program is being shut down because some people chose to decorate one of the cabins this year with Pride flags.
“We got told to take it down, and we didn’t take it down. We left it up all week,” said volunteer Andrew Johnson.
“It’s the Pride stuff that doesn’t align with their values,” he added.
The diocese spokesperson would not confirm or deny if the Pride flags were a factor, but Johnson said regardless of the reason, he said he felt the decision was sudden and disappointing.
“I think they really disregard how this affects the campers,” he said. “It’s all about the campers.”
The diocese said Camp Fatima will continue to hold its Special Needs Week for campers with mild to moderate intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Donations already made to benefit E.C. Week will be used to assist other programs for people with special needs pursuant to a long-standing agreement with the Friends of Fatima Committee, the diocese said.