The nations oldest Episcopal camp celebrates 125 years:
Episcopal Church’s oldest camp celebrates 125 years
An Episcopal Church-affiliated camp that began as a way to offer rural respite to poor immigrants on the lower east side of New York is celebrating its 125th anniversary.
Of the 9,000 summer camps in the United States, about 60 are Episcopal-owned and operated and the oldest of those is Incarnation Camp, according of a press release from the camp. The camp, which chiefly serves congregations in the Diocese of New York, is located in southeastern Connecticut.
Church of the Incarnation, Manhattan, began its camp in 1886 as a way to provide a “fresh air” respite for the city’s immigrants, many of them Armenian, the release said. The camp was an outreach of the Chapel of the Incarnation, now called Church of the Good Shepherd and located on 31st Street.
Beginning in the 1950s under the 35-year ministry of Andrew Katsanis, Incarnation Camp, also called Episcopal Camp and Conference Center, expanded its reach to thousands of children of parishes in the greater New York area.