2025 CYO 8th Grade Girls Volleyball…And the Winner is…


8th Grade Girls Volleyball

Home Team: St. Pius X

Coaches: Brian Johnson

Players: Chloe Chau, Dylon Daley, Sarah Johnson, Emma Kupfer, Sophia Lontai, Cate McCullagh, Emma Philippi, Vivienne Schaaf, Jordan Van Allen, Hana Vitrano, Mackenzie Zabzek

Mascot: Panthers

Visiting Team: Cathedral

Coaches:  Kiki Hanover, Stacey Freeman

Players: Sadie Carnahan, Ellie Freeman, Charlotte Goodman, Gianna Hanover, Molly Madding, Parker Mahew, Milania Odenthal

Mascot: Cougars

Set One

            St. Pius X 25 – Cathedral 12

            St. Pius X 25 – Cathedral 13

2025 CYO Volleyball Championship 5th Grade Girls is it St. Pius X or St. Therese?


Home Team: St. Therese (Gresham)

Coaches: Maritza Roca, Gracie Roca, Addisen Lee

Players: Isabeicing Kham, Arianna Lopez, Arya Lopez, Salma Lopez, Aria Maxie, Penny Nguyen, Emily Roca, Alissa Tabayoyon, Isabella Tomlinson, Hasset Wondwesen, Iris Zinghang

Mascot: Eagles

5th Grade Girls Volleyball

Visiting Team: St. Pius X (Portland)

Coaches: Lindsey Hern, Deb Babkes, Susanne Raleigh

Players: Elizabeth Babkes, Ava Barclay, Cassiopeia Dicosmo, Ellingson Sutton, Catherine Gassert, Sophia Goettler, Ellisyn Hern, Brooky Kistler, Claire McCollister, Lena Roberti, Nora Semke

Mascot: Panthers

Set 1: St. Therese 25 – St. Pius X 19

Set 2: St. Pius X 25 – St. Therese 13

Set 3: St. Pius X 15 – St. Therese 5

Highlights:

Set 2, St. Pius X # 36, Sophia, brought St. Pius X back into the game serving 5 straight to go ahead 9-15.  From that point, St. Pius X gained momentum and score winning the set 25 – 13

Set 3, St. Pius X had a series of precision serves resulting in several aces.  Excellent rally skills on both teams today.

A terrific game between two very skilled teams. We look forward to watching then continue to develop skills and ability!

Camp Howard Mini Campers Learning the Ropes at Camp


Camp Howard completed Family Camp July 3, took the day off to celebrate the Fourth of July and are back at it July 5th, 2023 with Mini campers. Peggy English, Camp Director, Shawna King, Assistant Camp Director, Sean Ryan, Program Director, Karen von Borstel, Property Director along with Sr. Krista von Borstel, Exec. Director, round out the camp leadership for the 70th camping season at Camp Howard.

Mini Campers were escorted to Camp Howard by bus Wednesday morning from Oregon Catholic Press facilities in Portland to begin a mini week of experiencing camp. Activities will include The new, Low Ropes Course, Corcls, Arts & Crafts, swimming pool, slip and slide, archery & BB Guns. The pool and slip and slide are proving to be the big draws during this warm weather. Mini campers stay at camp for a partial week. Regular week long sessions will begin Sunday July 9th.

Watch for daily posts about Camp Howard this summer. – Sr. Krista

Karen Joins me at CYO/Camp Howard


Karen and Chuck to the Rescue

October 29, 2020

3 days till National Vocation Awareness Week

#22 in a series of 25 short stories

During the winter of 2008-09, a huge winter storm hit Camp Howard falling sixteen trees due to heavy ice and snow. Thanks be to God, not a single building was hit by any of the trees but every electrical line in camp was brought down and the main electrical pole bringing power into the camp snapped like a toothpick. The camp was a mess. Three feet of snow covered the camp. Trees were strewn around the camp and the neighbors were ready to move out. The camp caretaker at the time called me to report the status of the camp and the fact that they had no power or heat.

Fortunately, my “go to” people were my blood sister, Karen and our brother-in-law, Chuck. I called them both to let them know what was going on as it was Christmas Eve. They geared up with diesel fuel, gasoline, chains, jumper cables and various other items as they headed to camp to free the caretaker family and neighbors from their situation. Karen and Chuck were able to plow the roads, get the equipment going and help the neighbors make it to town.

When Karen and Chuck returned, they brought plenty of photos which really showed the severity of the storm. I knew this would be a serious situation to get cleaned up and that it would take someone like Karen to lead the way. I asked her if she would shut her freight truck business down for a while and help us get the camp cleaned up. She graciously agreed to help get things turned around for us as her team began the three-month process of getting the camp cleaned up. It took a few weeks for the snow to melt and access the camp, but once it melted, they began the grueling task of cleaning the camp.

All of the sixteen downed trees had to be cut up and stacked then dried for future firewood for the camp.

Several trees had to be cut down that had been damaged. The tops of the trees for example had been lost or they were tilted ready to go over.

Branches, limbs, twigs, and needles carpeted the forest floor. Fortunately, Karen was a very handy with tractors and equipment and was able to use it to our advantage. She recommended we purchase a landscape rake from John Deere which we were able to pull behind the tractor which she then used to clean up the never-ending carpet of debris.

Outdoor School was scheduled to move in on March 8, 2009. It took all of January and February to complete the arduous task of cleaning the camp, but on March 7th, PGE came out and reconnected the power lines. The camp was shut from Christmas until March, the longest shut down in the history of the camp. Fortunately, we were able to reopen just as the Outdoor School was ready to move in.

Later in the year I had the opportunity to ask Karen if she would be interested in taking over the management of the camp as the Property Director. I was extremely blessed that she was ready to park the freight trucks and get back into property management. Our rentals set records with her management and service. The fields, building management and kitchen were all kicked up to a new level of service. I am very grateful to be working with my blood-sister, Karen at Camp Howard.

“Thank You” All Saints Students!


A huge “Thank You” to some of the students at All Saints School for helping CYO/Camp Howard out with our Camp Howard recruitment film this year.  The students could not have been more charming and helpful in sharing their experiences at the camp!  Way to go Ramblers!  Gratefully, Sr. Krista

Check out the link to our new promotional video for Camp Howard:

Gaining Experience on the Job


Every few years, a seasoned group of young camp leaders graduate from college and move on to their careers leaving spaces for new individuals to fill and gain experience in leadership.  The Unit Directors, Program Director & CIT Director make up the youth leaders at Camp Howard and most are pictured below with Camp Director, Nora Gravengaard, Asst. Director, Shawna King and Health and Safety Director, Leila Blakely.

Left to right: Maggie Miller (yellow), Anthony “Fergie” Fergusson (blue), Paige Alie (Orange), Emily Cochran (Gold), Hannah Duffy (Green) and Madie Parvankin (Orange) made up the leadership team.  Not pictured, Colleen Rooney CIT Director)

They all put some new “tools” in their personal toolboxes throughout the seven week experience at Camp Howard!  From the look of the smiles, they had a good time doing it.

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Birdhouse Building at Camp Howard


One of the new additions to the line up of activities was bird house construction Session 6 at Camp Howard.  The bird houses were pre-cut out of 3/4″ pine in a traditional slant box pattern with bevels at the camp.  Campers assembled the houses with screws and glue then painted them in the color scheme of the original cabins at Camp Howard.  The Fircrest Unit of cabins was the original unit with 6 cabins.  The board and bat buildings are painted in a rust red paint with burnt orange trim.  All of the original buildings at the camp are painted in that color scheme.

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Camp Howard Begins 63rd Camping Season July 5, 2015


We are off to the races with the first week of our 63rd camping season in the books.  One hundred eighty campers made their way to Camp Howard via bus transportation and parent cars to engage in a weeks worth of fun, outdoor adventure, and a variety of camp experiences.

It’s not too late to sigh up for summer camp at Camp Howard.  We will be running through the third week in August.  www.cyocamphoward.org

Nurse Cindy and Camp Registrar, Nora, chat at the bus stop

Nurse Cindy and Camp Registrar, Nora, chat at the bus stop

Nurse Cindy talks to parents at Bus Check in

Nurse Cindy talks to parents at Bus Check in

Checking in the meds for each of five units of cabins.

Checking in the meds for each of five units of cabins.

Counselors wait for the busses to arrive

Counselors wait for the busses to arrive

Luggage Crew unloads the luggage before the busses arrive with campers

Luggage Crew unloads the luggage before the busses arrive with campers

Unloading Luggage

Unloading Luggage

Unloading Luggage

Unloading Luggage

Waiting for luggage trailer to return for a new load to a different unit of cabins.

Waiting for luggage trailer to return for a new load to a different unit of cabins.

I Went to Camp Howard Today….Here’s the Scoop…


This was a PERFECT day to go to Camp Howard.  There was actually dust on the road!  A sure sign of spring!  Karen, Bill, Candi, Leila and I meet almost weekly to work on our camp improvements for next year.  We are reviewing all of the procedures and we have topics we surfaced during camp last year to discuss In the off season.  Some of those topics include”

  • Keeping the Summer Staff Safe
  • Improving our Emergency Procedures
  • Make sure kids things are packed up properly before they return to Portland
  • and several other topics.

We worked from 10:00 until noon then stopped for lunch.  After lunch, before we started the afternoon session, we went on a field trip to check out the progress on projects.   I can tell you the kids will be jumping for joy with some of the improvements!

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Kids Jumping for Joy!

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Eagle Scout Project – New Overnight Location with fire pit, logs and sleeping area!

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Candi Trapp, Bill Fogarty, Leila Blakely, Karen von Borstel

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Mt. Hood between the trees at Camp Howard!

IMG_6528Fircrest Unit overlooking the Bull Run Reservoir

Update on Cabin Hit by Tree…


Winter Camp meetings have begun.  The leadership team for the summer program reviews notes taken at the weekly meetings during camp

in effort to make improvements.  At the conclusion of the meetings which lasted about 4 hours, we toured the camp to check on the progress

of the All Saints Cabin which had been knocked off its foundation by a tree.  Then we checked out the renovations inside of Champions Hall.

Special thanks to Candi, Leila and Karen for the great job they are doing making Camp “look great!”

Bill Fogarty, Candi Trap, Leila Blake, Karen von Borstel

Bill Fogarty, Candi Trap, Leila Blake, Karen von Borstel

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Picking indoor colors for inside of Champions Hall. New wainscoting will be added after the painting is finished.

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All Saints Cabin Update – Porch back in place, cabin on a new foundation and floor repaired!