Editor's Note It was a banner day By Darcy L. Fargo

Aug. 17, 2022

As my husband, my son and I worked our way through the different stations of Camp Guggenheim registration, I noticed it.

It was one of the banners affixed to the ceiling of “The Inn” at camp, the building where registration was taking place. The banners are from previous years of camp. Most of them bear images reflecting previous camp themes and the names of campers, counselors and guests who attended those years, signed in black permanent marker.
It was the only banner that didn’t have a year/date marked on it.

It looked familiar.

As we waited for our turn at the next station in registration, I scanned the banner until I saw a familiar signature, “Darcy Smith,” my signature, scrawled to the left of Olympic rings shaped into hearts. I snapped a photo of the banner. I can tell you with some certainty that it should be dated 1996 (I’m also dating myself with that), the year I attended Camp Guggenheim.

Later, I posted my photo of that banner on social media and “tagged” people from my friends list whose names were on the banner. Father Martin E. Cline’s name was there, but it was regular Martin Cline then. I saw a signature belonging to the diocesan chancellor, Deacon James Crowley. I also saw the names of many of my childhood friends.

One of the people I tagged in the photo post later sent me a private message, and we reminisced about our time together at Camp and times we shared faith and fellowship after meeting each other at camp. Catching up with that old friend warmed my heart.

I have to believe it was not just coincidence that I saw that banner in such close proximity to this edition, when we’re celebrating both our diocesan anniversary/history and taking a look at Camp Guggenheim.

That banner and subsequent conversations related to it reminded me how important it can be to look back and remember our past. It reminded me how significant the places of faith – our parishes, schools, Camp Guggenheim… – are in creating lasting impressions and changing lives. It reminded me how amazing it is that my son gets to experience that in his life, too, all these years later.

It was worth noticing.