Blog

News, stories, and updates from the Troops of Saint George.

Aug 23, 2025Inspiration

Inspiration from His Eminence, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke

There are places in this world where the veil between heaven and earth feels thinner – where the beauty of creation speaks directly to the soul. Camp Angelus is one such place. Nestled in the heart of Wisconsin’s natural splendor, it is more than a campsite. It is a sanctuary. A mission field. A sacred ground where faith is nurtured, virtue is cultivated, and brotherhood is forged. And home to the annual Troops of Saint George Midwest Assembly. His Eminence, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, captured this truth with grace and conviction during his sermon at the 9th Annual Troops of Saint George Midwest Assembly: “It is the source of deepest joy for me to return to Camp Angelus, a place of extraordinary natural beauty, for the Holy Mass, this morning. I am especially happy that it continues, as it did originally, to serve a holy purpose, to be a place which fosters a deeper knowledge, love, and service of Our Lord.” Camp Angelus stands today because of the faithful who refused to let it be given over to secular use. Their dedication preserved a space where the divine is encountered not only in prayer and the Sacraments, but in the….

Brian Squibbs

Aug 21, 2025Inspiration

40 Fathers and Sons Go On Pilgrimage!

(August 21, 2025) By Captain Ishmael Walking in the Footsteps… A Trip to Emil Kapaun’s Hometown On Saturday, August 9, Troop 3 of Kansas — Kapaun’s Boys — set out on a special journey: a pilgrimage to the small farming community of Pilsen, Kansas, hometown of Venerable Emil Kapaun. Fathers and sons gathered in the crisp morning air at the departure point in Atchison, their gear stowed, hearts ready for a day steeped in faith, fraternity, and history. The drive to Pilsen took us through Kansas’s rolling hills and open plains, giving the boys a glimpse of the same rural beauty that shaped the young Emil Kapaun. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church — the parish where Kapaun was baptized, served at the altar, and later celebrated his first Mass as a newly ordained priest. Inside the church, we admired the beautiful Czech-inspired architecture, the stained glass that glowed in the afternoon light. Our guide shared stories of his life: his tireless service as a chaplain in World War II and the Korean War, his unshakable courage in the POW camp, and his ultimate sacrifice for his fellow soldiers. We prayed together at Fr…..

Aug 16, 2025Uncategorized

California Troops Gather For Their First Annual Rally

(August 16, 2025) By Captain Bettini In May 2025, several California Troops gathered for a powerful and unforgettable Campout; an event anchored in Christ that echoed with purpose, brotherhood, and the strength of fatherhood. Seven out of eleven Troops from across California answered the call, bringing together 84 men and boys for a weekend of faith, formation, and adventure. Throughout the camp, several Lieutenants delivered stirring talks on timeless themes: Each message guided hearts and minds toward deeper understanding of the our Catholic Faith and the importance of fatherhood. Though each Troop cooked separately, they shared a unified menu. This kept cooking easy, but still encouraged camaraderie between the troops. On Saturday morning, Mass was celebrated by a local priest. He shared with everyone the sacred prayers he recites as he dons each piece of his vestments. This left a lasting impression on all present. Several group activities throughout the weekend brought laughter, challenge, and camaraderie to the event. There was always something interesting to do and everyone helped to make the event memorable. Anytime a father makes time to go out with his sons for a campout, they are likely to have a good time, but when so many good….

Cooper Remkes

Jul 29, 2025Inspiration

Troop 19 Spends Summer Camping, Canoeing and Fishing

(July 28th, 2025) By 1st Lieutenant Reimer The troop for the Spokane Diocese of Washington State is focusing their summer on two achievement courses; Fishing and Canoeing. On their various trips, the troop is making an effort to attend Mass at different parishes around the diocese to recruit more members and spread the word about the troop. Priests at smaller, rural parishes have voiced appreciation for the troop showing up and doubling attendance at Mass. The summer trips included several new members. Our troop continues to grow with 14-16 people showing up at events now. In May, the troops headed to the Southern part of the Diocese for a hike around Palouse Falls, the official state waterfall. After the hike, they proceeded to the Snake River to camp and learn about canoeing. The boys did very well learning how to enter, exit, and handle a canoe. The trip ended with Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral in Spokane where the troops served coffee and doughnuts after Mass as a part of their ongoing service project. In June, two of the troop leaders brought powerboats to Lake Coeur d’Alene and shuttled the troops to a remote campground for a three-day….

May 17, 2025Inspiration

Troop 19 Rockhounds for Petrified Wood

(May 15th, 2025) By 1st Lieutenant Reimer On Friday, April 11th, 2025, Troop 19 met at the Jackson Creek Fish Camp on the Columbia River near Vantage, Washington. On Saturday, after a windy night camping, they drove and hiked up into the Saddle Mountains in search of petrified wood. The troops had a very successful day of rockhounding as all troop members found many nice pieces to take home. After spending several hours on the mountain, they drove down into Vantage to visit the gem shop. There they were able to see many large pieces of petrified wood, along with rocks from all over the world. Later in the afternoon, they drove down to the Wanapum Heritage Museum to learn about the local Native American way of life. On Sunday, the troop attended Palm Sunday Mass at Our Lady of the Desert Catholic Church in Mattawa. There is a large local Hispanic population that takes pride in weaving the palm branches into beautiful displays that they carry on a procession through the entire town. Mass in this very Catholic community was standing room only. The locals were very pleased to see the group of boys there. After Mass, the troops enjoyed a large spread….

Mar 25, 2025Uncategorized

Troop 319 Stays Overnight on the U.S.S. Hornet

(November 25, 2024) By Cadet Liam Gollier & Cadet Andrew Croom On November 16th and 17th, 2024, Troops of Saint George Troop 319 had an amazing time aboard the U.S.S. Hornet, an inactive, World War II era aircraft carrier, docked in Alameda, California. At 10:00 AM the troop boarded the ship and took a docent guided tour through the entire carrier. On the tour, the troop saw such rooms as the navigation room, the pilothouse, and the hanger deck, where the planes are stored. At 11:15, the tours paused, the troop looked around on the hanger deck, and then headed up to the flight deck. On the flight deck, the troop ate lunch, said the Rosary, and checked out the planes on display there. Then, the troop went back to the hanger deck, stopping first to check out the anti-aircraft gun. In the hanger deck, the troop looked at the various planes and models of different rockets. When the tours started up again, the docent showed the troop more rooms like the engine room and radio central, where the codes and coding machines were kept. Then, the tours were finished and the troop had time to look around the whole….

Brian Squibbs

Nov 17, 2024Inspiration

Troop 311 Honors Old Glory and Our Nation’s Veterans!

(November 17th, 2024) By Morgan Crace In October of this year Saint George Troop 311 has focused their lessons and activities to focus on patriotism theme. To get started, the Troop was assigned to construct a bin for US Flags to be retired. For this each of the Cadets and their Fathers helped with assembling the bin. The pieces were pre-cut to size. During the meeting the Cadets learned how to construct the bin with screws, drills, and screwdrivers. They were also taught about planning their work. The Cadets initially connected the four 3-ft tall pieces with screws. The Troop was broken up into two different crews with each one to connect two pieces together. Here the Cadets were taught how to position and set the screws then having to use an electric drill and screw driver to properly set the screws. The Troop came back together to put all of the pieces together and to install the base and lid. By the end of the meeting, the Troop had successfully put together a bin to help collect US Flags for retirement. This bin will remain in Holy Ghost Parish’s basement with Saint George Troop 311 taking responsibility for maintaining….

Jul 2, 2024Inspiration

Troop 1646 First Year in Review!

(July 2nd, 2024) By Wes Phillips Troop 1646 recently chartered in the Pacific Northwest the fall of 2023. It is based out of the North American Martyrs FSSP Parish and the number 1646 is in honor of St. Isaac Jogues who was martyred in the year 1646. The Troops of St. George has been a wonderful blessing to the fathers and young men involved. We have held monthly outings which have consisted of a hike, a skill learned, and praying the rosary as a group while hiking. Some highlights include an 8 mile hike in heavy rain at Rattle Snake Ledge. It has a 1,000 foot elevation gain but your young men (as young as 6) held strong and was the most enjoyable hike we had all year. We held Regatta Boat races at our parish’s annual St. Joseph Party. Each cadet made and painted their own boat to race one race day. We look forward to doing this on an annual basis. We completed the year with an overnight campout at a private campground that allowed for an outdoor Mass from our Chaplain Fr. Shannon FSSP. During the campout, we did fire starting/safety and knife safety training. Other activities….

Mar 16, 2024Inspiration

Troop 19 Kicks Off With An Amazing First Year!

(March 16th, 2024) By Eric Reimer Troop 19 is a new troop that formed in early 2023 to serve the Spokane Diocese in Eastern Washington State. After a few planning meetings, the troop started off in May with a hike to the top of the Rocks of Sharon in the Palouse Hills. After the inaugural hike, a meet and greet barbecue and Nerf gun war built friendships and solidified a core group. In June, the troop gathered at Heyburn State Park in Idaho to ride their bicycles along eight miles of the Trail of the Coeur D’Alenes to Harrison, Idaho. In Harrison, they stopped for pizza and ice cream before riding back to the park. July saw the troop’s first over-nighter. A large group hiked three miles into the back country from Thompson Pass to Blossom Lakes. While camping at the lakes, they learned several methods of making fire, water purification, and back country cooking. The kids had fun playing in the water and watching the west slope cutthroat trout swimming by. The Troops escaped the heat of August by spending two nights at an abandoned Civilian Conservation Corps camp on Big Creek, a tributary of the St. Joe River…..

Brian Squibbs

Oct 4, 2023Uncategorized

Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Campout with His Excellency, Bishop Coffey

(October 4th, 2023) By Mike Doyle of Troop 41 Blessed with perfect weather, five troops from Pennsylvania converged on Ridley Creek State Park in Media, PA, for a regional campout during the weekend of August 18-20, 2023. More than a hundred dads and cadets from Troop 17 (Lancaster), Troop 41 (Willow Grove), Troop 125 (Annville), Troop 1788 (Conshohocken), and Troop 1920 (Pottstown) enjoyed a weekend of outdoor activities, prayer, and Catholic fellowship. The troops were joined by Bishop Joseph L. Coffey of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, who gave an inspiring talk around the campfire on Saturday night and presided at Mass on Sunday morning. The weekend kicked off on Friday afternoon, as cadets cleared heavy branches that had fallen during recent storms and cut firewood in preparation the weekend ahead. The troops gathered in formation at 1800 hours to raise the flag and begin the weekend in prayer. Cadets and dads then spent time pitching tents, building fires for dinner, and becoming acquainted with one another. Following a flag lowering ceremony, the troops gathered around a campfire to recite the Rosary and Compline, which was led by John Shiffler of Troop 17 and Mike DeCristofaro of Troop 125. ….

Brian Squibbs

Dec 29, 2021Uncategorized

Three Hearts Pilgrimage 2021

(October 22nd, 2021) by Captain Tim O’Flaherty October found some members of The Troops of Saint George on the pilgrimage road up in Oklahoma, USA. The third annual Three Hearts Pilgrimage, which is 35 miles long, takes place up near Muskogee, Oklahoma, and ends at the Benedictine Monastery of Clear Creek Abbey. Patterned after the Christian pilgrimages of old it is like a smaller version of the the Chartres Pilgrimage in France. The Benedictine Abbey in Oklahoma is home to over 65+ monks, consisting of over 30+ brothers and 25+ priests, and is situated in the hills of Lost City, just outside of Muskogee, Oklahoma. This year the pilgrimage consisted of over thirteen chapters from all over the United States. Three chapters were from the Dallas Ft. Worth area; Troops of Saint George – Our Lady of Lebanon, University of Dallas, and Mater Dei from Irving, TX. The TSG – Our Lady of Lebanon chapter had TSG troops from Troop 31 Flower Mound / Lewisville Area, Troop 77 from Plano and Troop 1171 down in Waco. Troop 1 had several marching with the Mater Dei chapter. Overall there were 900 pilgrims walking the route on their way to Clear Creek….

Tim O'Flaherty

Dec 14, 2021News

Catholic fathers and sons bond, experience God in outdoors

(November 30, 2021) By Christine Bordelon NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana – Fathers and sons are learning to bond in their Catholic faith and virtues while enjoying the great outdoors in a new fraternal nonprofit called the Troops of Saint George 2540. The first group in the U.S. was founded in 2013 in Keller, Texas, in the Diocese of Fort Worth, and the first Louisiana troop was established last year in Covington. Through achievement courses – guided by example of a patron saint – boys ages 6 to 17 and men bond “to build and sharpen each other right in front of the youths’ eyes as we grow in our faith walk and in our love for Jesus,” said Brian Squibbs, national director of communications/recruitment. Check out the full article here: Catholic fathers and sons bond, experience God in outdoors – Clarion Herald – New Orleans, LA

Brian Squibbs