The Tolle Lege Summer Institute is a fun, faith-centered, exciting summer camp on the grounds of Borromeo Seminary in Wickliffe, Ohio. The first session will occur in the summer of 2012. The camp was founded to promote the pursuit of wisdom and provide a foundational understanding of Catholic philosophy and theology to young men and women in the summer before their senior year of high school.

Our name, Tolle Lege, comes from the noted Catholic bishop and philosopher of the 4th century, St. Augustine. In his classic text, the Confessions, Augustine tells of the divine call he received to a conversion of life entirely to the service of God. St. Augustine heard the voice of a child telling him, “Tolle lege,” or, “Take up and read,” and immediately St. Augustine picked up a copy of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans to read. From that point he was baptized and he committed himself to a life lived for God, becoming a priest and ultimately a bishop and one of the most renowned Christian thinkers.

LEARNING OUR FAITH
Our Church, in meeting the demands of evangelizing the modern world, must form young men and women who are prepared to be witnesses to truth and faith by their words and actions. The Tolle Lege Summer Institute is committed to providing teens with the knowledge and enthusiasm they need to effectively and intelligently proclaim the Gospel in the culture they live in.

During the week-long summer camp members of the faculty of Borromeo and St. Mary’s Seminaries will teach and lecture on topics of philosophical and theological importance. The goal of the focus on theology and philosophy is to provide a foundation for understanding the Catholic faith and its call for a unification of faith and reason in understanding our relationship with God.

HAVING FUN
Recreation and fun are essential to a balanced, joyful relationship with Christ and they help us to connect with our brothers and sisters and encourage us to minister to the world.
The Tolle Lege Summer Institute, though it places high emphasis on education, also recognizes that having a good time is important, and that we often need to get away from the books and dive into a pool!

Incorporated within the schedule at Tolle Lege are a wide range of fun activities, including swimming, sports, a bonfire, a trip to the Art Museum, and a visit to historic churches and Little Italy. Campers can expect to not only learn the basics of philosophy and theology, but also to have a good time.

GROWING IN LOVE
Recognizing the call to a life lived with love, the Tolle Lege Summer Institute brings the need for learning into harmony with the human desire for a deep prayer life. By having campers participate in Mass and praying the Liturgy of Hours we will help the campers to build and grow a sincere relationship with Jesus Christ. Throughout the week campers are also offered the opportunity for devotional prayers such as the rosary and the Stations of the Cross. There will also be an opportunity for adoration, praise, and worship at an XLT on campus.

A deep prayer life is not the only way to facilitate a life of love, and Christians also recognize the need for solid community relationships to foster authentic Christian living. At Tolle Lege we encourage teens to participate whole-heartedly in the camp activities and through their involvement they will be able to form solid friendships with young, faithful men and women like them. From these friendships and all the campers have learned they will be effective leaders in continuing Jesus’ mission of spreading the Gospel to the world.