The Pines Catholic Camp

The Pines Catholic Camp was established in 1988. For six years prior to the founding of the non-profit organization, it operated as an outdoor youth ministry of several Dallas parishes under the direction of founding Executive Director, Bonni Castellaw Brophy. Camp Natowa, a Campfire Girls and Boys property in East Texas, was purchased and in June of 1989 the first group of campers entered the gates. The 446 campers that first summer came from thirty-seven parishes in four dioceses. The Pines serves several thousand campers year round for a variety of programs. The campsite is located in the town of Big Sandy, just two hours east of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The Pines Summer Camp 2011 program had more than 1,500 campers in attendance.