Camp Abbey

Camp Abbey is a summer camp and a retreat center in Covington, LA serving the youth of southeast Louisiana since 1960. More than 1,400 campers spend a week at Camp Abbey each summer and more than 50 parishes and schools use the facility for retreats annually. 

Camp Abbey was given a dramatic renovation in 2011-12 as the archdiocese took over management. Prior to that, the facility had been closed for six years. The renovation afforded us a grace period with very low maintenance costs at the camp, but that grace period has ended. 

With almost 20 buildings on our campus, the HVAC, plumbing, roofing, and all other manner of issues are beginning to announce themselves. As a result, we are restarting our annual appeal and dedicating it to the increasing maintenance needs of Camp Abbey.

An acute example of our growing maintenance needs is the swimming pool. This past summer significant issues with our pool pumping system became obvious. The pool had to be closed and our campers were unable to swim on too many occasions. Before the summer of 2025, significant improvements to the pump house will be needed, along with a complete replastering of the pool itself. The total cost of this project is significant. We want to provide a clean and safe place to swim every day of the summer and these updates will do just that.

If you are able to make a gift to Camp Abbey to help with these growing maintenance costs, we would be grateful. 

Camp Abbey has touched so many of our hearts and made an impact on the lives of our children. We all want to be good stewards of this special place.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Who We Are

Camp Abbey Retreat Center is a ministry of the CYO/Youth & Young Adult Ministry Office of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Our facility is available to rent during the months of August - May for your parish youth ministry, Confirmation, high school or other retreats/events. The Archdiocese sponsors 'Summer at Camp Abbey' for boys in June and girls in July. Summer Camp is a one-week, Catholic sleep-over camp. Campers make lifelong friends, great memories and grow in their relationship with Jesus.