Camping carries with it a tradition of escaping from civilization and experiencing nature armed with the barest essentials.

But in recent years, camping has become less and less primitive. On prime camping weekends, state parks are filled with recreational vehicles that sport multiple luxuries. Some tents are sold with built-in power outlets so campers don’t have to spend even a few days without a fan or laptop computer.

Not so with these guys. They bring a tent, sleeping bags, cooking utensils and that’s about it. On top of that, all three proudly boast that they are a bit rough on the bishop.

“For the first few years Dick really did sleep on the ground, but then we relented and gave him a thin sleeping pad, and I credit my promise to him for keeping him humble all these years,” laughed Fr. Schreiter, pastor of St. John Neumann Parish, Waukesha. “To his credit, he has been a willing recipient of this promise and gone camping with us every summer.”

Rather than receiving special treatment due to his position as a member of the church hierarchy, they treat Bishop Sklba – well, worse. …

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