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Totus Tuus summer program is back

Posted on by Michael Hagan

“God is good!”

“All the time!”

Youth from throughout Vermont will be repeating these phrases at Totus Tuus, a weeklong summer program. Like many things, Totus Tuus didn’t happen last year, so it has been almost two years since young Vermonters have been able to enjoy this annual tradition. This summer, Totus Tuus is back in full swing, with 12 parishes hosting the program throughout the state in June, July and August.

Effectively teaching the faith to young people can be challenging. Totus Tuus combines faith and fun to create an experience that families return for year after year. “Totus Tuus” means “Totally Yours,” a phrase describing devotion to Jesus through Mary. During the week, students experience spiritual growth through the Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the rosary. They also learn about the year’s catechetical theme. This year the theme is The Ten Commandments.

At the same time, they sing fun camp songs, play games, eat snacks and have a water fight at the end of the week. Best of all, the program is led by a team of missionaries, typically college students, who love their faith and are excited to share it with young people all summer long. Parish coordinators say they are excited to have Totus Tuus back in action.

“Although last year we felt heartbroken with it being canceled, this year we have the buildup excitement. Our parish really loves Totus Tuus,” said Pam King, the program coordinator at Immaculate Conception Church (St. Mary’s) in St. Albans.

King says in addition to children loving the program, parents like how their children get to see other young people living out their faith, from the other students to the energetic Totus Tuus missionaries.

“Totus Tuus is really a win/win situation for our parish,” King said.

Lisa Grover, parish coordinator at St. Ambrose Church in Bristol, also says they’re looking forward to the return of Totus Tuus and what it brings to their community.

“St. Ambrose in Bristol is elated to once again host the Totus Tuus summer program! This program not only engages and encourages the spiritual lives of our young people, but breathes new life into our parish as a whole,” Grover said. “There’s no sweeter sound than young voices harmonizing during a decade of the rosary or excitedly retelling their favorite lesson from the day.”

There will be some adjustments for this year’s program. Vermont’s Catholic schools have shown that it is possible to safely have in-person instruction. We will follow their example and also adhere closely to the state’s forthcoming guidance for summer programs.

If you want your child to have fun and encounter Jesus this summer, sign up for Totus Tuus at a parish near you.

Go to vermontcatholic.org/totustuus or the diocesan event calendar to find the available programs and contact information for the parish coordinator.

— Michael Hagan is manager of religious education and catechesis for the Diocese of Burlington.

Totus Tuus missionaries turn to YouTube to spread Gospel amid pandemic

Posted on by Catholic News Service

St. Cecilia, St. Francis of Assisi and St. John Henry Newman are sharing their stories and coming into homes throughout Michigan’s Upper Peninsula via YouTube.

The saint skits are part of this year’s digital programming led by Totus Tuus missionaries for the Diocese of Marquette.

Three teams of missionaries typically travel throughout the Upper Peninsula, also called the U.P., for the summer, sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through evangelization, catechesis, eucharistic worship and Christian witness to youth.

The Totus Tuus program started in the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, in the 1980s and normally involves four-person teams of young adults traveling from parish to parish.

But the COVID-19 pandemic led Father Ben Hasse, vocations director for the Marquette Diocese, to look to God for a new plan.

“The Totus Tuus program has been tremendously fruitful for us as a diocese since 2013. The prospect of having to cancel the program this summer was really discouraging,” he said. “After a lot of prayer and discussion, we decided to take it online. It’s been an adventure, but completely worth the effort.”

Totus Tuus Digital 2020 was created. With saint skits, videos reenacting the mysteries of the rosary, lessons about the Ten Commandments and silly songs, the missionaries have created a virtual learning opportunity for youth not only in the U.P. but even across the country. To date, the program has subscribers in 12 states.

Totus Tuus, a Latin phrase meaning “totally yours,” was the motto of St. John Paul II. The phrase was taken from St. Louis de Montfort’s “True Devotion to Mary,” and it signifies the longing and desire to give oneself entirely “to Jesus through Mary.”

Totus Tuus calls upon college students and seminarians from the Diocese of Marquette to carry the mission to children and families.

Zack Mazurek, who just completed his first year at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, served last summer as a Totus Tuus team leader and this summer is serving as the Totus Tuus intern.

“This program is not only beneficial to the students we reach but also is transformative for us as missionaries as we pursue our relationship with Jesus more closely and try to live it out,” Mazurek said. “I have grown in so many ways this summer and realized how important it is to trust the Lord in all things.”

The Totus Tuus YouTube channel is https://bit.ly/3jJQ4sp. Missionaries have developed original video content that is sent out each week to subscribers. These video lessons are geared toward kindergarten through 12th grade, and are used by catechists and parents with their students.

In addition to the pre-recorded videos, Totus Tuus Digital 2020 was offering live events on Zoom July 28-31. These events will offer students the chance to interact directly with the missionaries, to ask the “saints” questions, and to sing the silly songs together.

They are open to anyone, but people must register to receive all the details as well as the Zoom meeting links for that week by going to mtucatholic.org/ttparishzoom.

Totus Tuus: From student to teacher

Posted on by Cori Urban

Totus Tuus is a summer Catholic youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness and Eucharistic worship. It deals not only with teaching the faith but also with igniting the hearts of the team members and young people it serves to dedicate themselves to the Church’s mission of evangelization.

With programs for elementary and high school students, Totus Tuus again will be offered this summer throughout the Diocese of Burlington.

Some of the teachers have been student participants.

Kayla Poginy, 22, of Most Holy Trinity Parish in Barton, Orleans and Irasburg, is part-time director of religious education for the parish. This summer, she will be teaching Totus Tuus for the fourth time. She participated in Totus Tuus as a high school student.

“The part of Totus Tuus high school night that impacted me the most actually wasn’t the talks or the games, it was the fact that the missionaries [teachers] would take turns leaving high school night to go pray,” she said, noting that a that point in her life, she recited the Our Father before bed and went to Mass every Sunday, but other than that did not have much of a prayer life. “I remember sitting there during the talks just thinking about how these missionaries were making it a priority to spend long periods of time praying by themselves. I was completely fascinated by it and realized that I wanted to love prayer as much as they did, so I decided to apply so that I could learn to pray like them.”

Jack Lyons, 19, of St. John Vianney Parish in South Burlington who is studying theology and journalism at the University of Notre Dame, was a Totus Tuus student in high school and then became a high school helper for the younger students’ program and last summer was a Totus Tuus teacher, serving at parishes in Colchester, South Burling-ton, St. Albans, Bristol, Rutland and Bennington.

“I loved Totus Tuus high school night, and that is what originally drew me to teaching Totus Tuus,” he said. “I really saw the Totus Tuus team members I interacted with as role models and thought to myself, ‘I would love to be like them and teach Totus Tuus someday.’ When I was planning my summer after my freshman year of college, I knew that I had to apply to Totus Tuus and I am so grateful that God gave me the opportunity to do what I had wanted to do ever since my first night of Totus Tuus.

Totus Tuus has helped form him as a disciple of Christ by teaching him how much Jesus calls people to give of themselves to spread the Gospel and follow Him. “Totus Tuus taught me not to just give myself to Christ when I feel like it and have the energy, but to give of myself all the time, especially when that is most challenging,” he said. Bethany Anne Hojnowski, 21, of Sacred Heart St. Francis de Sales Parish in Bennington, attended the high school nights of Totus Tuus in Bennington from 2012-16. After her first year of college she was a volunteer for the day program for children and was a Totus Tuus teacher last summer serving in Colchester, South Burlington, St. Albans, Bristol, Rutland and Bennington.

Now a student at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, she said she “loved attending the high school nights as well but seeing the whole program filled me with an indescribable joy and made me dream that I could be one of them.”

Totus Tuus, she added, made her an “unafraid and unapologetic disciple of Christ” because it set her on “fire with love for the faith and desire to share this joy with others.”

For those who think they might like to be a Totus Tuus teacher, Hojnowski advises they pray about it. “And if that is what God is calling you to, don’t be afraid to say yes! You’ll find that the work of a Totus Tuus teacher is very demanding, both physically and mentally, but it is so rewarding,” she said. “Some advice that helped me beginning the program was remembering that ‘God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.’”

—Originally published in the Summer 2019 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine.

Totus Tuus 2024

Posted on by Submitted Article

Totus Tuus is a high-energy Catholic youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through games, evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness, and Eucharistic worship.

One of our specially trained missionary teams will arrive at a parish near you for one week. They will host the grade school students (grades 1-8) during the day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Then, in the evening, the missionaries stick around to host high school students for a fellowship meal, formation and fun.

For more information go to vermontcatholic.org/totus-tuus or contact Daniel Lacourrege at dlacourrege@vermontcatholic.org.

June 16–21 • St. Albans • White River Junction/Norwich

June 23–28 • Barre • Georgia

July 7–12 • St. Johnsbury • Stowe

July 14–19 • South Burlington • Rutland

July 21–26 • Derby/Newport • Vergennes/Bristol

July 28–Aug. 2 • Enosburg • Bennington

— Originally published in the Dec. 30, 2023, – Jan. 5, 2024, edition of The Inland See.

 

Totus Tuus 2022 totally successful

Posted on by Cori Urban

More than 400 students from throughout the Diocese of Burlington participated in the 2022 edition of Totus Tuus, a summer Catholic youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness and Eucharistic worship.

“This was a successful Totus Tuus summer because we have had such positive feedback from coordinators, parents and students about how the students have learned while having so much fun, how they wish that the program was all summer long in their parishes and how impacting it has been to witness and learn from such faith filled, enthusiastic and joyful young college-age missionaries,” enthused Pam King, parish catechetical leader at Immaculate Conception Church in St. Albans who worked on the diocesan Totus Tuus program. “Many are already talking about next year’s Totus Tuus camp and are inviting friends to join them.”

Totus Tuus, a Latin phrase meaning “Totally Yours,” was the motto of St. John Paul II; it signifies a desire to give oneself entirely to Jesus through Mary.

There is an elementary/middle school Totus Tuus program during the day and high school one in the evening.

Teams of four college-age “missionaries” travel to a different parish each week, leading a 5-day catechetical program for grades 1-12, similar to vacation Bible school.

Twelve Vermont parishes hosted the program for one week each between June 19 and Aug. 5.

One host parish was Blessed Sacrament in Stowe. “Bringing Totus Tuus to [the parish] offers a dynamic encounter with the joy of being Catholic,” said the pastor, Father Jon Schnobrich. “The philosophy that underpins the program is, regarding young people, ‘the faith is caught before its taught.’ By incorporating stories of saints and miracles and sharing their own love for Jesus and the Church, the Totus Tuus teachers help keep the flame of faith burning brightly and inspire a deeper commitment to Catholicism.”

One of the Totus Tuus college-age missionaries,  Chasca King, 18, of Immaculate Conception /Holy Angels parishes in St. Albans and a sophomore at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, participated in the summer program as a child as a teen: “I absolutely loved going to the program as a kid so I knew that I would love being a missionary. And I have.”

The experience allowed her to trust God more deeply than she had before. “Every week at every parish is very different and requires adjusting to that particular parish’s needs, so the ability to trust that God will help in those transitions from week to week and the challenges that may occur is incredibly necessary,” she said.

Father Lance Harlow, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish based in St. Johnsbury, was “extremely” impressed with the caliber of maturity of the four missionaries there. “Their rapport with the kids and adult staff was exemplary; their knowledge of the faith was impressive; and they were a lot of fun,” he said, adding that the program provided a type of short-term youth ministry that the parish is unable to provide.

Father Schnobrich said there are many reasons he likes Totus Tuus: He likes to see the children come alive in their faith, worship God and “take their relationship with Jesus in prayer seriously and at the same time have fun and taste the joy of life in Christ is a transforming experience not only for the children who attend, but also for their parents and families.”

He also appreciates that Totus Tuus is dedicated to the Blessed Mother and is Eucharist centered; the Mass is the focus of every day. “Not only is it catechetical, but it’s also evangelical in how to turns the hearts and minds of children, parents and families towards Christ,” he continued. “I love how the children see our faith lived through the example of the teachers, and how profoundly impactful it is. I love that Totus Tuus is not just for the children who attend it, but how different aspects of the parish get to participate in the program through volunteering, helping with meals, bringing cookies, praying with and for the team and the kids.”

A 17-year-old participant said, “I really liked the high school program. It was actually fun, and I learned more about prayer.”

“The way the missionaries talk about Jesus is like they really know Him,” a 12-year-old commented.

Totus Tuus calls upon the young missionaries to share the faith with the students they encounter. They are hired for their energy, enthusiasm, love of the faith, commitment to spiritual growth, ability to work with a team and desire to work with youth.

Daniel Lacourrege, diocesan catechetical leader, noted that some students return year after year for Totus Tuus, many saying that it is their favorite part of the summer. “The greatest aspect of the experience is the witness of the missionaries who put on the camp,” he said. “Their energy, enthusiasm for the faith and love for God inspires everyone involved.”

Totus Tuus is “an excellent way to evangelize, in a non-threatening way, to that age group,” Father Harlow said.

—Originally published in the Fall 2022 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine.

 

Totus Tuus 2021

Posted on by Alayna Masker

The sound of children singing about the rosary, praying the Angelus and delighting in camp songs could be heard at parishes throughout the Diocese of Burlington this summer. After a hiatus last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Totus Tuus returned.

The catechetical summer camp was hosted in Newport, Bennington, Stowe and parishes in between. Two teams of four missionaries devoted their summer to teaching students about the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary and the Ten Commandments.

Lily Yandow, a St. Albans native and sophomore studying art and education at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, grew up attending Totus Tuus. “I have been going to Totus Tuus since probably fifth grade, and I just finished my freshman year of college and I didn’t want to stop going to Totus Tuus so I became a missionary. I got so much out of it as a kid and as a high schooler, I wanted to be able to help give that back to kids,” she said.

Michael Lyons, of South Burlington returned for a third year of teaching. “This program gives so much to every part of the parish and just to be able to give back to these communities and meet so many wonderful people, priests and parishioners around Vermont is just awesome,” he said. He is pursuing a master’s degree in English from Boston College.

Despite the pandemic, the program remained unchanged. “It was really cool to see the Catholic communities kept strong throughout the pandemic and the outpouring of support for everyone was just beautiful to see. It hasn’t changed over the years that I’ve done Totus Tuus,” Lyons said.

First time Totus Tuus teacher Joey Brooks lives in Ashburn, Virginia, but used to live in South Burlington where he attended Rice Memorial High School. There, he made a connection that ultimately led to him teaching Totus Tuus. “I went to Rice and the campus minister there … messaged me and said, ‘Hey you should do this’ and I had service experience at Rice doing Vacation Bible School, so it’s kind of similar. It was that mixed with just reverting back to my faith in college that it only made sense that I go back to Vermont … to minister to the kids,” said the junior at Belmont University in Nashville studying legal studies.

This year’s Totus Tuus teams also included missionaries from Iowa and Connecticut.

During the summer, the teams spent a week at a different parish teaching children in first through eighth grades during the day program and freshman through seniors in the evening for High School Nights.

“I didn’t anticipate how much I would love the kids. It’s just so good to get to know kids from all around the Diocese and to be able to teach them and minister to them,” Yandow said. “It’s so much fun. You learn so much but it’s not like a boring kind of learning. Maybe the best part is you get to be around other Catholic people your age and build that Catholic community that can be really hard to find especially in Vermont.”

As the summer wrapped up, the teams and students left with memories that left an impression.

“Totus Tuus tells kids that they are loved and shows kids that they are loved, and I think in our current society we always need that. The change that you see in the kids as they go throughout the week and realize that the team and the other people attending the camp and the pastors all love them and support them, helps them realize that God loves them and supports them and when they realize that, it’s beautiful,” Lyons said.

—Originally published in the Fall issue of Vermont Catholic magazine.