Totus Tuus is a Catholic youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith
through catechesis, evangelization, Christian witness, Eucharistic worship, and fun!
The goal of TOTUS TUUS is to help young people develop their relationship with Jesus Christ so that there is an intimate friendship whereby He may lead them to the Father in the Holy Spirit. To accomplish this, we emphasize a devotion and love for our Lord in the Eucharist and for Mary our Mother. We strive to help young people to understand their faith through catechesis so that they may live it in today’s world. We do this in such a way that it is fun for both missionary teachers and youth alike.
The program calls upon college students and seminarians from the Diocese of Marquette and across the United States to carry out this mission. Those recruited are trained and put onto teams of four (two men and two women) to go out into a parish for a week at a time, putting on a “parish mission” in order to teach the faith and inspire the young.
The Grade School Program that TOTUS TUUS provides is designed for children going into Kindergarten through Sixth grades in the upcoming school year. The grade school program runs Monday through Friday. TOTUS TUUS also offers evening instruction for junior high and high school youth (grades 7-12) during the week in the evenings.
“Every parish needs a summer program for youth and I think Totus Tuus is one of the best!”
- Fr. Ronald Timock (Stephenson)
1. The Eucharist
The Eucharist has pride of place in the Totus Tuus schedule, for both team members and youth. Team prayer (The Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary, the Angelus, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament) provides the structure, but the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the “source and summit” of the daily schedule, which is celebrated with the youth.
2. Marian Devotion
Totus Tuus catechists and counselors will lead the young people to Jesus for a week; however, Mary will lead them to Jesus for a lifetime. Therefore, Totus Tuus promotes Marian devotion. Meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, we come to see how Mary always leads us to her Son. Praying with her and to her, we hear her say to us, “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5).
3. Catechetical Instruction
An authentic catechesis, rooted in an orderly and systematic explanation of God’s revelation of Himself through the person of Jesus Christ, provides the foundation of the program’s teaching. Totus Tuus instructs young people in the basic tenets of the Catholic Faith to cultivate both a firm intellectual grounding and a solid relationship with Jesus. All of our teaching aims to help young people grow in the understanding of, strengthen their faith in, and, most importantly, develop an intimate friendship with Jesus Christ.
4. Vocational Discernment
Totus Tuus strives to foster Christian vocations by encouraging young people to begin discerning God’s call in their life to be married, a priest, a religious or a consecrated single. Team members sign a “covenant” in which they promise to be open to and actively discern God’s will for them. Because they are striving to live an authentic Christian life and are actively discerning their vocation, they can better help the youth to do the same.
5. Fun
Finally, Totus Tuus demonstrates that one can be a faithful Catholic and still have fun. Morning “pump up,” silly skits and songs, recess, water fights, and more, infuse the element of fun in the program.
TOTUS TUUS is Latin for “Totally Yours” and was the motto of Saint Pope John Paul II. Taken from St. Louis de Montfort’s great work, True Devotion to Mary, it represents our desire to give ourselves entirely to Jesus Christ through the hands of His Immaculate Mother. TOTUS TUUS, then, reminds us of the tremendous and sometimes difficult call to spend ourselves for Christ while relying on the intercession of His Mother, and to preach the gospel to all nations.
This challenge to be TOTUS TUUS is accepted with great joy! The teams come to know and love the vitality, faith, and courage of all the youth they encounter. The youth are seeking not just role models, but HEROES who are striving to live and proclaim, “Lord, I will be totally yours”. With joy and honor, TOTUS TUUS serves these youth and shares with them the blessings that God has given them. Therefore, the missionary teachers dedicate their summers entirely to the youth, leading the youth of our Church through the New Millennium.
Totus Tuus receives generous support from the Legacy of Faith endowment at the U.P. Catholic Foundation.
For more about the Legacy of Faith click here.
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Totus Tuus receives generous support
from Legacy of Faith endowment