Totus Tuus, celebrating its tenth summer in the Diocese of Gary this year, is drawing young people to parishes throughout Northwest Indiana for the chance to strengthen their Catholic faith, make new friends and have fun.
Their mentors for the six weekly sessions hosted by nine local parishes and two downstate are two, four-member missionary teams staffed by young adults from throughout the U.S. who underwent a full week of intensive training at Camp Lawrence in Valparaiso to prepare them for their task, which involves weekday sessions for youngsters entering grades 1-6 and evening sessions Saturdays through Thursdays for junior and senior high schoolers.
“The training was not like I had imagined,” admitted missionary Allison Pesce, of Houston, Tx., who applied for Totus Tuus after a friend gave her a poster about the national program. “We all have our own prayer lives, but the training was intense, helping you get out of your comfort zone. In addition to the classes, we prayed the Liturgy of the Hours every day, said the Rosary and recited the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
Pesce, a junior at Ave Maria University in Florida, explained that she had an internship with the Metro Achievement Center in Chicago last summer, teaching an ethics course and mentoring a dozen young girls, taking them on field trips and teaching them learning skills. “When I signed up for Totus Tuus, I knew there was a program in Indiana, close to Chicago, so I was familiar with the area.
“I just love teaching these kids; they are so happy to be here and give meaning to our lives,” added Pesce, a theology major looking forward to a teaching career. “I hope when they finish Totus Tuus they have a passion for their faith and a real love for the faith to spread to others, and I hope to make a really good impact on the kids.”
Sean Martin, diocesan coordinator of catechesis and faith formation, is always quick to differentiate Totus Tuus from Vacation Bible School, identifying it as more faith-based and focused on developing personal relationships with God.
Jason Yurechko, director of religious education at Nativity of Our Savior in Portage, agreed. “What I like about Totus Tuus is that it is unapologetically Catholic.” While VBS relies on parish volunteers, Totus Tuus brings trained missionaries to a parish, where they serve as role models as well as teachers. “This is a huge investment in our youngest parishioners.”
“Our parish always provides a great support staff, but these kids are learning the Rosary – this year focusing on the Luminous Mysteries – singing hymns, attending Mass and forming Mary’s Maidens to learn modesty and grace and Joseph’s Gentlemen to learn manners and appropriate language,” added Yurechko. “Also, we had Will O’Donnell here as a missionary when he was a seminarian, and he was just ordained to the priesthood, so now he knows more of his sheep from that experience, and his sheep know him. It’s great to have seminarians as examples for these kids.”
Pesce’s team also includes third-year seminarian Roy Graf, from Rolling Prairie, team leader Genevieve Bede, from Dublin, Ohio, and co-leader Colton Gile, from Londonderry, NH.
“I was excited to get this summer assignment, because I enjoy teaching kids and meeting other young Catholics,” said Graf. “I’ve rediscovered the beauty of the Catholic Catechism. “I’m teaching a lesson on the freedom and redemption in Jesus, going over God’s promise to send a savior and our salvation, and I ask the students how we should respond to God. We discuss virtue and grace. My favorite thing is leading by example, and showing these kids that you can be a good young Catholic and still have fun.”
By the end of each week, Graf, who attends Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minn., hopes his charges have learned about the Ten Commandments, the Bible and the catechism, “see examples of young adults in (the missionaries) and lead good lives.” For himself, Graf hopes “to speak out about and understand my faith better, build community with my team and get to know the diocese better as he meets new priests and enjoys parish life by living with host families and in rectories.”
This year’s other team of missionaries includes team leader Maggie Foppe, of Greensboro, NC, co-leader Luke Vanden Berk, from Latrobe, Pa., Marissa Clements, of Valparaiso, and Tyler Hochrein, of Dexter, Mich.
An Andrean High School graduate who attends Ave Maria University, Clements was happy to become a Totus Tuus missionary after attending the program as a child. “I thought the missionaries were so cool, and great role models for me,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to serve the kids in my diocese. I love teaching them and making them laugh at our skits,” which include the popular “Raisins Chased by a Spoon,” and a parody of Little Red Riding Hood.
“The kids may not remember everything we teach them, but I hope they come to know that Jesus loves them and wants to have a relationship with them personally,” Clements said. “I’m learning a lot about sacrificial love and spending yourself totally, loving (the kids) as God loves them; it’s the most strenuous schedule I’ve ever had.”
Hochrein, a student at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, admits he wore a shirt emblazoned with “Totus Tuus” before he’d ever heard of the summer program. “I just liked the motto, but when Sean (Martin) came to our campus, he encouraged me to apply as a missionary. I wasn’t sure I was called, but when Sean contacted me again later, it seemed like a big door opened.”
At 24, Hochrein is a little older than most of the missionaries, having served as a youth minister at his home parish in Michigan, St. Joseph, and attended Encounter School for Ministries after experiencing “a big encounter with the charisms of the Holy Spirit while in high school.
“I responded by saying, ‘Lord, I want to follow you,’ and my career goal is to head an organization that teaches people how to have a personal relationship with Christ,” added Hochrein. He hopes Totus Tuus grows his capacity to teach and “display a side of Christ that we can all embody. His favorite activity is performing skits for the youngsters. “I like being goofy and dilly – we are called to be childlike.”
“I hope these kids leave the program knowing, first and foremost, that God truly loves them and know him in a personal way, to hear his voice in their lives,’ Hochrein said. “God is everywhere, in nature and sitting right in front of you.”
While he said the highlight of Totus Tuus is “the games, which are lots of fun, and the snacks are good, too,” seventh grader Patrick Jedynak admitted that the faith lessons “teach you more about the Bible, which is good.”
Allison Gonzalez, of Chesterton, whose son, high school sophomore Michael Rivera, attended Totus Tuus at St. Patrick, is happy he has participated for several summers. “I like it because during summer break he’s still involved with people of faith and he learns other perspectives about God and meets new friends,” she said.
Ben Scanlon, who became the director of religious education at St. Patrick last August, is impressed with his first year of Totus Tuus. “It is a great opportunity during the summer for kids to learn more about their faith,” he said. “The gift of faith is the most important thing that can be cultivated.”
At the first evening session, Scanlon sat in as each missionary explained their most important faith experience to the teens. “The teens were really engaged and it made (their faith) real to them,” he said. “Adult role models can give them examples of how to live, and that gets through to them and stays with them.”
Totus Tuus has already had a big impact on Mary McBride, a seventh grader who has attended every summer since first grade. Enjoying last week’s session at St. Patrick, she also plans to attend Totus Tuus at St. Paul in July.
“Totus Tuus gives you a chance to grow your faith,” she said. “This is the highlight of my summer; I like making friends and especially the last day, when we play games. You get to explore your faith more; we all know the Ten Commandments, but this week we are learning how to apply them in everyday life.”
Totus Tuus continues in the Diocese of Gary the week of July 5-10 at Queen of All Saints in Michigan City, the week of July 12-17 at St. both James the Less in Highland and St. Paul in Valparaiso, and the week of July 19-24 at both St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Valparaiso and St. John Kanty in Rolling Prairie. For registration information, contact a host parish.
Caption: Seventh grader Charlie True (standing) gets ready to lead fellow Totus Tuus participants and missionaries in a round of “I’ve Got Mail” during an opening games session at St. Patrick in Chesterton on June 22. Junior and senior high students met for five evenings, June 21-25, for lessons on the Ten Commandments, small group discussions, games and snacks, and a closing Night Prayer in the chapel on campus, while youngsters in grades 1-6 met with the same team of missionaries on June 22-26. This week, the Diocese of Gary’s two missionary teams are taking a break before heading to Queen of All Saints in Michigan city and St. Simon the Apostle in Indianapolis the week of July 5-11. (Marlene A. Zloza photo)
