What is Totus Tuus?
Totus Tuus is a Catholic summer youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic Faith through catechesis, evangelization, Christian witness and Eucharistic worship. The goal of Totus Tuus is to help young people grow in their understanding of Jesus Christ and strengthen their faith in Him. It is only by establishing a real and personal relationship with Him that we can be led to love of the Father in the Spirit and so be made sharers in the life of the Holy Trinity.
Our Mission
The mission of Totus Tuus is to inspire in young people a true longing for holiness, a deep desire for daily conversion and an openness to their vocation by the constant challenge to give themselves entirely to Christ through Mary and by continually strengthening their prayer lives in imitation of Her.
Our Motivation
Totus Tuus, a Latin phrase meaning “Totally Yours,” was the motto of St. John Paul II. Taken from St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary, it signifies our desire to give ourselves entirely to Jesus Christ through Mary. It also expresses our effort to give our all to every young person we encounter. Through the teams’ example of joy and service, the youth see that these men and women are on fire with the Catholic Faith and long for the same thing in their lives.
Five Pillars of Totus Tuus
The Eucharist
The Eucharist has pride of place in the Totus Tuus schedule, for both team members and youth. Prayer: The Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary, the Angelus, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament provide the structure, but the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the “source and summit” of the daily schedule. 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.
Marian Devotion
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)
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.
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.
Fun
Totus Tuus demonstrates that one can be a faithful Catholic and still have fun. Morning “pump up,” silly skits and songs, recess, water fights at the parishes, and all of the many Totus Tuus Olympic challenges, infuse the element of fun in the program.
