Attending Mass each day is an important part of Totus Tuus, a Catholic summer program new to the Worcester Diocese this year, but also crucial are the water balloon fights and the opportunity to shove plates of whipped cream into the faces of the college missionaries and seminarians who serve as counselors.
Totus Tuus, pronounced “TO-tus, TU-us,” is a Latin phrase meaning “totally yours” that was the motto of Pope John Paul II and signifies the desire to give yourself entirely to Jesus Christ through Mary.
Totus Tuus summer programs for children began in Wichita, Kansas, in the late-1980s and have become popular in other dioceses throughout the country. The Worcester Diocese explored holding such summer programs in 2020, but because of the pandemic they were postponed until this summer.
Mary, Queen of the Rosary Parish in Spencer held the first of three Totus Tuus programs in the diocese June 27-July 1 for 24 children in grades 1-8. The other two were held at St. John, Guardian of Our Lady Parish in Clinton July 16-22, and at Holy Family of Nazareth Parish in Leominster in conjunction with St. Cecilia Parish of Leominster July 24-29.
At the end of the week at Mary, Queen of the Rosary the children were allowed to cover the faces of the four Totus Tuus team members and six high school volunteers with plates of whipped cream. Darleen Farland, an associate director in the Office of Religious Education for the Worcester Diocese, pointed out that some of the Totus Tuus websites refer to the team members covered with whipped cream as “human sundaes.”
Worcester diocesan seminarians Wylie Malcolm and Ricardo Reyes served as team members with Delaney Hanna and Courtney Romeo, parishioners at Our Lady of Hope in Grafton. Delaney is a rising junior at The Catholic University of America and Courtney is a rising junior at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
“We hope to inspire a longing for holiness, inspire vocations and desire for daily conversion through a relationship with Mary,” said Mr. Malcolm, 21, of Middlefield, Connecticut.
The children also took part in a water balloon toss and a water balloon fight.
“We had buckets and buckets of water,” said Kelly Sullivan, director of religious education at Mary, Queen of the Rosary, “up on the field and there was not a drop left anywhere. So everybody was pretty soaked, which was good because there was such a heat wave that day. The kids loved it.”
Mr. Reyes, 20, of Worcester, taught first- and second-graders at St. John, Guardian of Our Lady.
“I remember being at that age,” he said, “and just wanting to have fun all the time. So I’ve been integrating play with my lectures and it’s been a blast for them.”
But Totus Tuus isn’t all fun and games.
“It’s a great way to connect with them,” Mr. Malcolm said, “and earn their trust so that they are more engaged in the classroom. The activities are where we can really show the kids that we love them. That is what they care about more than anything.”
“It’s a good balance,” Mrs. Sullivan said. “We tried to show them that it’s important to come together to pray together, say the rosary and to attend Mass. They had lunch and had snacks together. But then all of this, the running around and being silly and getting each other wet, it’s all part of our Christian experience and fellowship with each other. So I do think that’s important.”
In June, Mrs. Farland accompanied the four team members for 10 days of training at the Diocese of Burlington in Vermont. Team members from the dioceses of Portland, Maine, and Manchester, New Hampshire, were also trained.
Mrs. Sullivan called the program “phenomenal” and found the team leaders to be well prepared to teach the children the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary, the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer and the importance of being good to one another.
The older children were so inspired, they asked to take Bibles home.
“You’re never going to say no to that,” Mrs. Sullivan said.
The children also learned songs for Mass. Father William Schipper, pastor, geared his homilies toward the younger audience. Mrs. Sullivan said parents told her they wished the program lasted two weeks instead of one.
“The kids went home tired and happy every day,” she said. “You can’t ask for much more than that.”
“We have had very positive feedback from students and parents,” Mr. Malcolm said. “Many kids go home not wanting to leave.”
Because the team members are young, the children relate well to them.
“Absolutely,” Mrs. Farland said. “They bring an energetic and joyful presence with them that is palpable throughout the entire week.”
“I think the students appreciate that we are younger,” Mr. Malcolm said. “They are more open and relaxed because we know how to have fun with them.”
“They brought a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm,” Mrs. Sullivan said, “and clearly they had as much fun with the activities, water balloon fight included. That was nice to see.”
Mary, Queen of the Rosary held its program for grades 1-8, but parishes can include an evening program for high school students. Programs include Mass each day, adoration and access to the sacrament of confession. The diocese left it up to the parishes to decide whether to charge a registration fee. Mary, Queen of the Rosary, did not. The local chapter of the Knights of Columbus paid for lunches and snacks for the children.
Mrs. Sullivan said she’s looking forward to holding Totus Tuus every summer.
“This program is teaching me the meaning of Jesus’ words on the kingdom of God belonging to children,” Mr. Malcolm said. “When I surrender to God and live with a simple mind, I am happier because I see God taking care of everything as a father.”
“I’d say the biggest lesson I learned,” Mr. Reyes said, “was learning to trust God to fill in the gaps of my teaching, scheduling the day, games, and so on.”