Totus Tuus

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. Our week-long Parish Summer Catechetical Program assists parents and parishes in the evangelizing and catechizing of their youth by supplementing the work they are currently doing.

The methodology, structure, content, and enthusiasm of Totus Tuus are concerned not only with teaching the Faith, but also igniting the hearts of the team members and the young people they encounter. The result has been the formation of young adults who continue to dedicate themselves to the Church’s mission of evangelization along with many vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

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 Pope Saint John Paul II. Taken from St. Louis de Montfort’s “True Devotion to Mary” phrase, 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.

Our Method

Totus Tuus calls upon college students and seminarians from across the United States to carry this mission to every young person they encounter. These young men and women are hired for their energy, enthusiasm, love of the Faith, commitment to spiritual growth, ability to work with a team and a desire to work with youth.

How Do We Do It?

Teams of four, two men and two women, travel to a different parish each week, hosting a five-day catechetical program for grades 1-12, similar to “Vacation Bible School." The week is filled with faith, fun, and friendship. There are messy games and crazy skits. Our college-age teachers provide an authentic witness to the students.

Curriculum

Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church provide the foundation of the catechetical instruction of our program. Consequently, Totus Tuus has divided the four pillars of the Catechism into a six-year teaching cycle:

Year One: The Mystery of Salvation
Year Two: The Apostles' Creed
Year Three: The Sacraments
Year Four: The Commandments
Year Five: The Virtues
Year Six: Prayer and the Our Father

To complement this cycle, Totus Tuus follows a four-year cycle dedicated to the mysteries of the Rosary:

The Joyful Mysteries
The Luminous Mysteries
The Sorrowful Mysteries
The Glorious Mysteries

Become a 2025 Missionary!

The Diocese of Manchester is seeking committed Catholic College Students, preferably sophomores or juniors, to serve as Totus Tuus Missionaries this summer. The commitment is from June 4 to August 1, 2025. The first ten days are dedicated to rigorous training to present the Totus Tuus Catholic curriculum, along with prayer, games, song, and witness to elementary age students and high school students in a team setting. Immediately following the training, missionaries from the Diocese of Manchester will travel to the first of six parishes to impart the week-long program. Missionaries will have the week of July 4 off. Room and board are provided by each parish, and a stipend is provided by the diocese.

CLICK HERE for the complete job description

To apply, please visit the Totus Tuus website. When applying, please check the box next to NH: Diocese of Manchester as the diocese to which you would like to apply.

For questions and more information, please contact Karen Hettrick, Director of Parish Faith Formation at khettrick@rcbm.org or 603-663-0176.

Please prayerfully consider this unique opportunity to serve your faith and community.