Totally yours, totally fun
(Catholic Herald photo/Megan Miller)
Cathryn Sprynczynatyk
Staff writer
SUPERIOR — St. Maximillian Kolbe stands above 42 grade school students at Cathedral of Christ the King, Superior, on a stairway leading to heaven. He speaks in a soft Polish accent as he tells his martyrdom story. White sneakers and blue jeans peak out beneath his black cassock, as he asks the children if they have any questions.
“If you’re from heaven, how can you hold a book?”
“I’m Polish, too.”
“Is God nice?”
“You look a lot like one of our teachers, Ryan.”
The children aren’t fooled. They know St. Maximillian Kolbe is being played by Ryan Miskulin, one-fourth of the Superior Totus Tuus team.
Still, the children are engaged, and Miskulin uses every question as an opportunity to witness to the Catholic faith. According to team member Mary Roe, witnessing to the faith is a key part of the Totus Tuus catechetical program.
“Our main goal is to be a witness to being young and still being strong in our faith,” Roe said.
For the rest of the summer, the Totus Tuus team will provide weeklong catechetical programs for grade school and junior high/high school students throughout the diocese.
Totus Tuus, more than 20 years old, began as a summer catechesis program in the Diocese of Wichita. Since its inaugural year, teams have evangelized in 23 dioceses in 13 states. Patrick McConnell, a seminarian for the Diocese of Superior, was instrumental in bringing Totus Tuus to the area two years ago after serving on a team.
“I do it because if it touched my heart, there’s a good chance it will touch many others,” McConnell said.
Totus Tuus, meaning “totally yours,” comes from Pope John Paul II’s reference to Mary.
“It’s the Lord really that ultimately makes this program work through the intercession of the Blessed Mother,” McConnell said.
Weekly, the four college age men and women will travel to one of eight scheduled locations throughout the diocese. Split between elementary day and junior high/high school evening sessions, the team works from dawn to dusk.
According to McConnell, 11 parishes requested Totus Tuus this year, but each team can serve a maximum of eight parishes. McConnell said there is the potential to bring in two to three Totus Tuus teams next summer.
Cheryl Maki, a volunteer from the Superior session, said she believes the program is effective because the team brings variety to the day.
“They don’t stay involved in one activity long enough for the kids to get bored,” Maki said. “They keep it mixed up.”
Maki’s daughter Jade, 9, is participating in Totus Tuus for the second year. Both years she has brought a non-Catholic friend. Maki said the girls had been asking all year if they could attend Totus Tuus again. As they were still in school when the team was at their parish, St. Francis de Sales, Spooner, Maki brought them to Superior to camp for a week and attend Totus Tuus.
“I think the college kids bring so much energy,” Maki said. “It’s neat to see such great role models for kids.”
Fr. Andrew Ricci, rector at Cathedral of Christ the King, expressed a similar view.
“They’re young enough so they can connect [with the students], but they’re old enough that they have training,” Fr. Ricci said. “The bottom line is their witness is very appealing.”
Totus Tuus engages grade school children through an entertaining mix of teaching, games, songs and humor. For many students, the highlight of the week is the “human sundae,” when they choose one team member to douse with chocolate sauce, whipped cream and all the fixings of a sundae.
The week is not all silliness. Daily, students partake in Mass, prayer and opportunities for the sacrament of reconciliation. For Elizabeth Winter, 11, attending Mass is the highlight of each day.
“It’s way different,” Winter said. “It makes me feel a lot happier. It gives me something to look forward to.”
According to Roe, the junior high/high school evening sessions are a more mature blend of fun and faith. She said the sessions go in depth covering topics such as “lectio divina,” adoration and apologetics. Both curricula focus on prayer and the Our Father as well as the luminous mysteries of the rosary this year.
“It is a high-impact way to evangelize kids and catechize kids about the tenants of the faith,” Fr. Ricci said.
For information on how to bring Totus Tuus to a parish next summer, contact Deacon Roger Cadotte, Office of Lifelong Faith Formation, at 715-234-5044. |