“My Lighthouse, my lighthouse; Shining in the darkness, I will follow You” is sung with great enthusiasm each morning during the Totus Tuus weekly program taking place this summer at 11 different host Parishes throughout the Diocese of Venice.
First and second grade students at Ave Maria Parish in Ave Maria performed the song (“My Lighthouse,” by Rend Collective), and its accompanying dance, during a classroom visit by Bishop Frank J. Dewane on June 22, 2023.
“It was so uplifting and enlightening to see these young children so full of energy and life,” Bishop Dewane said. The Bishop observed other classrooms at Ave Maria and was impressed with their knowledge and enthusiasm. He also celebrated Mass for the children.
“In each classroom everyone was so excited and alive about their love of the Lord. It is a strong reflection of the good work of the missionaries and the teen volunteers in getting this important message across; that is to grow in your relationship with the Lord, accompanied by the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
The missionaries, 12 trained college-aged men and women, teach the children of all ages to put a spotlight on sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness, and Eucharistic worship. The goal of the week is to help the children develop a true and lasting longing for holiness.
“Totus Tuus does a great job complementing and supplementing what the children learn from their parents; the first and best educators of their faith,” the Bishop said. “This is why Totus Tuus doesn’t stand alone. It is an additional program that is offered and makes available important components of the faith which are needed as children age and mature. In this, the Church can make a meaningful contribution.”
“Totus Tuus” is a Latin phrase meaning “Totally Yours.” It was a 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. The weeklong program are divided into two sessions, with the day component for students grades 1 – 6, and the evening session for middle school and high school students grades 7 – 12.
Carrie Harkey, Diocesan Coordinator of Family Life in the Office of Evangelization and a co-organizer of Totus Tuus, said the program is different than the traditional Vacation Bible School model.
“There is an intentionality about helping the children and youth live out a relationship with the Lord. It is really fostering those daily habits of discipleship that help with their relationship with the Lord. This is accomplished because there is a heavy emphasis on the Sacraments. Most importantly, there is daily Mass,” Harkey said. In addition, there is the opportunity for confession, holy hours, praying the rosary and much more.
The impact of the Totus Tuus program is widespread in the host Parishes, as local support is crucial for success, with teen volunteers helping during the day and adults in the evenings, and family events scheduled at key points in the week.
The example the missionaries are for not just the youngest children but for the faithful of all ages is readily apparent.
Father Jose Gonzalez, Pastor at St. Catherine Parish in Sebring, invited the missionaries to speak at Masses the weekend ahead of the program’s start (June 25-30) and the response was overwhelmingly positive.
“It is wonderful to see these impressive missionaries serve as examples for the children to learn from and to follow,” Father Gonzalez said.
So far, the program has taken place at the following Parishes: St. Katharine Drexel, Cape Coral; St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, Parrish; St. Agnes, Naples; St. Peter the Apostle, Naples; Ave Maria; and St. Catherine.
While many of the students are from the host Parishes, the reach of Totus Tuus is more regional. For example, at St. Catherine, children and youth also participated from St. James in Lake Placid, Our Lady of Grace in Avon Park, and St. Michael in Wauchula.
Missionary Abel Fernando Cordero said the positive experiences in the first four weeks of the program have been beyond his wildest dreams.
“It is an amazing opportunity. It’s most rewarding and allowing me to grow in humility before the Lord,” Cordero said. “At the end of the day, we are teaching faith and we are having fun doing it. It is showing everyone – the students, the missionaries, the volunteers, the Parish staff, and the parents – that the faith is really alive.”
The remaining Parishes hosting the program are as follows:
- Our Lady Queen of Heaven in La Belle, July 9-14;
- John XXIII in Fort Myers and St. Patrick in Sarasota, July 16-21;
- Epiphany Cathedral in Venice and Our Lady of the Angels in Lakewood Ranch, July 23-28.
Several parishes still have limited openings for this program. To inquire, please contact the individual Parish religious education office by visiting https://dioceseofvenice.org/find-a-parish/. For further information regarding this program, please visit https://dioceseofvenice.org/totustuus2023/.
For additional reflections from Bishop Dewane about the Totus Tuus program, check out the June “Witnessing Faith with Bishop Dewane” radio program on Relevant Radio. The program can be heard at 8:30 a.m., June 30, on 106.7 FM and 1410 AM in Fort Myers and 93.3 FM and 1660 AM in Naples. The show can also be found at any time at https://dioceseofvenice.org/our-bishop/relevant-radio-podcasts/.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane invites the Faithful of the Diocese of Venice to attend the Ordination to the Priesthood of Transitional Deacons Alejandro Giraldo Roldan and Daniel Scanlan. The Ordination will take place at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 15, 2023, at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave. W., Venice. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this important event in the lives of Deacons Alejandro and Daniel as well as the Diocese of Venice. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane invites the faithful to the Ordination to the Priesthood of Transitional Deacons Alejandro Giraldo Roldan and Daniel Scanlan. The Ordination will take place at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 15, 2023, at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave. W., Venice. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this important event in the lives of Deacons Alejandro and Daniel as well as the Diocese of Venice. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.
The 12 missionaries arrived in late May to begin a training regimen which prepared them for the Totus Tuus program and the rigors of teaching young children and teens for the entire summer.
The Parishes hosting Totus Tuus this summer are: St. Katherine Drexel, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini; St. Agnes in Naples, June 11-16; Ave Maria in Ave Maria and St. Peter the Apostle in Naples, June 18-23; St. Catherine in Sebring, June 25-30; Our Lady Queen of Heaven in La Belle, July 9-14; St. John XXIII in Fort Myers and St. Patrick in Sarasota, July 16-21; and Epiphany Cathedral in Venice and Our Lady of the Angels in Lakewood Ranch, July 23-28.
The Parish hosts Catholic Charities in the Juan Diego Center and supports the good works provided by the staff and volunteers, many of whom are their own parishioners.
“We know this is a really wonderful program and opportunity for these kids,” Bellows said. “Our parishioners are so generous in supporting it every year.”
Boarding a bus, the campers and their chaperones spent the early part of the day travelling to the Space Center, being immersed in the history of exploration of outer space and getting a glimpse into the future. The group even had the opportunity to talk with NASA Astronaut Steven Smith who has travelled to outer space four times.
For example, the Bible states: 40 days and nights of rain during the great flood, Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai; Jonah preached 40 days to Nineveh; Goliath taunted Israel for 40 days; and Jesus fasted for 40 days, as well as other examples.
Word has been spreading about the passionate growth in a love for Christ by the children at the host Parishes achieved in a single 5-day period. There is already a call to bring the missionaries back in the summer of 2023 at more Parishes, reaching even more children and teens.
Bishop Dewane praised the children on their knowledge of the lessons they had learned. These lessons focused on the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary, prayer, key aspects of a devotion to Jesus, all with a special focus on the Mass.
Each Parish hosting the event welcomed children and teens from Monday morning to Friday afternoon. These sessions were divided into daytime camp for children from first grade through sixth, and evening retreats for teens seventh grade through recent high school graduates. The weeks were filled with faith, fun, and friendship as well as games, crazy skits, and music. Throughout, the college-age leaders provided an authentic witness to the students. They were in turn supported by teen helpers for the day camp and adult volunteers in the evenings.
Seminarian Gates enjoyed helping connect the children with the wonders of Christ through the lessons, during Eucharistic Adoration and at Mass. “When you see the faces, the reactions, it is very special. Their enthusiasm validated the hard work we put into each day.”
These are just some of the answers which children from across the Diocese of Venice will give to their friends and teachers when they return to the classroom and are asked: What did you do this summer?
The most common of these camps is the Vacation Bible School program which was offered at more than 35 parishes in the Diocese this summer. This weeklong Bible themed camp focused on learning the important lessons of Scripture in a fun and engaging way. The two most common themes this summer were “Monumental: Celebrating God’s Greatness” and “Come to Mama.” At Vacation Bible School, children attended daily Mass and participated in Eucharistic Adoration. They also learned uplifting songs and dances, made crafts and generally had a great time.
A dozen different Diocesan groups took part in Camp Covecrest 2022, a Life Teen retreat throughout the summer in northern Georgia which focuses on leading teens closer to Christ. This is an intensive retreat which focuses the teens on building their relationship with the Lord through team activities, reflection, and prayer. The focus of these retreats included Eucharistic Adoration, opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and participating in Mass.
Meanwhile, multiple Diocesan Catholic schools hosted STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Math) camps. Some of these camps covered several weeks and introduced the eager students to new projects such as arts and crafts, engineering various objects and other activities that incorporated the different aspects of STREAM. The longer camps stressed different skills and included field trips to augment the in-class experience. The camps actively incorporated Catholic values and virtues through the Diocesan curriculum called, “The Gifts of Christ: Truth, Beauty, Goodness, Affability, Fortitude, Humility, and Prudence.”
Catholic Charities in Bonita Springs held a summer-long camp for children which included a variety of fun games and projects giving the children the opportunity to show off their athletic, artistic and other skills. The campers also took a variety of fun field trips.
At Casa San Juan Bosco farmworker housing in Arcadia, Catholic Charities hosted a summer camp there for resident children. The activities included arts and crafts, as well as the opportunity to continue to develop their reading skills.
