How did you spend your summer vacation?
In 2019, Catherine Patros and Steven Lang served eight weeks as Totus Tuus missionaries in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Catherine Patros
Patros is a senior at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul studying philosophy and Catholic Studies, and Lang is a third-year seminarian at St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, also studying at St. Thomas. Both share their missionary experiences on the 9 p.m. Jan. 22 “Practicing Catholic” radio show.
In the archdiocese, Patros said young adults in the Totus Tuus program provide Bible and Catholic doctrine training for children. It is similar to a vacation Bible school with a Catholic focus.
Following one week of training, Patros, Lang and others spent one week at a time with six parishes, with one break in the middle.
Totus Tuus missionaries stay with host families, teaching students in grades one through six during the day and presenting retreats for students in grades seven through 12 in the evening.
Steven Lang
“It was probably my favorite summer,” Lang said. “You’re … doing God’s work in teaching kids and you get to see that firsthand and … witnessing his love for people as you’re teaching these kids.”
Each missionary team of four young adults starts the day in prayer and spends time during the day leading activities ranging from games and skits to teaching the catechism, helping children pray, educating them about the Mass and how to pray the rosary, Lang said.
“It pays back a hundred-fold to love these kids because of the overwhelming love and joy that we receive from serving the families,” Lang said. “God is … able to bless us as we bless the children. I was so humbled by the families and the priests that we got to encounter in Totus Tuus.”
Patros encourages other college students to consider Totus Tuus, starting with friendships formed. “Some of my best friends to this day were my teammates (in 2019),” she said. “You learn leadership skills, how to lead a team, how to lead a retreat, … how to speak (to groups). Your prayer life deepens so profoundly from getting to serve in love and also have such a rigorous life of prayer.”
She said it’s a great inroad for anyone desiring to work for the Church in the future and an incredible time of personal growth — and one that deepens a relationship with the Lord and other people.
So, given the global pandemic, will the Totus Tuus program be back this summer? Lang has already signed up. “We’re just trusting in the Lord that if it’s his will, that … it will happen,” he said.
To learn more about the Totus Tuus program or sign up, visit archspm.org and search for Totus Tuus.
“Practicing Catholic” is produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and broadcast on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
Other guest interviews on the Jan. 22 “Practicing Catholic” show are Catherine and Dave Deavel, who discuss their upcoming Faith and Culture Series presentation on sexual morality, and Andy and Deirdre Jameson from Twin Cities Retrouvaille, who describe an upcoming retreat focused on rediscovering a loving marriage.
Listen to their interviews after they have aired:
soundcloud.com/practicingcatholic
Practicing Catholic on Spotify
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