Each Totus Tuus Missionary Team is made up of four college-aged catechist-witnesses. Applicants must have an authentic, dynamic Catholic faith and be actively living the teachings of the Catholic Church. This is a great summer job experience for anyone who wants to work in ministry, education, or with children in other settings. There will be two young women and two young men who have committed their summer to deepening their own faith through prayer, worship, and spreading the word of God through their witness.

Totus Tuus is a Latin phrase meaning “totally yours” and was the motto of St. John Paul II. Taken from St. Louis De Montfort’s meditations in True Devotion to Mary, it signifies our desire to give ourselves entirely to Jesus through Mary. The mission of the Totus Tuus summer program is to inspire in the next generation a true longing for holiness, a deep desire for daily conversion, and an openness to their vocation by constantly challenging them to give themselves to Christ through Mary’s example.

Totus Tuus Missionaries will receive ten days of paid training at Central Catholic High School in Bloomington, Illinois and stipends during the six weeks of the program. In 2024, missionaries will receive a summer stipend of $3,500.

After training, the team will travel to six different parish sites within the diocese (possibly spending one week in a neighboring diocese) sharing the joy and beauty of our faith and teaching this year about the Apostles’ Creed and the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary.

Missionaries will arrive at each parish on Saturday evening, speak at the vigil Mass, and greet parishioners. The team will speak again at the Sunday Masses, inviting all young people within the parish to attend the program.

The Totus Tuus Program is set up to reach young people from first grade through high school in two separate programs. The middle school/ high school program will run in the evening from Sunday through Thursday each week. The Elementary Program for Grades 1-6 runs during the day.

Missionaries together as a team dedicate time each day to a life of prayer. This daily prayer provides the foundation for a summer filled with amazing moments of God’s grace!

Missionaries must be at least 18 years of age.

Missionaries will be housed with a family from their host parish. The ladies will be with one host family and the men with another. Lunch is provided by parishioners. Each evening, missionaries enjoy dinner with different families within the parish, before returning for the evening session with teens.

Totus Tuus missionaries will receive ten days of paid training and stipends during the six weeks of the program. Each Totus Tuus missionary will receive a stipend of $3,500 in the summer of 2024 (about $440 / week).

We have received a growing amount of interest in Totus Tuus from parishes across our diocese. The cost to parishes will be $2,200 / week in 2024. To schedule a Totus Tuus missionary team at your parish, please contact John Pratt at [email protected] or Jonathan Kaltenbach at [email protected].