2 minute read
A Mission in Totus Tuus
By NICOLE WENINGER
This summer, many of the Immaculate Heart of Mary seminarians have been in various locations throughout the Diocese of Winona-Rochester spreading God’s love and teaching his word to youth at the summer program Totus Tuus (Latin for "Totally Yours").
According to Jacob Fiala of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, he and his fellow missionaries teach the children through songs and games. During daily classes, they also get to teach them about the sacraments and the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary.
He shares:
I could not be more grateful to have had this opportunity as a Totus Tuus missionary. The witness to the faith that the youth display greatly inspires me, giving me much hope for the future of the Church. Through their witness and God's abundant grace, I have fallen more in love with the priesthood and am truly living to be totally God's through the hands of our Blessed Mother.
Mateo Pascual of the Diocese of Peoria found this experience to be a profound step in his formation.
He stated:
This experience has been one of the greatest blessings of my formation thus far... In the midst of giving talks, teaching the catechism, and leading prayer, God was doing something in me - quietly, patiently forming my heart into the spiritual father He’s calling me to be… Totus Tuus taught me how to love with more freedom, to give of myself even when I feel empty, and to trust that the Holy Spirit always guides me, especially when I feel tired. The grace I’ve received didn’t come in flashes of lightning, but in the smiles of children, the quiet moments before the Blessed Sacrament, and the little reminders that God is faithful.
We are so proud of the hard work our seminarians have put in this summer. We ask that you continue to pray for them as they complete their missions for this season.
Nicole Weninger is a marketing and communications associate for the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota.
