MOUNT HOREB — St. Francis of Assisi Parish had a fantastic week of Totus Tuus. 

The program, held July 12-17 at St. Ignatius Church in Mount Horeb, was a week of laughter, prayer, and growing in Faith for kids and teens. 

Totus Tuus is a national program that is run through local teams of missionaries. 

The Diocese of Madison has two Totus Tuus teams this summer, serving in parishes throughout the diocese and in neighboring dioceses. 

The Totus Tuus team of missionaries comes to a parish for about a week, hosting both a daytime program for younger kids and an evening program for teens.

The catechetical program is intended to supplement a parish’s activities during the school year, and help spark a love for the Faith through prayer, fun activities, and the joyful witness of the missionaries.

This year was the parish’s first time hosting Totus Tuus, and it was very successful.  

Songs, skits, and snacks

The Totus Tuus day began with a few fun songs and the day’s skit, which included distributing colorful strings to each participant. 

The strings are collected by the kids throughout the week and worn on their wrists. 

On Friday, a pair of bumbling “bumblebees” handed out “nectar” (yellow yarn) for the kids to add to their collection. 

The kids divided up by grades to learn from the missionaries. 

The first lesson focused on the fifth Luminous Mystery of the Rosary: The Institution of the Eucharist. 

The second lesson focused on vocations. 

The Totus Tuus program rotates over the years through material focused on different sets of Rosary mysteries and various sections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Between lessons, the kids paused to enjoy a snack break and then sang as missionary Francesca Cangelosi led them in “praying twice.” 

Throughout the day, cries of “Totus Tuus! Maria!” echoed. 

Although the call and response is used to keep order and encourage the kids to listen, it is not merely a convenient recitation. 

The phrase means “Totally yours, Mary,” and expresses the desire to belong wholly to Christ through Mary. 

“Totus Tuus” was St. John Paul II’s papal motto.

That was far from the only chant the kids knew, either. 

From crying “Take a seat! What?” when transitioning to sitting down, to acting like bumblebees as they moved around between spaces, to singing “the moose” just for fun, the kids were kept delighted and focused by the preparation and enthusiasm of the missionaries. 

Mass and cheery mayhem

Another part of the day was the church “tour” that occurred before Mass. 

Missionary and Archdiocese of Indianapolis seminarian Dominic Pavey explained various names for items in the sanctuary, and told the kids the names of the vestments, encouraging a deeper understanding of the Mass.

Mass was held right before lunch, with Pastor Fr. Brian Dulli offering a homily to the students that talked about boredom. 

He focused on how even in the midst of boredom, God is with us, and He is not bored. 

God has something to give us at every moment of the day.

After recess and lunch, attendees recited the final Rosary decade of the week. 

Then came the week’s eagerly awaited finale.

On Friday, afternoon lessons are replaced with a water fight, and the kids are given the opportunity to vote for a missionary to cover in shaving cream.

Throughout the week, the various grades had earned “rocks,” which were given out for good behavior and participation. 

At the end of the week, the class who had the most “rocks” won the right to be the first to take aim at the chosen missionaries with shaving cream. 

This week, the first and second graders won the contest and took eager aim at missionaries Francesca Cangelosi and Miriam Runde. 

After enjoying coating their teachers in shaving cream, the kids were ready to get a bit messy — or at least a bit wet — themselves. 

A water balloon toss was followed by a gleeful water fight, with the kids — most armed with buckets — making enthusiastic use of their opportunity to soak the missionaries and each other.

It was a fantastic way to end a week of sweltering weather. 

Thanks to coordinated effort from the missionaries and adult volunteers, as well as the kids’ pitching in to help, water balloon pieces were picked up promptly, and a “dry zone” was kept safe for kids’ belongings.

Watermelons and hard work

Similarly for the teens, the week ended with a focus on fun. 

For the teens, the last day of the program was on Thursday night, and they were clearly comfortable with each other and the missionaries by that time. 

Activities began with bursting watermelons, continued with shaving cream wiffleball, and ended with a full shaving cream battle.

Father Dulli was present on Thursday night and joined in the wiffleball game, despite black clerics being an excellent target for shaving cream.

A big part of the fun — and the witness of Faith that goes with it — came from the missionary team. It was clear that they had connected with the kids and brought them a lot of joy, as well as learning, over the course of the week. 

Totus Tuus is also supported by the local parish. 

Angie Sailing and Jennifer Stoddard, co-coordinators of religious education at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, were actively involved, and there were adult volunteers and teen helpers assisting at the Totus Tuus days and evenings.

The week in Mount Horeb is a fantastic example of around a dozen Totus Tuus weeks that were scheduled for the summer of 2026.