‘I Just Love Learning About Jesus’: Totus Tuus Transforms Hearts at Guardian Angels in Mead, and Across the Archdiocese

(Photo by Neil McDonough)

This summer, Guardian Angels Parish in Mead came alive with laughter, learning and prayer as it hosted its fourth summer of Totus Tuus — a weeklong summer catechetical program community program supported by the Archbishop's Catholic Appeal that has become a beloved tradition in the parish. Designed to lead young people into a deeper relationship with Christ through fun, fellowship and formation, Totus Tuus — Latin for “totally yours” — has profoundly impacted participants of all ages. 

“It has brought the children very much closer to God,” said Angie McCann, the parish’s director of religious education. “It’s even gotten a couple of our kids baptized. Just seeing their relationship with God grow and change over the week is amazing.” 

Throughout the week, children from all grades gathered daily to explore the Catholic faith in engaging and age-appropriate ways. Mornings were filled with skits, lessons and games, while the afternoons brought more formation, time for prayer and even daily opportunities for Confession. 

Father Ronald Cattany, pastor of Guardian Angels in Mead, sees the program as an extension of the parish’s mission.  

“We serve everybody from the prenatal to the homebound. Totus Tuus helps expand the community life of the parish,” he shared. “It may get some families involved that may not be that involved. They might just come to Mass on Sunday and that’s it, but then they drop off their kids for a week and see there’s something else going on.” 

He also noted how the program builds sacramental awareness in children.  

“It builds up their comfort with the sacrament of Confession. Because they become more comfortable with me since we spend time together — being serious and clowning around — and we have Confession every day, they are able to become comfortable with the sacrament, which is really important,” he added. 

Children attending the program echoed that sense of discovery and joy.  

“I learned that he was presented when he was just a baby. I thought he was a grown man when he presented,” said Libby, a rising fifth grader who loved the program so much she’s already asked to come back next year.  

(Photos by Neil McDonough / courtesy of Guardian Angels Parish in Mead)

For Boone, who’s going into third grade, the best part was “probably the acts and the learning, and most of all having fun.” But he also discovered something new: “I didn’t know about all of the joyful mysteries, and now I’m getting to know a lot more about them and knowing what they mean.” 

For older students, Totus Tuus often plants seeds that grow into lifelong faith. For Peyton, a rising seventh grader, the program has shaped her journey in a personal way. 

“I've learned a lot not just this week but in past years. It's like every time I come here, I feel like I learn a little more about something I thought I knew the most I could about, like the mysteries [of the Rosary],” she shared. “And I learned more about the sacraments, too. The first year I came here I was not baptized, confirmed or anything, but my grandma sent me here and I got all my sacraments two years ago.” 

At the heart of the program are the Totus Tuus missionaries, typically college students and seminarians, who travel from parish to parish throughout the summer to share their love for Christ and the Church. 

Joseph Tynan, a seminarian entering his third year at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, has witnessed firsthand the transformation that takes place over just a few days.  

“The most rewarding part of serving as a Totus Tuus missionary is seeing the kids’ reverence at Mass increase each day,” he said. “This experience has helped me deepen my relationship with Christ by constantly relying on him from day to day.” 

Sabrina Borg, another missionary, found joy in the simple and profound way children understand their faith.  

“Sometimes just going back to those basics and just being like, yeah, we believe that the Eucharist is the Body of Christ because Jesus said so,” she said. “I really do like kind of learning how to see my faith from a kid’s eyes.” 

Beyond the classroom, the parish community showed its strong support through hospitality and fellowship.  

“It’s just amazing how our parish comes around Totus Tuus,” said McCann. “We had a potluck and a very good turnout for that. And in the past, we’ve had amazing parents who are willing to host families and do dinners.” 

Father Cattany added that planning ahead helps families prioritize the program.  

“Because the calendar is set in January, we can start telling people very early on so that as they plan their vacation schedule, we can help some people with their vacation schedules in the summer as well,” he said. 

In its vibrant mix of fun and formation, Totus Tuus continues to draw families into deeper engagement with their faith and their parish.  

As Boone put it, “I just love learning about Jesus.”