What a week we had!?! Thirty-two 1st -6th graders from St. Peter (Petersburg), Holy Family (Athens) and surrounding communities registered for our day program and five 7th & 9th graders for our evening program.

We laughed, we sang, we played games, enjoyed skits by our 4 missionaries all the while learning about the 5 joyful mysteries of the rosary, 7 sacraments, and some church etiquette.  Although the majority of our students were baptized Catholics, we still had a couple students that were not Catholic and they too enjoyed the games and lessons with their friends.

Totus Tuus, Latin for Totally Yours, is a weeklong summer bible camp like no other.  First, it is led by young, 18–24-year-old, missionaries teamed up to spread God’s word throughout the Diocese of Springfield, IL.  Mary Lorriane, Steven, Wyatt and Alexis were knowledgeable of our faith, energetic and very creative with acting skills for skits.  Quite literally wearing multiple hats and playing roles. Second, the kids are engaged in mass.  Catholic mass is awesome, but if you don’t know the significance of the parts it’s not. The kids were our lectors reading God’s words, our chorus singing beautifully, and our servers assisting our pastor with mass.  Each day before mass the missionaries and kids prepped with song practice, etiquette reminders, and discussion about a part of the mass or symbol within the church.  Even as an adult, I learned a lot.  Lastly, it is activities, songs, skits, games, throughout the day and evening. We even had a fire truck visit us and cool down the day before an epic water balloon fight in church parking lot.

Every program takes a village, and it cannot go unsaid how much our parishioners jumped in to make this week in July a success. Our missionaries need a place to stay, lunches, and dinners.  Our campers needed snacks, drinks and supervisors.  Our parish center and church needed helpers to prep and clean up. It’s the millions of little joyful actions of our parishioners that show we are Catholic.

I hope you will join us next year.