Totus Tuu Comes to Spirit of Christ Catholic Community

I have seen the words Totus Tuu on some church signs but never thought anything about it. I figured it was some church program and then I was asked to photograph Totus Tuu at Spirit of Christ Catholic Community.

What I found out is that Totus Tuu means "totally yours." It is a catechetical week long program for elementary school children. I was told that the program promotes the Catholic faith by skits, songs, games and Eucharist worship. One main reason is to show children that one can be a faithful, practicing Catholics and still have fun. I was lucky to sit in at the beginning and loved the way the instructors, all young men and women, made learning fun. The children brought their sack lunches, the program cost fifty dollars per child with discounts for more than two children in the same family.

On the Internet I found that "the goal is to help young people develop a relationship with Jesus Christ." In speaking with one of the instructors, he told me that the  teachers travel within the Denver metro area to different churches plus giving classes out of state. It is a summer program already set up and the young man told me had had been doing it for a couple of years.

Today was the last day and I had to laugh at the antics of the instructors. I noticed that the children are fascinated by the teachers and there seems to be a good rapport between student and teacher. A humorous skit with a young women showing the class the many ways to use a hanky made me laugh. She showed them they could wear the hanky around the neck, clean ears out, wipe feet, blow nose, and cover their head. The room filled with laughter as she acted out the different things that could be done with a hanky.




Instructions were given to the children on how they were to make a human sundae. When the instructors were pretty sure the children understood that there would be no squirting in the face they moved on with rules about a water fight. I followed everyone outside and the three instructors, who had been picked by the children, sat on the ground ready to be decorated . First the chocolate brigade began squirting and putting goopy chocolate on the three on the ground. Next came the whipped cream followed by the cherries and sprinkles. I tried to stay out of the way but somehow, my arm got a big glob of chocolate. I noticed many children were licking the chocolate smeared on their hands. When the sundaes were finished the water fight commenced.  I went and stood in the "dry/safe area" where no one could shoot water at me or any one else.

Some parents arrived with towels, one lady was video taping, and it was fun watching the kids with buckets, large cups, water guns, spray bottles, super soakers, and blasters shooting water at each other. By what I saw, the alpha and the omega of Totus Tuu, the children had a great week!

A few things bothered me and I wondered if I was being an old fuddy duddy. I couldn't help but think that maybe saving water, not throwing food away and not pointing guns at each other would also be important lessons to learn.

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