United Catholic Youth Ministries
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Totus Tuus Summer Camp

Due to the impending unification announcements for the Evanston parishes, the priests in consultation with the UCYM Team have opted to not host Totus Tuus this summer (2022). We hope we will be able to offer this program next summer for our children and teens. If you are interested in seeing if a nearby parish or grouping is hosting Totus Tuus, please contact us at totustuus@ucym.org.

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What is Totus Tuus?

The Totus Tuus program aims to inspire young people to long for holiness, develop a deep desire for conversion and personally renew their faith with a stronger prayer life. Through evangelization and catechesis, Totus Tuus seeks to foster openness to the sacrifices and blessings of the various Christian vocations.

The program began in 1987 as a vacation bible school program in the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas. In 2007, Totus Tuus of Chicago launched its pilot program with two teams serving 10 parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Joliet. The program continues to expand, now serving over 24 parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago.

The Five Pillars of Totus Tuus

  1. The Eucharist:  The Eucharist is an integral part of Totus Tuus schedule. Prayer provides the structure, but the celebration of the holy sacrifice of the Mass is the “source and summit” of the daily schedule.
  2. Marian Devotion:  Totus Tuus catechists and counselors (missionaries) lead young people of the program to Jesus for a week, however, Mary will lead them to Jesus for a lifetime. Meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, we come to see how Mary always leads us to her Son.
  3. Catechetical Instruction:  Totus Tuus instructs young people on the basic tenets of the Catholic faith to cultivate both a firm intellectual grounding and a solid relationship with Jesus. All of our teachings aim to help young people grow in their faith and friendship with Jesus Christ.
  4. Vocation Discernment:  Totus Tuus strives to foster Christian vocations by encouraging young people to begin discerning God’s call in their lives. College-aged teachers sign a “covenant” in which they promise to be open to and actively discern God’s will for them. It’s through this, they can help others do the same.
  5. Fun:  Totus Tuus demonstrates that one can be a faithful Catholic and still have fun. Morning “pump up," silly skits and songs, recess and water fights at each parish infuse the element of fun into the program.
​
​Source: https://vocations.archchicago.org/events/totus-tuus/what-is-totus-tuus

Programs & Curriculum

GRADE SCHOOL PROGRAM - 1ST-6TH GRADE
During the week, children entering first through sixth grade in the upcoming school year participate in four classes each day, attend daily Mass, learn the parts and liturgical songs of Mass, and participate in games, skits, songs, recess and prayer.
MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM - 7TH-12TH GRADE
​Totus Tuus offers an evening program for junior high and high school students enrolling in seventh through 12th grade in the upcoming school year. This program takes place Sunday through Thursday evenings from 7 – 9 p.m. The program includes instruction, small group discussions, quiet meditation, prayer and fellowship.
MISSIONARY LEADERS & CURRICULUM
Both the grade school, and junior high and high school programs are led by college students and seminarians from Chicago and across the United States. They are trained to carry out the program’s mission to teach and inspire the children participating in the program. 
Much of the success of Totus Tuus is due to our missionaries, whose zeal for Christ and His Church encourage young people to lives of radical holiness. In fact, the missionaries of Totus Tuus often discover their own vocation as they too are inspired to live a life of deeper devotion. Historically, approximately 12 percent of Totus Tuus team members pursue formation in the priesthood or religious life.

Totus Tuus uses sacred scripture and the catechism of the Catholic Church to instill the faith of the Church in the hearts and minds of young people. The program follows a six-year cycle to give young people the opportunity to be a part of Totus Tuus year after year. Please see below for the most recent cycle. 

Each year, there is a focus on Marian devotion as well. Every day of the week the youth learn of another mystery and pray a decade of the rosary after recess as an entire group. By the end of the week, youth will have prayed an entire rosary and deepened their understanding of Christ’s life through reflecting on the mysteries of the rosary. Details on the cycle are below. 
  • Year One (2018): The Apostles Creed
  • Year Two (2019): The Sacraments
  • Year Three (2021): The 10 Commandments
  • Year Four (2021): The Virtues
  • Year Five (2022): Prayer and Our Father
  • Year Six (2023): The Mystery of Salvation

To parallel this six-year cycle, Totus Tuus follows a four-year cycle dedicated to the mysteries of the Rosary:
  • The Joyful Mysteries
  • The Luminous Mysteries
  • The Sorrowful Mysteries
  • The Glorious Mysteries

Contact & Visit Us

San José Sánchez del Río Center | Main Office
St. Nicholas Campus of St. John XXIII Parish
1108 Washington Street
Evanston, IL 60202

St. Francis of Assisi Center | Satellite Office
St. Athanasius Campus of St. John Newman Parish
​UNDER CONSTRUCTION
2510 Ashland Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201

Phone: 847-719-9071
Email: 
​office@ucym.org

Mailing and Delivery Address
806 Ridge Avenue
c/o UCYM Office
Evanston, IL 60202

Main Office Hours
Monday 3-8 pm
Tuesday 3-8 pm
Wednesday 3-8 pm
Thursday 3-8 pm
Friday 3-9 pm
Saturday by appointment
Sunday by appointment

Quick Links

Closed on Sunday Podcast
​​Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Leadership Academy
Protection of Youth & Children
Renew My Church
Quinceañera Ministry
​
SEED
Youth Group

Connect with Us


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Any email sent from us will either be sent by Flocknote (mail@flocknote.com) or by a member of the UCYM staff or Ministry Team using an email address firstname@ucym.org. Please send other email to Spam and please let us know at office@ucym.org if you receive any spam messages so that we can alert others to a possible scam.

​© United Catholic Youth Ministries. All Rights Reserved.

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  • About UCYM
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)
    • Protection of Children & Youth
    • Who We Are
    • Leadership >
      • Our Team
      • Boards and Councils
      • Join Our Team!
    • Calendar
    • Renew My Church
    • Donate
    • News & Updates
    • Store
  • For Youth
    • Start Here
    • Anti-Racism Pilot
    • Leadership Academy >
      • Start Here
      • Leader-in-Training
      • Saints-in-Training
      • Discipleship Learning
      • Peer Ministry
      • Youth Minister Formation
    • Campus Ministry
    • Archdiocesan Programs >
      • Holy Fire
      • NCYC
      • Totus Tuus
      • Spirit Day
    • For Children >
      • Children's Liturgy of the Word
      • Confirmation
      • Religious Education
      • Vacation Bible School
    • Retreats >
      • Emmaus Retreat
      • Kairos
      • Metanoia
      • Offline
      • 24-Hour No Phone Retreat
    • Youth Council
    • Youth Group
  • For Young Adults
    • Start Here
    • 20s & 30s Group
    • Alpha
    • College Outreach
    • Podcast
    • Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)
    • SEED
    • Theology On Tap
    • World Youth Day 2023
    • Young Adult Council
  • Hispanic Ministry
    • Start Here
    • Consejo Hispano
    • Hispanic Celebrations >
      • Day of the Dead
      • Hispanic Heritage Month
      • Our Lady of Guadalupe
    • Pastoral Juvenil
    • Quinceañera Ministry
    • Resources >
      • V Encuentro
      • USCCB
  • Service
    • Start Here
    • Care for Creation >
      • Start Here
      • Archdiocese of Chicago
      • Community Garden
    • HER Drive
    • Snack Drive
    • SNAP Gap
  • Resources
    • Worship Opportunities
    • Archdiocesan Agencies >
      • Start Here
      • Amate House
      • Care for Creation Ministry
      • Catholic Relief Services
      • Domestic Violence
      • Kolbe House Jail Ministry
      • Pastoral Migratoria
      • Respect Life
      • St. Kateri Center of Chicago
      • USCCB
    • Covid-19
    • Equality for Women in the Church
    • LGBTQ+ Community >
      • AGLO
      • God Is On Your Side: A State from Catholic Bishops Protecting LGBTQ Youth
      • New Ways Ministry
      • Outreach - An LGBTQ Catholic Resource
    • Mental Health Awareness
    • National Eucharistic Revival
    • Need to Talk?
    • Partnerships >
      • Blessed Sacrament Youth Center
      • Catholic Athletes for Christ
      • Coalition to End Homelessness in Evanston
      • Evanston Cradle to Careet
      • Evanston Latinos
      • Interfaith Action of Evanston
      • Laudato Si' Action Platform
      • New Ways Ministry
      • Tyler Clementi Foundation
      • Sheil Catholic Center
    • Synod on Synodality
    • Vocations >
      • Start Here
      • Cava
      • Archdiocese of Chicago
      • USCCB
  • Lent
  • Staff Login