Event helps Totus Tuus carry on its mission from God 

“We’re on a mission from God.”

That was the explanation characters Jake and Ellwood Blues used when they needed to cut to the chase in the classic 1980 musical comedy “The Blues Brothers.”

Neither Aretha Franklin, James Brown, nor Ray Charles were at the Blues-Brothers-themed Totus Tuus Banquet that was held on Friday, April 10 at St. Catherine of Siena in Wichita. Nevertheless, one of the evening’s presenters, Felicity Gear, told attendees that her experience with the Totus Tuus youth catecchetical program, especially as a missionary, helped her recognize her own life’s mission of advancing the Lord’s work.

“The fire in me from a really young age that showed me how to spread that faith through zealous evangelization . . . is only possible because of you,” she told the assembled supporters who contributed more than $100,000 to support the new Totus Tuus Endowment Fund. “Because of you, young people are able to encounter Christ in their lives.”

Gear, who is majoring in hospitality management at Kansas State University, acknowledged that Totus Tuus had not only helped direct her path, but noted that she arguably owed her existence to it, inasmuch as her parents met as Totus Tuus missionaries.

Program founder Fr. Bernard Gorges followed Gear’s remarks and recounted the program’s genesis as one seminarian’s attempt to offer something akin to a Catholic vacation bible school one summer almost four decades ago at St. Michael Parish in Girard.

One thing led to another as Fr. Gorges was ordained and gradually expanded both the number of participating parishes and the number of catechists. Even as the program continued to flourish, especially by encouraging and enlivening the faith of the young adults leading it, a question remained. More than a decade and a half ago, Fr. Gorges recounted, then-Bishop Michael Jackels maintained it was necessary to ascertain the extent to which Totus Tuus relied on the power of Fr. Gorges’ personality versus the power of the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Gorges said he stepped back from direct involvement in the program and it continued to thrive, with fruits that included an abundance of religious vocations. 

According to Keiser, the new endowment will expand the pool of potential Totus Tuus missionaries without requiring the program to increase registration fees.

Later, during a moment away from the podium, Fr. Gorges said Totus Tuus’ continual growth was a sign that the Church was entering a golden age. 

“We’re in a golden era of Catholicism, not only in the state of Kansas, but throughout the entire nation and throughout the world for that matter,” he said. “it’s just beginning. The Holy Spirit has plans.”

Anyone who wants to contribute to the Totus Tuus Endowment Fund can do so at totustuusbanquet.org.