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Toward priesthood

Posted on by Cori Urban

—Editor’s note: Robert Murphy was ordained to the transitional diaconate on July 24 at Sacred Heart St. Francis de Sales Church in Bennington. 

Two men from St. John the Baptist Parish in North Bennington have moved closer to the priesthood.

Robert Murphy, son of Kathleen and Kevin Murphy of North Bennington, is to be ordained a transitional deacon for the Diocese of Burlington at Sacred Heart St. Francis de Sales Church in Bennington at a date to be determined. A private ordination had been scheduled in May because of physical distancing requirements, but it is hoped a later ordination will allow more people to attend after pandemic guidelines are relaxed.

Casey Weber, son of Linda O’Brien of North Bennington and P.J. Weber of Bennington, was ordained to the transitional diaconate in May at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis, King of France in New Orleans by Archbishop Gregory Aymond. He is studying for the priesthood for the Diocese of Memphis.

Deacon Weber

Deacon Weber was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and when he was six months old his family moved to Shaftsbury and joined St. John the Baptist Parish; he became an altar server in third grade.

During his confirmation retreat, he had what he called his “first real experience of God.” After a prayer service, while praying silently, he heard God say, “Work in youth ministry and become a priest.”

The young man fought the call to priesthood throughout the rest of high school and college.

After graduating in 2006 from Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, he moved to Memphis and studied chemical engineering at Christian Brothers University and earned a bachelor’s degree in 2010; after graduation, he worked as a chemical engineer for five years before entering the seminary for the Diocese of Memphis. “The first time I visited Memphis, I felt like I was where I was called to be,” he said. In 2017 he graduated with a master’s in Catholic Studies of Philosophy and was sent to Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.

“The biggest challenge I have had to face with the Covid-19 pandemic is having to be ordained outside of my Diocese, in a private ceremony,” he said. “Notre Dame Seminary was able to go on lockdown instead of closing, so much of our formation continued as usual during the pandemic, with the exception of online classes.”

Deacon Weber plans to be ordained to the priesthood in Memphis next year and will carry out his ministry there. “My advice to those who are struggling to find or accept their vocation is to allow God to work on you. If He wants you in seminary, it will become obvious that that is your next step, if you are open to it,” he said. “There are many stories of people who finally stop doing what they want to do and ask God to show them what He wants them to do. When they pray that prayer honestly, God answers it.”

One of three brothers, Deacon Weber enjoys playing video games, reading and making Metal Earth brand models.

Robert Murphy

Robert Murphy graduated from Mount Anthony Union High School Bennington in 2013 then attended Providence College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 2017.

He first felt the calling to the priesthood in elementary school. “I was open to the call and desired to do God’s will for my life,” he said. He chose to study for the Diocese of Burlington because it is his home Diocese, and he felt called to serve the people of Vermont.

“There have been many great priests in Vermont who have inspired me in my discernment of the priesthood,” he said.

He will enter his Fourth Theology year next semester at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

During the pandemic he finished his studies remotely while staying at St. Michael Parish in Brattleboro. “One of the biggest challenges was being away from my brother seminarians,” he said.

Murphy anticipates being ordained to the priesthood in 2021.

He has one younger brother and likes to exercise, read and spend time with friends.

His advice for men who are contemplating priesthood is to focus on growing in holiness, especially through daily prayer, and striving to grow in virtue. “I believe that if they are open and seeking to do God’s will, God will lead them to their vocation and give them what they need to live it well,” he said.

—Originally published in the Summer 2020 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine. 

Totus Tuus: Vermont’s largest Catholic summer program

Posted on by Vermont Catholic

Totus Tuus is an energetic and fun Catholic youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness, and Eucharistic worship.

Totus Tuus is one week long, with the grade school (grades 1-8) session during the day from 9am to 3pm, and a session for high school students each evening. The week is led by our enthusiastic team of Totus Tuus missionaries!

For more information, please visit: vermontcatholic.org/totustuus or contact Pam King at pking@vermontcatholic.org

2022 Dates and Locations

June 19 – 24 Sacred Heart – St. Francis de Sales, Bennington

St. Andrew, Waterbury

June 26 – July 1 Immaculate Conception (St. Mary’s), St. Albans

St. Monica, Barre

July 10 – 15 St. Michael, Brattleboro

Blessed Sacrament, Stowe

July 17 – 22 St. John Vianney, South Burlington

St. Peter, Vergennes

July 24 – 29 Mater Dei, Newport

Christ the King, Rutland

July 31 – August 5 Corpus Christi Parish, St. Johnsbury

Ascension, Georgia

—Originally published in the April 30-May 6, 2022, edition of The Inland See

 

 

Totus Tuus: vacation bible school with value

Posted on by Cori Urban

It’s all about values and value.

For parents who send their children to the Totus Tuus Summer Catechetical Program sponsored by the Diocese of Burlington, the Catholic values taught to their children make the reasonably priced event value-added.

“It’s a good value — capped at $90 per family — and they teach good values,” said Becca Demers, who drove about 25 minutes one way from her home in Greenfield, Massachusetts, to bring the three oldest of her four children to Totus Tuus at St. Michael School in Brattleboro. This is the sixth year the family participated.

“They love it,” she said of her two daughters and son. “They have a great time, and it’s great they have faith-focused activities.”

Similar to Vacation Bible School, Totus Tuus is a weeklong camp offered at local parishes for grade-school children during the day and high schoolers at night.

Erica Mason of St. Ambrose Parish in Bristol enrolled two children in Totus Tuus there, both for the second time. “The engagement through games and songs makes them hold the information to get a better understanding of what it means to be Catholic,” she said. “It helps them grasp the meaning of the Our Father and of the Stations of the Cross.”

Her children enjoy Totus Tuus, and it helps them become more immersed in their faith. “I got closer to my faith by attending my youth group,” Mason said. “For them to have this [Totus Tuus] at a young age helps them grasp an understanding of their faith at their level.”

Caitrin Livingstone of Bernardston, Massachusetts, enrolled three children at the Brattleboro Totus Tuus, the fifth year in the program for the family. “It’s a wonderful group of people here,” she said of the Catholic school and parish community. “The children come home filled up and happy,” and they have good friends and caretakers at Totus Tuus.

Its faith-based nature “for us is beautiful,” she said. “They are teaching the faith by action and love.”

—Originally published in the Fall 2018 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine.

 

 

Totus Tuus T-shirts

Posted on by Cori Urban

Ella Walker, 16, a homeschooler from Jericho, is the winner of the Diocese of Burlington’s Totus Tuus T-shirt design contest.

“I was inspired to participate in the 2023 Totus Tuus T-shirt Contest because I was up for the challenge of putting my creativity to the test in the hopes of possibly creating a winning design that would help to support/promote Totus Tuus,” she said.

T-shirt designs had to include the words “Jesus Saves!” which is the 2023 contest theme.

Ella, who attends Mass at St. Anthony Church in Burliongton, chose the cross as the primary symbol for her design “because it represents our redemption,” she said. “It was the means by which Jesus saved us from the eternal punishment merited by our sins.”

The banner is intended to add emphasis to the fact that Jesus rose again from the dead, as well as to provide “an ideal display for the theme words,” she explained, adding that the crown encircling the tip of the cross serves two purposes: to be a reminder of “the bitter price at which our salvation was paid” and to symbolize that “Christ is not only our Redeemer, but also our king.”

The purpose of the contest “is to give young people a chance to be a part of the excitement and build-up to Totus Tuus Summer 2023,” said Daniel Lacourrege, diocesan catechetical leader.

Entries came from throughout the Diocese.

“The decision was a tough one because so many of the submissions were very creative and exciting,” Lacourrege said. “We choose Ella’s because we loved how it brought all of the words and Christian symbols together to create a memorable and meaningful design.”

Her design will appear on the official Diocese of Burlington Totus Tuus T-shirt; she also received a $100 gift card.

In related Totus Tuus news, its High School Nights program has received a grant from the Knights of Columbus Catholic Ministries Donor Advised Fund in the Vermont Catholic Community Foundation and a private donation to be used for dinners.

“For the last few years, all Totus Tuus programs across the country have been challenged by lagging participation from teenagers. Even though the daytime Totus Tuus program is more popular than ever with our younger students, teenagers simply have not been showing up to the separate High School Nights,” Lacourrege said. “So, the national Totus Tuus organization has completely redesigned the High School Nights to be more impactful. One of the key elements is providing dinner each night to the teen participants.”

He said the Knights of Columbus grant “will make certain that our parishes are able to provide these fun fellowship dinners across the entire state of Vermont.”

—Originally published in the Summer 2023 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine.

 

 

 

Totus Tuus T-shirt design contest seeks entries

Posted on by Cori Urban

Prospective youth participants in the Diocese of Burlington’s annual Totus Tuus catechetical summer camp are invited to submit a T-shirt design including the words “Jesus Saves!” which is the 2023 contest theme.

The contest, sponsored by Totus Tuus of the Diocese of Burlington, will have one main prize winner whose design will appear on the official Diocese of Burlington Totus Tuus T-shirt; there will be one runner up. The first-prize winner also will receive a $100 gift card; the runner up will receive a $50 gift card.

A panel of judges representing the Diocese will decide the winners. There is no fee to enter the contest.

Designs must be received no later than April 15 at 11:59 p.m.

Email design entries in either a pdf or png format to totustuustshirt@vermontcatholic.org.

For more information or full rules, email totustuustshirt@ vermontcatholic.or or contact Daniel Lacourrege at dlacourrege@vermontcatholic.org or call 802-448-3514.

Download a registration form at: vermontcatholic.org/totus-tuus-2023

—Cori Fugere Urban

—Originally published in the Feb. 25-March 3, 2023, edition of The Inland See.

 

 

Totus Tuus summer program is back

Posted on by Michael Hagan

“God is good!”

“All the time!”

Youth from throughout Vermont will be repeating these phrases at Totus Tuus, a weeklong summer program. Like many things, Totus Tuus didn’t happen last year, so it has been almost two years since young Vermonters have been able to enjoy this annual tradition. This summer, Totus Tuus is back in full swing, with 12 parishes hosting the program throughout the state in June, July and August.

Effectively teaching the faith to young people can be challenging. Totus Tuus combines faith and fun to create an experience that families return for year after year. “Totus Tuus” means “Totally Yours,” a phrase describing devotion to Jesus through Mary. During the week, students experience spiritual growth through the Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the rosary. They also learn about the year’s catechetical theme. This year the theme is The Ten Commandments.

At the same time, they sing fun camp songs, play games, eat snacks and have a water fight at the end of the week. Best of all, the program is led by a team of missionaries, typically college students, who love their faith and are excited to share it with young people all summer long. Parish coordinators say they are excited to have Totus Tuus back in action.

“Although last year we felt heartbroken with it being canceled, this year we have the buildup excitement. Our parish really loves Totus Tuus,” said Pam King, the program coordinator at Immaculate Conception Church (St. Mary’s) in St. Albans.

King says in addition to children loving the program, parents like how their children get to see other young people living out their faith, from the other students to the energetic Totus Tuus missionaries.

“Totus Tuus is really a win/win situation for our parish,” King said.

Lisa Grover, parish coordinator at St. Ambrose Church in Bristol, also says they’re looking forward to the return of Totus Tuus and what it brings to their community.

“St. Ambrose in Bristol is elated to once again host the Totus Tuus summer program! This program not only engages and encourages the spiritual lives of our young people, but breathes new life into our parish as a whole,” Grover said. “There’s no sweeter sound than young voices harmonizing during a decade of the rosary or excitedly retelling their favorite lesson from the day.”

There will be some adjustments for this year’s program. Vermont’s Catholic schools have shown that it is possible to safely have in-person instruction. We will follow their example and also adhere closely to the state’s forthcoming guidance for summer programs.

If you want your child to have fun and encounter Jesus this summer, sign up for Totus Tuus at a parish near you.

Go to vermontcatholic.org/totustuus or the diocesan event calendar to find the available programs and contact information for the parish coordinator.

— Michael Hagan is manager of religious education and catechesis for the Diocese of Burlington.