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Meet the Missionaries
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Summer 2024
Hometown: West St. Paul, MN
Bridget BurrHello! My name is Bridget and I am a rising senior at Franciscan University. I am majoring in biology with the hopes of working in the medical field someday.
I chose to spend my summer teaching Totus Tuus because I love Jesus and the world needs to know how good He is! Especially young people. I am so grateful that the Lord has led me to the Syracuse Diocese and I can't wait to see what He has planned!
My favorite saint is St. Joseph. What a wonderful example of humility and generosity! I find his way of taking care of Mary and Jesus endlessly beautiful and inspiring.
A fun fact about me is that even though I am from Minnesota, I am SCUBA certified and have gone diving through a shipwreck!
Hometown: Endicott, NY
Joe Gill
Hello everyone! My name is Joseph Gill, and this is my second summer serving as a Totus Tuus missionary! I am a rising senior at Franciscan University of Steubenville where I am studying Theology and Catechetics with the hopes of teaching one day.
I am teaching Totus Tuus because I owe a lot of my faith to Christ’s work through catechists and teachers.I want to pay it forward by serving the youth in the same way I was served.
As of right now a saint who has had a big impact on my life has been St. Michael. It always blows my mind that we have the heavenly hosts protecting us and the Church. His closeness to God and constant intercession for us is a true comfort to me, and it’s good to ask for his help in being a better servant of Christ.
A fun fact about me is that I am learning carpentry!
Hometown: Syracuse, NY
Cecilia D'Alberto
Hi! My name is Cecilia D'Alberto, and I just finished my second year at Niagara University. At Niagara, I am majoring in chemistry, with minors in religious studies and biology. I am also an RA, and involved in our campus ministry.
I am so excited to be coming back for my second year as a Totus Tuus missionary!! It was one of the best and most formative experiences of my life, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to return for another summer. I love the true and profound encounter with the faith through the Totus Tuus program, from both the participant and missionary side.I have so many favorite saints, but my patron saint is actually St. Cecilia. Her fearlessness and devout nature through her faith is so inspiring to me. She is also the patroness of musicians, and music has always been a huge part of my life. St. Therese of Lisieux and St. John Paul II are also in my top 3!
A fun fact about me is that I got to travel to Lisbon, Portugal this year for World Youth Day and saw Pope Francis up close!
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Daniel Demoor
Howdy y'all! My name is Daniel DeMoor, and I am from San Antonio, Texas. I recently graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville with degrees in Theology and Catechetics, and I will be returning there next year to resume a Master's Degree in Theology.
This is my first time being a Totus Tuus missionary and I'm incredibly excited to be a part of this program in Syracuse, NY. Last summer, the Lord blessed me with the opportunity to serve as a camp counselor at a Catholic summer camp. This summer, I'm prepped for mission and am ready to serve the Lord and His Kingdom.
My favorite saint is Saint Gemma Galgani, her intercessory power and influence in spiritual warfare is nearly unmatched (as far as the saints go haha), and her love and devotion to the Eucharist is extremely inspiring. One of my favorite quotes from her writings is when her Guardian Angel told her that "the only path to holiness is obedience."
A fun fact about me is that I'm a HUGE Avatar the Last Airbender fan. Just mention that in a conversation with me and I promise we can talk for days about it. My favorite characters are Iroh and Zuko but I really love them all.
Hometown: Barnesville, MN
Elizabeth Peppel
Hello! My name is Liz Peppel and I’m a rising junior at Franciscan University of Steubenville. I am studying social work with a minor in sociology.
This is my second year serving with Totus Tuus and I couldn’t be more excited to spend another summer serving the Diocese of Syracuse! Last summer was such a faith-filled adventure and I cannot wait to see what the Lord will do with the program this year.
My favorite saint is St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Although I am not named after her, she is my confirmation saint! I especially admire her humility. St. Elizabeth grew up in a royal family but lived her life in unity with the poor. One of my favorite quotes of hers is “how could I possibly bear a crown of gold when the Lord bears a crown of thorns? And bears it for me!"
One fun fact about me is that I love to travel! In total, I have visited 3 countries and 30/50 states!
Hometown: Manassas Park, VA
John Quejada
Hello! My name is John Quejada and I am a junior studying philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville.
I cannot wait to serve as a Totus Tuus Missionary this summer! Whenever I have given myself to serving the Lord in a radical way, He has blessed me abundantly, for He is never outdone in generosity! I am so excited to share the Truth of Jesus Christ with His beloved sons and daughters.
My favorite saint is St. Thérèse of Lisieux. She was the first to show me what a personal relationship with Jesus is, and she has always been near me in both my struggles and joys. I hope that, by her prayers, I may burn with the fire of that same Love, enkindling a flame in the hearts of our youth.
I love reading, singing, going on walks, long conversations, and ice cream. I am discerning religious life, particularly with the Dominican Friars.
Hometown: Ponder, TX
Reece Pagel
Hi! My name is Reece, and I'm so excited to be returning for another summer of Totus Tuus in the Diocese of Syracuse. I am an incoming Junior studying Nutritional Sciences at Oklahoma State, where I get to be a part of the incredible community of students at St. John Catholic Student Center.
I am returning as a Totus Tuus missionary because my experience teaching students, especially about the Eucharist, was an unforgettable experience. I also can't wait to grow in community with my fellow missionaries.
It's too hard to pick just one favorite saint, but my best heavenly friends are St. Therese (my patron!), St. Mary of Egypt, and Mother Teresa. I've always identified with these saints' stories and writings, and they are always interceding for me in beautiful ways!!
A fun fact about me is that I am very passionate about my favorite movies — if you asked my 20 closest friends, they could probably all list my top three favorites off the top of their heads. My favorites are Baby Driver, Little Women (2019), and La La Land.
Hometown: Omaha, NE
Sean Patterson
Hello! My name is Sean Patterson, and I am a junior at Saint Louis University, majoring in Catholic Studies, English, Philosophy, and Theology. I am greatly looking forward to spending the summer with my fellow missionaries, preaching the Gospel which the world is dying to hear and dying from not hearing.
There are many saints to whom I find myself turning in prayer, but none so often or so profoundly as St. Thomas Aquinas. St. Thomas was the first to teach me that one can love God through wisdom and that our Lord delights in seeing us labor to understand Him further (that labor being particularly intense when reading Aquinas!). St. Thomas' work is simply brimming with insights that are certainly hard-won but that I find seriously fruitful in my spiritual life.
Something fun about me is that I've recently begun baking bread--artisan, sourdough, focaccia, you name it. It's fairly rewarding and definitely takes my sandwich game to the next level.
Hometown: Spartanburg, SC
Anna Lucia Jeffers
Hello! My name is Anna Lucia Jeffers and I am currently a freshman at the University of South Carolina, studying Media Arts with an interest in visual development for film and animation.
My personal Totus Tuus experience as a little kid is one of the golden memories of my childhood, and the fact that I'm able to serve this summer is so exciting, and truly a blessing.
I am constantly adding more saints to my favorites, but my patron saint is St. Catherine of Siena. One of the four female Doctors of the Church, her bold writings had an instrumental impact on restoring the Papacy to Rome. She is accredited for having said the quote: "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire", which has been the quiet anthem of my aspirations.
A fun fact about me is that I have once jumped out of a plane! Two friends and I tandem skydived last year to celebrate high school graduation!
Hometown: Sterling, VA
Miguel DaezHello All! My name is Miguel Daez and I am currently a newscast director for WTOV9 TV station in Steubenville, Ohio. I graduated last year from Franciscan University of Steubenville with a degree in Communication Arts and I look forward to hopefully advancing my career in Catholic news.
I am teaching for Totus Tuus this year because I have a passion for Youth Ministry and spreading the joy of Christ! I currently serve as a volunteer youth minister at Holy Family Parish in Steubenville where I love hanging out with kids and teaching them the faith. My greatest joy is to see kids on fire for love of God and growing in their relationship with Him.
My confirmation saint and favorite saint is St. Anthony of Padua because he comes in clutch when helping me find things I lose, haha. But also because he was very close to Jesus and even got to hold the Infant Child. Plus, he was an amazing preacher who inspires me.
Two fun facts about me: 1) I once built a snowman with legs which I am very proud of. 2) I love listening to and singing opera.
Hometown: Abington, MA
Carolyn Cooke
Hey everyone! My name is Carolyn and I just finished my junior year at Franciscan University. I am studying theology, catechetics, and psychology and I am a member of the women's lacrosse team as well.
I am serving with Totus Tuus this summer because I not only have a great love for the Lord, but also a deep desire to share this love with the youth so they may experience it as well. It is life-changing.
My favorite saint is Saint Faustina. I began reading her diary when I was in high school and she has inspired me to have a profound trust in Jesus and has emphasized how merciful the Lord truly is, which has helped to ground my faith life for many years.
A fun fact about me is that I studied abroad this past fall semester and I got to travel to some really cool places! A few of my favorites were Malta, Medjugorje, Poland (where I was so blessed to go to the Divine Mercy Shrine/the home of Saint Faustina and JPII), and Assisi, Italy!
Hometown: Mobile, AL
Sean Wagner
Hey everyone! My name is Sean, and I am a rising junior at Franciscan University of Steubenville, studying theology and catechetics.
I am so excited to be a Totus Tuus Missionary this summer! I am super passionate about bringing healing to people’s lives by telling them about Christ, and I can’t wait to do that this summer! I’m especially excited to meet and spend time with all the teens we will encounter.
After Mama Mary, my favorite saint is St. Peter, because he was just an ordinary man that God chose to do amazing things with. He reminds me to trust in God at all times, and especially to trust in His Mercy.
One cool thing about me is that I have recently been studying abroad. I’ve been to 8 countries in 3 months! I also speak some German and love working with my hands.
Rebecca Bolster
Hometown: Steubenville, OH
Hi! My name is Rebecca Bolster and I am a rising junior at Franciscan University where I am studying psychology.
I have worked the Steubenville Conferences for the past two years and witnessing the thousands of teens encounter Christ changed my life. I am so excited to be serving with Totus Tuus to meet new people and use the gifts God has given me to bring others closer to Him.
My favorite Saint is St. Therese because her "Little Way" inspires me daily to do small things with great love.
A fun fact about me is that I am on the track team at Franciscan and I have been running track since I was 5.
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