Catechesis of the Good Shepherd 

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd provides religious education for children from age 3 through 12 years of age. This religious education program involves hands-on learning and is based on the Montessori principles of education. It takes place in a specially designed room called an atrium, where all furnishings and materials are specifically designed to meet the developmental needs of the children who participate. Catechists who lead the sessions have completed 90 hours of specialized training and over a 100 hours with children per each level of training.

2021/2022  REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN - For more info please email Michelle Batitsta at ourladyofmercyatrium@gmail.com.

WELCOME TO OUR LADY OF MERCY
 

What is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) was developed over sixty years ago by Sofia Cavalletti, a Hebrew and biblical scholar from Rome and Gianna Gobbi a Montessori educator.  The philosophy of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is that young children – even the very young - have a religious life. God is present to them in their deepest being and they are capable of developing a conscious and intimate relationship with Him.  Each session offers a weekly opportunity to work with specific materials designed to draw the child into the Biblical and Liturgical themes. Time for individual work allows the child to absorb and ponder past and current presentations as well as respond to God’s constant invitation to grow deeper in knowledge and understanding of His infinite love. The atrium is a sacred space dedicated where children retreat from the noisiness of the modern world and enter a place of prayer. Child sized furnishings, manipulatives, and objects based on Scripture and Liturgy placed in the atrium encourage joyful self-discovery, foster community, and accommodate all learning styles. This approach, like all Montessori methods, respects children's individualism by allowing each child to grow and explore at their own pace. By allowing the child this natural path to unfold, they encounter Jesus and their faith in a deeply personal way.

Children are Grouped by Age:

Level I:  3-6 year old’s   

Level II: 6-9 year old’s 

Level III: 9-12 year old’s 

Each of these levels corresponds to the Montessori planes of development.  As the child grows in maturity, the essentials of our religious faith are presented in increasing detail and sophistication.  Children, in each level, gather in an “atrium,” a room prepared especially for them, where they can fall in love with Jesus, the Good Shepherd.  In the atrium, children live the central mysteries of our faith by working with and reflecting upon simple, yet beautiful, hand-made materials that help them absorb the most essential proclamations of our Christian faith.

Who Teaches the Children?

Saint Paul said, “It is Christ who teaches, not I.”  The catechist, one who echoes the Word of God, has a secondary role in the life of the atrium. It is the child’s own inner guide and teacher, the Holy Spirit, who directs the mind and heart.  The importance of the catechist is to place materials within reach and share scripture that fills a particular longing at each stage in a child’s spiritual life.

For more information about each level please contact Michelle at Ourladyofmercyatrium@gmail.com.

To register contact the above email for a form.

To learn more about CGS please go to www.CGSUSA.org : Check out their parent portal. CGS in the Home (Parent Pages) - CGSUSA