Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a religious formation approach based on scripture and liturgy that uses the educational and pedagogical principles of Dr. Maria Montessori. The CGS roots are in the Roman Catholic tradition and have been adapted for the Episcopal Church. The Catechism of the Episcopal Church, found in the back of the Book of Common Prayer, is a series of questions and answers that outline our faith. In comparison, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is framed to where children are encouraged to ask the questions and to discover the answers through work with specially crafted presentations and materials. The content corresponds to the liturgical seasons and the life of the church.

The atrium is an environment prepared to nurture the already present spirituality of children. Dr. Montessori borrowed the term “atrium” from the early church, as it was the space where the catechumens were prepared for Baptism. The atrium contains a variety of hands-on materials that are developmentally appropriate for the age range of children that they serve. The catechists and other parishioners have made many of the materials as part of their own personal formation experience.

Each atrium has at least one catechist--a teacher trained in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd method--along with assistant-trained adults. Their role is to prepare the environment and present lessons that inspire children to draw closer to God, asking questions like, "Who are you, God? How do you love us? What is the Kingdom of God like? What is our place in it?" Adults and children explore these questions together, learning from each other through the Scriptures and the prepared environment. Catechists undergo background and security checks in addition to their training.

Materials in the atrium are attractively and carefully displayed. Most items have been lovingly hand made by our parishioners. The most important characteristic of the materials is their close link to the biblical and liturgical sources. “The material consists of concrete “signs” of a transcendent reality (and) is a way of letting the child prolong, alone with the inner teacher, the meditation begun together with the adult.” — Sofia Cavalletti The children explore the materials at their own pace. This freedom allows the children’s understanding to develop and deepen.

Each level of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd contains three years of material. Even though children may remain in the same classroom they are receiving new lessons each year. A benefit of remaining in the same classroom is that a child may revisit a previous lesson with new perspectives or questions. “The themes (presented to the youngest children) serve as a bud; they unfold as the children grow, according to their developmental needs.” — Catherine Maresca Some of our atria serve children in a two or three year age span. This gives everyone the opportunity to be the younger child who watches and learns from the older children and to be the older child who is a role model for the others.

Any parishioner is welcome to schedule a time when they can come and observe an atrium, come for presentations for themselves, or simply come to explore the space. In addition, there will be an “Open Atrium” one Sunday during the year when the children can bring their parents into the atrium and give them their favorite presentations or show them their favorite work. During the Sunday School Hour our attentions are focused on the children.

We are always looking for folks to assist and to become trained catechists. We need materials made. We have a list of items that can be purchased and gifted to the atria. There is reading if you’re interested. You can come for presentations by making an appointment with a catechist. Please make yourself known to us if you hear that quiet little voice calling you to the Catechesis in any way. It is our joy and pleasure to talk with you about your involvement in Catechesis.

St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church is a member of the National Association of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, USA. For more information on Catechesis of the Good Shepherd please visit the National Association’s website: www.cgsusa.org

As with the Montessori model, each atrium serves a three-year age span of children up to age 12. We have four atria, located on the main floor of the parish, serving a variety of ages: Toddler Atrium: 18 months to Age 3 Level I Atrium: Ages 3-6 Level II Atrium: Ages 6-9 Level III Atrium: Ages 9-12