Catechesis Of The Good Shepherd

CONTENT OF CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

Children instinctively gravitate to the heart of the Christian mystery. Guided by the essentiality of the child, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd rests on a firm foundation of the twin pillars of Bible and liturgy. Beginning as early as the age of three, children listen to short passages of Scripture ranging from messianic prophecies and psalms in the Old Testament to infancy narratives and parables of Jesus in the New Testament. A guided meditation follows to allow the child to enter into the word of God at their own pace and to offer time for the child to respond in silence, prayer, song, or their own personal work. A catechist may isolate a gesture of the Mass, such as the invocation of the Holy Spirit over the bread and wine, and then invite the children to ponder the meaning of this gesture through their personal work with the articles of Mass.

THE ATRIUM

Adults and children gather in an atrium, the place in the ancient Christian basilica where the faithful gathered and prepared to enter into the church. The atrium of CGS is a prepared environment containing materials to aid the encounter with God. In the atrium, adults and children share a common religious experience living the religious values of childhood, primarily contemplation and enjoyment of God. “The atrium is a place of prayer, in which work and study spontaneously become meditation, contemplation and prayer” (The Spirit of Catechesis, #3). In the atrium, the only teacher is Christ, and both children and adults adopt a listening stance before his Word and seek to penetrate the Mystery.

THE MATERIALS

CGS uses beautiful, hand-made materials according to the Montessori method. Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician, saw the hand as an instrument of the mind and the heart. CGS materials enable biblical and liturgical themes to pass from the hand to the heart and intellect of the child. The adult introduces the child to particular tangible materials during a presentation of a biblical passage or a moment of the Mass in order to make concrete vital aspects of the Bible and the Liturgy. These materials facilitate a personal encounter with God and allow the child to continue pondering the Mystery of God long after the initial presentation. Thus, tangible materials encourage prolonged concentration and contemplation and serve as an aid to prayer.

THE CURRICULUM

CGS serves three age levels: Level I (three to six years), Level II (six to nine years), and Level III (nine to twelve years). Mixture of ages promotes mutual aid and cooperation and targets their religious needs. The Level I atrium announces God’s love in the person of Jesus, our Good Shepherd according to John 10, “I am the Good Shepherd. I call my sheep by name. My sheep hear my voice and follow me.” The relationship between the Good Shepherd, who calls, and his sheep, who listen and follow, initiates the young child into the mystery of covenant. Materials for biblical geography and infancy narratives make the Incarnation concrete and real for the child. Materials to meditate on parables and “signs” of the liturgy assist the child in continuing to explore and live the theme of covenant through the liturgy.

Around the time of first grade, children move into the Level II atrium. Expanding on the theme of covenant, the child hears a new image of God’s love according to John 15, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me bears much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” Through meditations on this parable the older child begins to experience covenant on a communal as well as a personal level. In the Level II atrium, the child ponders the mystery of biblical time through the history of the Kingdom of God. Moral parables and maxims add to the ongoing moral formation of the child. Work on the liturgy deepens the child’s continuing exploration and living of the covenant.

Around third or fourth grade, children enter the Level III atrium where they experience the continuing presence of God throughout history in presentations on the great plan of God. Through the plan of God materials, the older child ponders the “golden thread” of his presence and will that unites single events of history like “pearls on a necklace” (St. Augustine).The theme of covenant takes on new dimensions as children hear and respond to the call of God to collaborate with him in the work of their hands. The Level III child asks, “What is the kingdom of God and my place in it?” The Level III atrium also offers five biblical typology studies on Creation, the Fall, the Flood, Abraham and the Exodus from Egypt. Level II children further explore new moral parables and the signs and order of the individual Sacraments. Another study, called the History of the Jewish People, enriches the child’s appreciation of Jesus as a member of the Hebrew people and their role in the history of the Kingdom of God.

MORAL FORMATION

Sofia Cavalletti and Giana Gobbi believe that moral formation begins in relationship. Before one can know how to act, one must know with whom he or she is in relationship. In the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd moral formation begins at the earliest age as the child falls in love with God. Cavalletti insists, “Morality emerges from love.” The exercises of practical life coupled with moments of prayer and celebration in the atrium further facilitate the moral life through the integration of body, mind, and spirit. Father Dalmazio Mongillo, a Dominican scholar and longtime friend of Dr. Cavalletti, contrasts the image of ornaments hung on a Christmas tree with the fruit produced by a vine to illustrate the difference between good deeds outwardly performed and works flowing from a loving heart. As the children mature, moral formation continues through contemplation of moral parables, maxims of Jesus, and meditations on the history of the Kingdom of God. “History is the locus of ethics,” Cavalletti writes.

HISTORY OF CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd began in the 1954 in Rome with Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, a Catholic Hebrew Scripture scholar, and Giana Gobbi, a Catholic Montessori directress. Responding to the request of a friend, Dr. Cavalletti began to read the Bible with a few children in preparation for the Sacraments. She quickly discovered a natural affinity between children and the Word of God. A mutual friend then introduced Dr. Cavalletti and Ms. Gobbi who together began to work with children. They quickly became aware of the potential of the child for a deep and satisfying relationship with God. They applied the materials and philosophy of Maria Montessori, a Catholic Italian physician and revolutionary educator, and began to develop this very experiential approach to catechesis. CGS has now spread to over 65 countries. In 1983, catechists in the United States formed the National Association of CGS (www.cgsusa.org) to promote formation of catechists and to make materials and resources available to all.

VISIT AN ATRIUM

To experience CGS in action, find a local church with a well-established atrium and schedule a visit to the atrium during a session with children. A visit to an atrium can also be scheduled with any of the formation leaders listed on this website.

CATECHIST FORMATION

Catechists begin formation at the ground level—Level I—and work up through Level II to Level III. Formation at each level is offered in two parts at distinct times to allow the methodology to be fully absorbed. Level I Part One serves as the foundation for subsequent formation and introduces key themes and presentations that unfold throughout the remaining formation courses. Formation leaders, who have been recognized by the National Association of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and who have partnered with experienced leaders, guide the formation courses. A Level I Part One formation course is currently in progress at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Corpus Christi. For more information, contact Sandra McCutchon at [email protected] or (361) 215-4240.

 

CGS FORMATION LEADERS IN CORPUS CHRISTI

Sandra McCutchon, St. Thomas More Parish
[email protected]
(361) 215-4240

Cathy Harrel,  St. Philip Parish
[email protected]  
(361) 960-5737

Amy Nash, St. Philip Parish
[email protected]   
(361) 563-3022

Mary Ellen Galvan, the Cathedral Parish and Incarnate Word Academy Atrium
[email protected]
(361) 331-4700 

Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.

Pope Paul VI, n. 41-Evangelization in the Modern World, Apostolic Exhortation