The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) Program is a Montessori based Catholic religious education program which nurtures the child’s relationship with God, and educates the child in the faith. As Blessed John Paul II says in his Apostolic Exhortation On Catechesis in Our Time, “The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch, but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ.”
The “Atrium” is a place of prayer, prepared especially for children to contemplate the life of Jesus and the Liturgy. Through the use of sensorial materials, the presentations encourage a sense of wonder in the child, a deep love for Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the Scriptures, and the sacramental life of the Church community.
Some of these materials include: infancy narrative figures, a raised surface map of the Land of Israel, a model altar and a model baptismal font. This concrete method of presenting the faith is similar to the way the Church teaches us through the sacraments, holy water, incense, and statues. The children also spend time with Practical Life materials like dishwashing, scooping and pouring exercises, and hammering. These exercises help develop small motor skills, concentration, and their love of work.
The “Atrium” is a place of prayer, prepared especially for children to contemplate the life of Jesus and the Liturgy. Through the use of sensorial materials, the presentations encourage a sense of wonder in the child, a deep love for Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the Scriptures, and the sacramental life of the Church community.
Some of these materials include: infancy narrative figures, a raised surface map of the Land of Israel, a model altar and a model baptismal font. This concrete method of presenting the faith is similar to the way the Church teaches us through the sacraments, holy water, incense, and statues. The children also spend time with Practical Life materials like dishwashing, scooping and pouring exercises, and hammering. These exercises help develop small motor skills, concentration, and their love of work.
