For more information on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
or
on the Early Childhood Development Center, 

please contact Sr. Emily Lepage ZSJM  at cgs@saintjudepgh.org

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Toddler Atrium 18 months to 3 years old & Level I, Ages 3-6

“The Mystery of the Child Meets The Mystery of God”

We are eager to start the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd with the Toddler Atrium, 18 months to 3 years old and Level I, Ages 3-6; in the fall of 2022.

Open House
Tentative dates 4^th and 18^th of September after the 9 am and 11 am mass.

Meeting with Parents
Tentative Time/Date: 7 pm on the 13^th of September at the CGS center
 

Our program follows the liturgical rhythm of the Church

• The Infant and Toddler Atrium will meet
• Tuesday or Thursday mornings from 10 am to11:30am. This atrium is appropriate for 18 months to 3-year-olds. At least one parent or guardian must be present.

• Level I Atrium will meet
• Tuesday from 10 am to11:30am, (if there will be a necessity, we will also have the level I from 4:30 to 6 pm.)
• Thursday from 10 am-11:30 am (if there will be a necessity, we will also have the level I from 4:30 to 6 pm.)
• Or Saturday from 10am-11:30am. This atrium is appropriate for 3–6-year-olds (roughly preschool and kindergartners).

• One child is $40
• Two children are $35 each
• Three children or more are $30 each

What Is CGS?

• a faith enrichment program using hands-on manipulatives that are developmentally age-appropriate
• takes place in a specially prepared environment called an atrium, where children can focus on the treasures of our faith - Scripture, liturgy, and sacraments
• environment contains models and other materials to work with as children make the truths of the faith their own
• children are grouped by ages of developmental similarity: 3-6 (Level I). A child of three or four is the ideal candidate for beginning Level I.
• program is designed so that the child will spend three years in levels 1 and 2. Each week the catechist presents a new lesson.

What is an 'atrium'? Why is it not called a 'classroom'?

What Are the Benefits?

Why start a program for 18 months and 3 years old?

How Does This Happen in Toddler Atrium?

• Toddler Atrium is designed for 18 months and 3-year-old children where freedom of movement can lead to focused meditation while working with simple practical life materials in a religious environment. 
• This specially prepared environment with low shelving is suitable for the very young child to help them “do it myself”.  Atria is filled with simple yet beautiful materials that help them connect to the liturgical life of the church where church seasons and celebrations can be recognized with particular colors. 
• The ABCs of Christianity is presented through the senses so that the hand becomes the tool of loving and learning.  In other words, through our hands, God’s Word enters our hearts and mind.
• A young child’s natural learning occurs best through rhythmic language—the songs of our Mass and Psalms from the Bible offer opportunity to learn prayers and liturgical gestures in a joyful atmosphere.

How Does This Happen in Level I?

• The children see presentations (lessons) on the altar, the vestments, and gestures of the Mass; and have the opportunity to work with materials that reinforce what they have learned. They start to pay attention at Mass, noticing what color the priest is wearing and what he is doing at different points of Mass.
• The children listen to and meditate on the parables, and especially love the parable of the Good Shepherd. They know that the Good Shepherd knows them and loves them, cares for them, and calls them by name.
• The program follows the liturgical year to help the child learn the mysteries of the Catholic faith. During Advent, they learn about the geography of the land where Jesus was born, Old Testament prophecies of a Savior, and scriptural accounts of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. During Lent and Easter Season, we introduce scriptural accounts of Jesus' passion, death, resurrection, ascension, and the sending of the Spirit.
• Every session includes prayer time, with songs and spontaneous prayer by the children.

IMPORTANT INFO FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS

• Regular attendance is expected. 
• Since the goal of all work in the atrium is a relationship with Jesus and greater participation at the Mass, attendance at weekly Sunday Liturgies is our response to the call from Jesus.  Honor the Lord’s Day by attending Mass is not only a Commandment but also a Church Precept/Law.
• Children should bring “quiet” slippers to the atrium (no lights, noise, no large animal shapes). Quiet slippers help us be calm and respectful in the atrium and also help to keep the carpets clean.

For more amazing information please open www.cgsusa.org there is a great video that has important information.

How is it different?

• The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd differs from other approaches in several ways. For example, children begin CGS in their most formative years, ideally as young as age 3, or even a few months before. Unlike "textbook and lecture" approaches, CGS is more like a 2-hour weekly guided retreat in a deeply contemplative environment, in which children immerse themselves in age-appropriate work materials in a beautiful space. While beginning to educate children's minds in the Faith, at least as importantly CGS helps them cultivate deep, lifelong relationships with God that inspire them to want to learn about the Faith. Hundreds of thousands of families who have participated in CGS since its inception in Rome in the 1950s have seen the distinctly profound effects of this approach on their children throughout their lives.
• This program takes place in a specially-prepared room called an "atrium."
• The atrium is prepared very simply, containing hands-on "works" inspired by Scripture and the liturgy.  When the children enter the atrium, they remove their shoes (remembering that this is "holy ground") and put on slippers.  They choose a material to "work" with, perhaps a child-sized altar, equipped with two candles, a small crucifix, a chalice, and a paten. Perhaps they choose to work with the "Pearl of Great Price" diorama, reenacting the scene of the merchant and the pearl in miniature.  At some point in each session, the children will see a presentation of a new work that helps lead them to contemplate the wonder of Scripture or the liturgy. At the end of the session, the children and adults gather for communal prayer.  Through every act in the atrium, both the children and adults seek to "listen to God."  This method is foundational for helping instill the values of our parish and program, helping form our youngest children in prayer and love of Christ.  It is a Montessori-based method founded by Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi.
• The Infant and Toddler Atrium is appropriate for 18 months-3-year-olds. At least one parent must be present.
• Level I Atrium is appropriate for 3-6-year-olds (roughly preschool and kindergartners).
• Level II Atrium is appropriate for 6-9 year old (roughly first, second and third graders). This level can prepare the children for their sacraments.
• Level III Atrium is appropriate for fourth graders who have experience in this type of formation.

Materials always needed during the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program whoever can help us donate these article that would help us a lot:

• cotton balls 
• qtips
• white paper 8 1/2 x 11" (need lots of that to make copies of the extension works ** this is the greatest need.)
• white card stock 8 1/2 x 11"
• yellow, orange construction paper 9 x 12 or copy paper 8 1/2 x 11"
• colored pencils
• wood polish and metal polish from Small Hands (particular child-friendly chemical free polish)
• white wash cloths
• blue wash cloths and hand towels
• red wash cloths and hand towels
• yellow wash cloths and hand towels
• small wooden statues - can be religious or pleasant animals or simple objects - for wood polishing small tarnished articles for silver polishing
• wood for shelving - this would be specific sizes and type of wood

Thank you for your Generosity!

As we plan for starting a Catholic Montessori school, we are searching for trained Montessori guides and those who are experienced with woodworking to make quality shelving for our CGS atria and the Montessori environment. Do you perhaps know a retired Montessori teacher who would like to work with young children again? Or a college graduate who is interested in Montessori education - the only method that has been called Education to Peace?
Please contact Sr. Emily at cgs@saintjudepgh.org if you have Montessori or woodworking experience.

We have had great fruit from the CGS Level I course held at Saint Raphael in 2020 and 2021. Our adult participants have become involved in our CGS sessions with children and they have shared how much they have grown in their own relationship with God. We would like to offer another course for those interested in being a CGS catechist or for parents who would like to learn more about the spiritual development of the young child. A course in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd offers each individual participant a spiritual retreat while also discovering the teaching methods of Jesus - the language of signs.  The two pillars of CGS for children and adults are Scripture/Bible and the Liturgy/Holy Mass. 
Come discover the treasures of our faith while nurturing your own relationship with Jesus as you learn this beautiful method of helping children encounter Jesus our Good Shepherd!  If you are interested in participating in a future CGS course, please contact Sr. Emily at cgs@saintjudepgh.org
 

Click on the picture below to open a pdf of an article sharing the beautiful experience taken from the magazine the Bishops' Bulletin of January 2022. The article is written by Pauline Lev and is from CGS atrium at St. Lambert Parish, Sioux Falls.