Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS)
“What if you could prepare an environment where the child is able to entrust themselves to the love of God for their entire lives? That would be religious formation for the whole of their life, even through adulthood.”
What is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd? CGS is an approach to the religious formation of children, rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the church, and the educational principles of Maria Montessori. Children gather in the “Atrium,” a room specially prepared for them located in the Mary Center. This very special room contains simple yet beautiful materials the children use to help them absorb the most essential proclamations of the Catholic faith.
Children are filled with WONDER and it is the goal of CGS to direct that wonder to an understanding of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and His love for all his sheep/children. It utilizes the element of discovery vs. telling and engages the child’s heart, spirit, body & mind.
This is a highly experiential program with materials that are child-sized and easy for children to work with. During their time in the Atrium, the children can focus on what interests him or her each session and work with any materials from any lesson.
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We currently offer sessions for 3 year olds through 3rd grade as another option for traditional religion classes. As this program grows, we plan to eventually offer this program for children all the way up to 12 years old. However, this will take several years to reach the 12 year old level. Please keep us in your prayers!
During the school year, Atrium times for Level I (3yr olds through Kinder) are offered: Sundays– 9:30-10:30; Mondays– 5:00-6:15; Tuesdays-Bilingual- 4:00-5:30; Wednesdays– 4:00-5:15 and 6:00-7:15 Fridays– 10:00-11:30
We offer Level II (1st through 3rd grade) on: Sundays– 9:30-10:30, Mondays– 5:00-6:15, Wednesdays– 6:00-7:15; Fridays-10:00-11:30.
Registration forms will be available in the church office and calendars will be available on the Faith Formation Calendars tab by August 1st.
If you are interested in participating in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, please send an email to Kristin Atkinson at psr@stannsparish.us. All new students will be added to the waitlist and we will fill in open spots from this list. Please turn in a completed registration form to add your child to the waitlist.
Please note that we fill open spots in the following order**:
- Children of CGS Catechists/Volunteers
- Currently enrolled CGS students
- Children of PSR volunteers
- New students
** We are always looking for people to participate in formation and join our CGS ministry. It is the best way to ensure that your child gets into this popular program!
Join our growing Ministry Team!
Our CGS Catechists participate in a 100 hour formation that is divided over several weekends through out the year. This is a wonderful way to grow in your own faith and nursery is typically available free of charge. We would love for you to join us! Please contact Kristin Atkinson for when our next formation will begin!
In order to participate in this program, your child will need to be potty trained as we are not equipped to change diapers, etc…
“Though you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, you have revealed them to the childlike.” Matthew 11:25
Looking for another way to get involved? We are also in need of parishioners that can sew, paint or are handy with woodworking to help us in making some of the materials that will be needed in our Atrium.
Want to stay in the know for your child’s faith formation classes? Join our REMIND group!
-Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program:
-Sunday CGS Classes – text @SundayCGS to 8-1010
-Monday CGS Classes – text @MondayCGS to 8-1010
-Wednesday CGS Classes – text @WedCGS to 8-1010
-Friday CGS Classes – text @FridayCGS to 8-1010
-CGS Ministry Team – text @cgsmini to 8-1010
For more in-depth information about this curriculum, please click here:
(Thank you to www.youngsheep.org for allowing us to use their wonderful video!)