Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS)
At this time of COVID, we have been unable to open this program safely. We ask that you keep our catechists and our children in your prayers!
All Catechesis of the Good Shepherd students should register to participate in the At Home Faith Formation for this Fall 2020 season, and we pray that we will be able to open the atrium as a way to supplement the At Home Formation as soon as it can be safely done! Click HERE to register or go to the church office and complete a paper form.
“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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At Home Family Faith Formation Resources
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Resources
We are blessed to have the national office for CGS (cgsusa.org) sharing with all of us great resources on how parents can bring some of the beauty of CGS into their own homes. Please click this link to go to their page and find more resources: https://www.cgsusa.org/homepage/covid-19-response/
Click the following links for more info on these great activities for the family:
-Preparing a prayer space at home 
“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!)