What is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?
CGS is a common religious experience involving children and adults in which the religious values of childhood, primarily those values of contemplation and enjoyment of God, are predominant. This experience is shared in a place particularly prepared for the religious life of children called the Atrium.
We are in the process of training catechists for a Level 1 program. If you are interested please contact Becky Holder at madalene.dre@gmail.com
What is a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atrium?
According to the United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, “The atrium is a community in which children and adults live together a religious experience that facilitates participation in the wider community of the family, the church, and other social spheres."
- The atrium is a place of prayer, in which work and study spontaneously become meditation, contemplation, and prayer.
- The atrium is a place in which the only Teacher is Christ; both children and adults place themselves in a listening stance before his Word and seek to penetrate the mystery of the liturgical celebration.
The environment is called an atrium. It is not a classroom. As Sofia Cavalletti has written, ‘It is not a place of religious instruction, but of religious life.’ It is a sacred space in which the child is initiated into the life of the Church and needs to be the work of the whole church.”’
As we begin this program at our parish, we are in need of assistants during atrium sessions and handmade materials. We are looking for assistants or people who are skilled in sewing, woodworking, clay sculpting, painting, or any other craft and would like to help create the materials for the Atrium.
For more information on The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd visit cgsusa.org