St. Mary's Parish is now offering Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for Level I (children ages 3-6).
 

What is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?

Children participating in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) will work in an "Atrium", a thoughtfully prepared sacred space to prepare children for fuller participation in the Catholic faith.

 

The atrium is not a classroom, but rather a place in which the child can fully receive God’s love and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. Based on Montessori principles and guided by an understanding of the child’s unique spiritual and developmental needs, CGS allows opportunities for children to interact directly and intensely with materials specially prepared by the Catechists and our faith community.   Work with these materials through CGS is considered prayer and it ignites in children a love of the liturgy, a relationship with Christ, and enjoyment of the presence of God.

 

Level I serves children ages 3-6 yrs. At this level, children work with materials that examine the central theme of Jesus as the Good Shepherd through various parables and narratives of the life of Jesus. They will dive deeper into liturgical life through explanation of the liturgical seasons, colors and articles of the mass. They will also take part in individual and group prayer, art, and music. The aim of the atrium is to plant the seeds in children which allow them to develop and nurture their faith, give children a language for intentional prayer and to participate more fully in the Mass. 

 

There are currently two sessions available on Thursday for Level 1, but there are more CGS leaders being trained for future classes.   For more information or to sign up, connect with the Parish Office or with Abbie Guinn at aeguinn14@gmail.com

​