• Level I- Sundays- Nave: 
  • Session I: 12:00-1:15pm
  • Session II: 1:45pm-3:00pm
• Level II- Sundays- Men's Dressing Room:
  • Session I: 12:00-1:15pm 
  • Session II: 1:45pm-3:00pm
• Level III- Tuesdays- Men's Dressing Room:
  • 6:15-7:45pm
    
    
• Cost: $50 for one child, $80 for two, $100 for three

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to the religious formation of children ages 3 to 12. It originated in 1954 through the work Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, a Biblical scholar trained in Catholic theology, and Gianna Gobbi, a Montessori educator. After 50 years of working with children all over the world, these women found that whatever their culture, children respond in the same way to certain elements of the Christian message. This observation has shaped the core content and methodology of the catechesis.
 
Scripture, liturgy, salvation history, and sacramental signs provide the content of the catechesis – with a special emphasis on scripture. The methodology of the Catechesis utilizes Montessori teaching principles to help children develop an informed and genuine relationship with God. 
 
The children experience a formation that is profoundly Biblical and sacramental … and prayerful as well. The kind of knowledge that Jesus wills for His disciples is not a limited, academic knowledge, but a knowing that addresses the whole person – heart, soul, and mind. Therefore, while the children receive a thoroughly informed formation, the primary aim of the catechesis is to lead the child to an authentic, prayerful relationship with God.

Underlying the entire catechesis are the following principles:

• God and the child have a relationship that catechesis seeks to serve with reverence and respect.
• The child is capable of perceiving the greatest realities of faith, and must never be talked down to.
• The catechist is a servant of a message that is not his or her own, and together with the child must humbly listen to God’s word.
• The child must be given the opportunity to discover the truth on as deep a level as possible.
• Prayer, contemplation, and silence are natural components of the child’s religious life, and must be honored.
• Providing a joyful journey for the child and the adult is the essence of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
• Montessori educational principles underlie the methodology of the Good Shepherd program. A trained teacher/catechist prepares a special environment for the children’s work, worship, and reflection. Catechetical materials allow the children to work independently once the materials have been presented.

Contact Spring Ellemberger at: [email protected]