Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

What is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS)?

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Montessori-based religious formation program for children. It seeks to create and facilitate a sacred, hands-on space called an atrium, in which both the children and their catechists can hear, ponder, and celebrate the most essential mysteries of the Christian faith as revealed in the Scriptures and the Liturgy. The atrium is a space where the child develops his/her relationship with God, a relationship which already exists.

Children are deeply spiritual and their relationship with God comes easily to them. In the atrium, they learn the vocabulary of the Church, ponder the question “Who are you Jesus?” and learn to pray and listen to God. They work at their own pace with hands-on materials and presentations that include the Holy Bible, the liturgy, and the sacraments. They celebrate the great love God has for them and build a strong faith foundation. That foundation calls forth a response from the child to serve God and others.

Early in Dr. Maria Montessori’s work, a child said to her, “help me to help myself”, rather than doing it for me. In the atrium, the cry of the child is seen as “help me to come to God by myself.”

To learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which was developed in 1954 by two Roman Catholic laywomen, Sophia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi in Rome, visit the CGS website.

Program Offerings: Level I - Level III

All CGS classes will take place at St. Monica in Creve Coeur for the 2026-27 academic year.

Level I classes (3-6 years old, preschool and kindergarten) will be offered once a week on Tuesdays 9:30-11:30 a.m., Tuesdays 4:15-6:00, or Thursdays 4:15-6:00. Children must be fully potty trained to attend these classes.

Level II classes (1st- 3rd grade) will be offered after school on Tuesdays 4:15-6:00 or Thursdays 4:15-6:00. Children are prepared for and receive the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion in the CGS program. Children and parents are expected to attend 4 separate sacrament preparation sessions. Children also attend a weekend retreat in their sacrament year.

A Level III class (4th-6th grade) will be offered on Tuesdays from 4:15-6:00.

We request that children have a year of prior CGS experience to attend these Level II & III classes. Space is limited.

A young student learns about the Last Supper

A student learns about Jesus as the Good Shepherd

A young girl learns about the Liturgical calendar during CGS class

A young student learns about the geography of Israel

Program Offerings: Toddler Class

A Parent/Child Toddler class (ages 15-36 months) is offered once a week on Tuesday or Thursday mornings from 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM. Start immersing your toddler into the life of the Church and meet other families with children the same age. This class is offered in 2 sessions. You may choose to sign up for one or more sessions. If you also have an infant under 1 year old, you may bring them to the class at no additional charge.

See "Documents" for Calendar

A toddler holds a small crucifix at CGS class

A young boy learns about baby Jesus and the manger

Program Costs:

For all Levels: Parishioner $575/child Non-Parishioner: $775/child

There is an additional $75 fee for the Sacrament Retreat for 2nd graders.

A non-refundable down payment of $125/child for parishioners and $175/child for non-parishioners (Levels I-III) and $150/child for non-parishioners (Toddler) is required once your class placement is confirmed to secure your spot. You may either pay in full prior to the semester or a payment plan of 3 times a year is offered after the down payment is received. Sibling discounts are not available at this time.

If you would like to be considered for scholarship support, please fill out a St. Clement CGS Tuition Assistance Request form.

Registration:

Registration for the 2026-27 year is now open. Please click on the link below to complete your registration.

Support the Mission:

The CGS Shepherd Fund is a free-will donation fund that exists to strengthen and sustain the mission of CGS at St. Clement by nurturing the life of the Atrium and helping make CGS accessible to families in need. Gifts to this fund support family scholarships and the ongoing sustainability of the CGS program in service to the religious life of the child.

You can make a donation on St. Clement's website under Online Giving by selecting the CGS Shepherd Fund or contact the Program Director at [email protected].

Documents

Contact Us

Becky McBride (Interim)

(314) 540-6651

[email protected]