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 Gionna Gobbi in Rome, visit the CGS website.