Catechesis of the Good Shepherd | Formation for the Future

An overview of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and my personal experience over the past three years as a Level 1 catechist and mother of 3 in the Atrium.

A Greater Understanding of the Mass

Yesterday, the first Sunday after Pentecost, we were sitting in Mass, and my nine-year-old daughter leaned over to me and whispered, “Why is the priest wearing white?” I shrugged and looked in the missel and saw and pointed to where it said that the Church was celebrating the feast of the Holy Trinity. “Maybe that’s why,” I whispered back. We went back to focusing on the Mass, and that was that. But later, that moment came back to me. I realized that when I was Audrey’s age, I would never have noticed the priest’s vestments being different from what matched up in the liturgical colors of the calendar. In fact, at her age, I had very little understanding or knowledge of the Mass at all. 

Is being a Cradle Catholic enough?

I was raised by wonderfully devout Catholic parents. My Dad is a cradle Catholic, and my mom is a convert. Our family prayed a family Rosary almost every night of our lives. We never missed Sunday Mass and frequently attended Adoration and daily Mass. My eight siblings and I were enrolled in our church’s catechism classes from kindergarten into our teenage years. I’m noting all this to say that my parents did not fail. But to me, as a child, I had very little understanding of the parts of the Mass. I knew there were Bible readings in the beginning portion; consecration meant we were getting closer to the end. 

But the other day, when Audrey pointed out that the priest’s vestments were inconsistent with the liturgical seasons, I realized I had the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program to thank. 

The Work of the Child in the Atrium

We began sending our girls to CGS three years ago, shortly after arriving at a parish that had recently implemented it into their religious education program. Upon arriving for their first day, parents were encouraged to stay and tour the classrooms to understand better what the Catechesis of the Good Shepard was and how the teaching style differed from the religious education most of us grew up with.  

CGS is a Montessori-based approach with a beautifully cultivated hands-on space for the religious formation of children to take place. Each little corner of the atrium had its own very specific purpose. From a beautiful prayer corner to a place to learn about the gestures of the Mass to a model altar with all the articles of the Mass for the children to familiarize themselves with. The level I Atrium for 3-6 year olds, was awe-inspiring to me at first sight because of the way it was made for such young children and yet didn’t feel like a play area that encouraged play, but instead, a specially prepared environment to cultivate a unique relationship between the child and Our Lord, the Good Shepherd.

In fact, during my training, I learned that CGS is very purposeful about this language, always referring to what the child is doing as their “work” and never as play, elevating the children even as young as three-year-olds, to an understanding that what they do holds value and meaning.

Where did Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Start?

The CGS website notes, “Catechesis of the Good Shepherd came about through the work of two Roman Catholic laywomen in Rome: Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi. They were inspired by the educational principles of Maria Montessori, also a Catholic. The materials they prepared for children, since 1954, were based on the Bible, the Roman Catholic liturgy and sacraments, Tradition, and Church teachings.”

I immediately fell in love with the beautiful space and how each level met the children’s specific spiritual needs. 

I ended up spending that first year assisting with level I and occasionally in level II. After that first year, our lead catechist asked if I would be interested in taking the formation course for CGS training. I wholeheartedly signed up. 

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) Training

The National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd takes the formation of their Catechists very seriously, meticulously handing down what the founders of CGS, Dr. Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi, began. Each level of formation contains about 90 hours of training: “The Level I course is the foundational course for anyone interested in offering Catechesis of the Good Shepherd to children ages 3 to 6, 6 to 9, or 9 to 12. The Level I course presents the seminal themes that continue through all three levels. It focuses on the writing of the “album page,” which prepares the catechist to compile their albums for all three levels. It is an orientation to the atrium and the life of the atrium.” CGSUSA 

During my time in training, I, a full-grown adult, mother, and cradle Catholic, learned so much about the Mass. One example is that there is an entire lesson on the gesture of Epiclesis. The USCCB notes, “The epiclesis, in which, by means of particular invocations, the Church implores the power of the Holy Spirit that the gifts offered by human hands be consecrated, that is, become Christ’s Body and Blood, and that the unblemished sacrificial Victim to be consumed in Communion may be for the salvation of those who will partake of it.”

I have seen that moment and gesture of the Mass my whole life, and I never stopped to think that it even had a name, let alone that we could be teaching 3-6 year olds an entire lesson on that particular moment. The Mass is so rich.

Religious Formation: A Parent’s Responsibility

The child’s religious education and faith formation is, first and foremost, the parent’s responsibility. I know that, and the CGS Catechists know that. That was one of the reasons I decided to go to become a CGS instructor. I wanted to understand the deep richness of the CGS approach and better understand it, both to share with other children in the classroom, but first and foremost, as a way to better enrich the religious teaching experience between myself and my children. 

What I did not know at the time of my CGS class was that some people out there had their share of serious doubts about The Catechesis of the Good.

My Thoughts on Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Here is what I took away from my level I training and what I have seen through first-hand experience through my own children being in the atrium environment for the past three years. 

1. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) approach to Religious Education creates strong foundational blocks for the children to build upon for their entire lives.

2. The work that the children do with hands-on materials has an incredibly deeper impact on how they absorb and remember the lesson presented to them. 

3. A greater understanding of the Liturgy of the Church and Sacred Scripture through lessons and beautiful materials (especially lessons such as the modal altar and the gestures of the Mass) has led to a deeper and more active participation in the Mass. 

4. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has helped cultivate a deep relationship between my children and Our Lord and has aided in their appreciation of contemplative prayer and work. At this point, two of my daughters have received First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion while enrolled in CGS, and it has been such a beautiful experience to witness them and the growth of this relationship between them and the Person of Jesus.   

5. Though CGS does not have a “formal curriculum” that is available to purchase, going through the vigorous and in-depth training, the instructors go over every lesson with you as you “write the album pages”, and in doing so, I was able to gain a much deeper understanding and appreciation for each lesson than I would have if someone had just handed me a finished formal curriculum to regurgitate to the child verbatim. This approach was deeply meaningful to me. Our Faith has been handed down to us in a personal way through Scripture and Tradition since creation, and this approach of learning and passing down this beautiful education in a very personal and intentional way seemed to mirror that beautifully. 

Formation for the Future

I plan on continuing my education and furthering my training with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in the future if The Holy Spirit presents me with opportunities. CGS has been nothing but a blessing to our family. If you have an atrium in your area and have been on the fence about looking into it at all, I hope you will take the opportunity to have a look around. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Read more about Homeschooling and parenthood in Paraclete Pedagogy.

AMDG

Emma Williams

Catholic wife and homeschooling mother of five. 

CGS Level 1 Catechist