What is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?

Beginning in 1954 in Rome, Italy, Sophia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi, inspired by the work and insights of Maria Montessori, developed an approach to the faith formation of children.  They recognized the religious potential of the child.  Young children's souls are open to divine revelation despite being less developed intellectually and less skilled in reasoning.

This program is based on the conviction that God and the child are in a relationship that can be deep and intense; while a 4-year-old may not be able to be a theologian, he or she can be a saint in communion with the triune God.  The child has a deep need to experience and has a special capacity to enjoy the presence of God.  The task of the adult is to help the child live fully this encounter with God.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is based on the sound teaching of the Catholic Church's tradition.  In revealing the Good News to the children, Sacred Scripture  & the Liturgy are utilized.  The themes are offered in such a way as to develop the precious religious potential present in every child:  the capacity to love God and be loved by Him.

Questions?

For questions regarding CGS Level I or Level II Formation, please contact Mary Ellen at 337-774-2614, or email her below.

CGS National

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INTRODUCTION TO CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a method of religious formation rooted in the Bible, the Liturgy of the Church, and the educational principles of Maria Montessori.  Children gather in an "atrium", a room prepared for them, which contains simple, yet beautiful and often homemade materials used to lead them into the life of the Church.

Many have wondered how these materials help the religious life of the child.  When an adult hears a beautiful passage from the Bible, the adult might pick up a Bible, find the passage, and read it slowly again and again.  He or she may think deeply about the words and perhaps speak to God in a thankful or hopeful prayer.  But a little child, too young to read, needs another way.  In an atrium, the child can ponder a biblical passage or a prayer from the liturgy by taking the material for that text and working with it, placing wooden figures of sheep in a sheepfold of the Good Shepherd, setting sculpted apostles around a Last Supper table, or preparing a small altar with the furnishings used for the Eucharist.  Older children, who do read, often copy parables from the Bible, lay in order pre-written prayers, or label a long timeline which shows the history of the Kingdom of God.
This catechesis was begun over 50 years ago in Rome by Sofia Cavalletti, a Catholic scholar with an expertise in Hebrew Scripture.  Sofia was asked by a friend to prepare her 7-year-old son for First Communion.  Knowing nothing about working with children, Sophia nevertheless began, opening the Bible to Genesis 1:1, reading bit by bit and reflecting with the boy on what they were reading.  Seeing the joy, peace and satisfaction on his face led her to imagine the awesome spiritual potentials of the child.  She began a collaboration with Montessorian Gianna Gobbi, who understood childhood development.  Together with the children, these two began developing the materials you see in our atrium today.  Sofia continued her work with children in her home atrium in Rome until her passing in 2011.
CGS has grown, and today children ages 3 to 12 are served in atria throughout the world, from remote rural areas to large urban cities.  At each level, the curriculum is based on what Sofia and other catechists discovered, through careful observation over the course of many years, to be the most central, absorbing, resonant work for the children.

LEVEL I

LEVEL II

LEVEL III
In Level I, 3-6-year-old children develop a relationship with a loving God, a God who calls His sheep by name, a God who will look for lost sheep.  The children reflect upon many aspects of the Mass; the gestures and prayers they have seen so many times are named, discussed, and practiced.  They learn new words, care for themselves and the environment, observe carefully, and respond with joy.  The work of the 3-6-year-old child is primarily solitary work involving much repetition.
In Level II, the 6-9-year-old children are introduced to a God who directs the unfolding of salvation history with the aim of bringing all of creation into a deeper communion with Him.  The children consider God's work of Creation and celebrate Christ's work of Redemption.  Through the prophecies, they are offered a vision of the Parousia.  A longing for harmony and the coming of the Kingdom and an end to all that is bad in the world surfaces.  The children see beyond themselves, exhibiting concern for the world as a whole.  In marveling at God's gifts, they begin to take stock of their own response.  They look to Jesus' words and parables to help them know what is right; moral formation begins.  They prepare for the Sacraments.  They begin to read Scripture themselves.   They create their own missals.  They enjoy working in groups.  They plan and lead prayer services.
In Level III, the 9-12-year-old children journal; they wrestle with moral questions as a group.  Like the Level II children, they plan and lead weekly prayer, which grows more complex and may echo the Liturgy of the Hours.  Their work on salvation History becomes more detailed, as the great "Plan of God" offers them a theoretical framework for all they learn in history and science at school.  They wonder what their own contribution to this history will be.  Vocation is a theme they explore, through the loves of prophets and saints.  Level III children explore the elements of the Sacraments in more detail.  They examine the miracles of Jesus.  The children delve into the Old Testament typology and discover parallels between the stories there and the stories they have already learned from the New Testament.  They continue to strive to find harmony in their world, showing a keen interest in justice and an emerging interest in service.