Catechesis of the Good Shepherd We are currently in session. If you are interested in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, please fill out the form below and we will be in contact for an intro and informational session.
For children 3 years old as of January 1, 2025 to 6 years old Children must be bathroom-independent.
2 weekly offerings: Sundays from 8:45am to 10:00am Tuesdays from 9:30am to 11:30am Please indicate your preference on the form below. Your preference is not guaranteed since it is first come first served. Each session will be max of 8 children so we can focus on the spiritual growth of each individual child.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, or 'CGS' for short, was established by Sofia Cavalletti and her Montessori collaborator Gianna Gobbi in 1954 after thoroughly studying children and their developmental needs in relation to spiritual nature and religious potential. Since then, CGS has grown to 65 countries with 1,250 programs across the US. Children, just like most adults, want to do things on their own! Kids like rules, but they also like the freedom to act within those boundaries. With CGS, we will provide freedom within structure, centered around the "atrium," the physical space where the children will explore. Children create their own way of communicating with God, and we will provide a space to develop their wonder and awe. They will be given time to experience silence as a form of prayer, but they will also experience prayer as a celebration with others. In the beginning, we will explore practical life activities that are reflected in the Mass, along with grace and courtesy lessons. The aim is for the values and attitudes formed in early childhood to develop into empathy and love for God's creation along with a reverence for God. This will help the children have full and active participation in the Liturgy and prepare them for prayer. Our aim is to help children discover who God is and who they are to God.