Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Children’s Formation Ministry
We are excited to offer our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd or “CGS'“ program from 10:00-11:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Note: Our CGS program resumes September 15!
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program is a beautiful Montessori-based method that embraces the relationship of the child and God and encourages us to come alongside the child as they wonder and discover more about the Good Shepherd. We offer this program for children ages 3 years*—5th Grade (*3 year olds who are potty trained). To learn more, we invite you to scroll down to read an overview and watch a brief video from cgsusa.org.
Please complete a Registration Form for your child(ren) so that we may prepare a space for everyone in our atria (classrooms). Register here.
Contact our Canon for Family Ministries, Rev. Canon Anna Russell Friedman, if you are new to Christ Church Cathedral or have any questions regarding our Children’s Formation program.
Nursery and Toddler Atrium
8:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Sundays
6 weeks–3 years* (*3 year olds who are not potty trained)
Our Nursery is for little ones 6 weeks–23 months. This ministry provides a safe, caring environment for children to play interactively, read stories and work with developmentally appropriate activities. We provide a snack and ask that you bring a bottle (or cup with your drink of choice), diapers, wipes, and an extra change of clothes that are all clearly labeled.
Our Toddler Atrium is an extension of our Nursery program, meant to begin to introduce our littlest ones to the Montessori-based Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. This program is for children ages 2-3 years* (*three-year-olds who are not potty trained by August 15, 2024.)
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
The philosophy of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program is that even very young children have a religious life, that God is present to them in their deepest being, and they are capable of developing both a conscious and intimate relationship with God. We provide guidance and vocabulary to enable them to become aware of their relationship with God and to express it. Classes are structured to offer a time of prayer and song, a time for the “presentation” and a time for individual work by the child. The work of the child is their prayer and is the most important part of the class.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is the approach to the Christian formation of children the Cathedral employs on Sunday mornings. This program is used worldwide and based on the work of Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, a Hebrew scholar, and her co-worker, Gianna Gobbi, a Montessori educator. Read more about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Children are grouped by age or grade level and attend class in specially prepared rooms called “atria”. An atrium contains attractively displayed handmade materials that are designed to invite children to deepen their relationship with God at their own pace. The program is biblically based and follows the rhythms of the church year. Based on the conviction that God and the child are in a relationship, the program focuses on the specific needs of the child.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is divided into three levels that correspond to the Montessori planes of development. Children from ages three to six are in Level I. Level II covers grades one through three, and fourth and fifth graders are in Level III. As the child matures, the essentials of our religious faith are presented in increasing detail and sophistication. At each level, presentations focus on the life and teachings of Jesus and the liturgy of the church. For more information, please contact Canon Friedman.
A CGS registration form for 2024-2025 may be completed here.
Level I (Children ages 3 to 6 years)
The theme for this level is the Good Shepherd who loves his sheep and gives everything for them. The child comes to discover who the Shepherd is and who the sheep are. The enjoyment of the gift of God’s own self to the child is the foundation of further religious insight and moral development. This level could be characterized as a “time of joy and wonder” in the lives of the children. Presentations offered over this three-year period can be divided into several large groupings. Click here for details of the presentations.
Level II (Children in 1st through 3rd Grade)
The overall theme for these years is the image of Christ as the True Vine, focusing on both relationship and responsibility. The History of the Kingdom of God is an important tool in introducing and illustrating God’s work and planning on behalf of humanity. As the children begin to discover the vast cosmic history of God’s plan and salvation, they begin to realize that they have something to contribute to it. Moral sensitivity/awareness begins here and grows as the work is presented. Click here for details of the presentations.
Level III (Children in 4th and 5th Grade)
The theme for this level is the Plan of God as worked out in the Bible and human history. The child begins to deal with the advance of the Kingdom and people’s opposition to it. The paradigm of Creation-Redemption-Parousia guides a more thorough exploration of Scripture, particularly the Old Testament. This level could be characterized as a time of “intellectual curiosity about the world and my place in it.” Click here for details of the presentations.
Journey with us, every other Wednesday as we explore the spirituality of the child through The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
