History of CGS 

Originating in Rome in the 1950s, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd uses a rich Montessori approach to engage children as young as 3 in age-appropriate, hands-on materials, based on Sacred Scripture and the Liturgy. 

The CGS program emphasizes simplicity, beauty, patience, humility, and openness to the Holy Spirit. Rather than stuffing young children’s brains with doctrinal facts they are not developmentally prepared to understand, CGS first focuses on creating an environment where the children can fall in love with Christ the Good Shepherd. Later, when they are developmentally more inclined, the doctrinal facts will find fertile ground.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was developed by a pair of Italian Catholic women —Sofia Cavalletti, a Hebrew scholar, and Gianna Gobbi, an educator trained in the methods of another Italian Catholic education reformer, Maria Montessori. Cavalletti and Gobbi saw that young children are apt to see everything they encounter as a gift for them, something intense and new, which leads them to naturally rejoice in things long overlooked by adults. Cavalletti first experienced this wonder-filled kind of learning when in 1954 she unexpectedly was asked to teach religion to a seven-year-old child. At first resistant to working with a child, she quickly came to realize that children are naturally metaphysical—they readily see the significance that lies beyond the senses. In particular, they have a unique way of being in the presence of God that is a gift to the adult who stops long enough to notice. In this sense, children are particularly attuned to liturgy, whose central actions present gifts to us through sensible signs. As a result of this early classroom experience, rather than simply imparting knowledge of religion, Cavalletti decided that real catechesis should consist in fostering the living relationship between the child and Christ, the one Teacher. 

The Atrium, The Materials, and The Catechist 

Rather than a traditional classroom, the room where CGS takes place is called the Atrium, a room set aside and specially prepared for them. The word atrium comes from the early Christian use of the word to designate the space for catechumens in the Church.  

The Atrium helps to nourish children’s relationship with God by:

• Allowing for a period of retreat, facilitating introspection and silence.

• Encouraging religious life through community and worship.

• Providing concrete, tactile work through which children may converse with God.

• Preparing the child for involvement in the larger worshiping community.

As in a Montessori classroom, the Atrium is filled with three-dimensional, finely constructed materials that are attractively displayed, inviting children to deepen their understanding of the day’s discussion at their own rhythm. The materials represent particular scripture passages or items that can be found in Baptismal and Eucharistic rites, including a model altar and Baptismal font. Shelves include maps of Israel and miniature environments representing elements of the parables, Gospel narratives, and historical events from the life of Christ.

Much of the material used in CGS is made, finished, painted, or sewn by parishioners and catechists. Catechists put in many hours of training to learn how to guide the child and how to stand out of the way of the Holy Spirit, who is the true teacher.   

The role of the catechist is to prepare the environment and to give selected presentations from scripture and liturgy that “call forth” the child’s response rather than “pour in” information. The catechist listens with the child and together they ask, “God, who are you? How do you love us?” The adult reflects with the child on the questions generated by the presentations with the materials offered to the child to aid the child’s reflection.  

Level 1 Atrium 

Catechesis centers on the Parable of the Good Shepherd. Young children are particularly interested in the most essential elements of our faith—the announcement of God’s love through the life and resurrection of Christ. 

The Level 1 child child enters the mystery of the Eucharist by first learning the names of the articles used on the altar.  Then, they learn the most important gestures, including the preparation of the chalice, the epiclesis and offering, and the sign of peace. Through the experience of seeing these gestures, presented one by one, the Mass emerges as the Sacrament of the Gift. The child becomes acquainted with the historical character of the liturgy through the events of the Last Supper, Christ’s death, and His resurrection. 

Housed in the Seton Center, our parish family is blessed to have a fully-equipped Level 1 Atrium right on our campus!  

SMS Religion Adaptation

CGS was developed to be used in the Montessori style, with 10-12 students per catechist.  Since St. Mary School is based on a traditional education style, with 25-30 students per class, some adaptations of the original CGS style will be important.  Each class will spend around 40 minutes in the Atrium once a week, where they will receive a Presentation which connects to content being taught in class, to the Liturgical season, or to something happening in the community.  Instead of working individually with the materials, the children may be invited to alternative activities as they continue to ponder the truths taught.