FAQ

How is CGS different from a traditional classroom setting of Religious Education?

In a textbook classroom:

  • there are tables and chairs where similarly aged children usually sit for the entire class time which varies but is usually 75 minutes or fewer

  • a catechist leads the class as a whole, usually at the head and leads the lesson and makes assignments. She or he is the director of the classroom activity

  • the catechist in these classrooms may be someone with 15+ years of experience as a catechist and a professional teacher on the side, or it may be someone without any formal training doing this for the first time

  • the material is covered according to the textbook. The scope and sequence is determined according to the text, as well as the interest of the class as a whole

  • a good catechist is someone who can create exciting ways to impart the material in the text in a way that the children will retain it

In a CGS atrium:

  • there are many different areas where the children may sit and receive lessons or work, as well as 3 different ages of child who are instructed not simply according to age, but also interest and ability.

  • the catechist generally does not instruct the class as a whole unit, but gives lessons or "presentations" to small groups of children at a time. The child's activity, beyond the presentation he or she receives, is chosen by the child from a variety of choices that are offered. In this way, the child is generally the director of the time, choosing work that corresponds to his or her interests and abilities.

  • The time in the atrium is usually more extended, allowing for a settled pace. There is no hurry, and there is time for the child to enter into "bigger work." One of the chief ways a child defends himself against a hurried pace and interrupted concentration is boredom. We do not see boredom as an enemy in CGS, but often as a part of the process of building concentration that leads to contemplation. After a few months, the children groan when the closing bell is rung because the time is too short, not too long!

  • Each trained catechist has an "album" of presentations, 50+ presentations per level, complete with direct and indirect aims laid out--these are the goals of what we want the children to achieve and how we measure our success in the presentation. The material from these presentations is drawn from liturgy (the Mass) and scripture.

  • The CGS catechist falls into two categories: lead catechist and assistant. The lead catechist is someone who has undergone a 90-hour formation/training course (over 2 weeks of formation) for the level in which they work. Each level is a pre-requisite for the next, so if someone is a lead catechist in Level III (for the 9-12 year old child), she or he has completed a 90 hour training course for Level I and a 90 hour formation course for Level II, as well as 90+ hours for Level III. It does not necessarily mean that the catechist is "experienced," yet, and I can tell you that it is definitely a learning process to catechize in this way, but generally catechists will return year after year to serve and often get to serve the same child for multiple years. An assistant is someone who may or may not have been through formation, but "assists" the lead catechist with the work of maintaining the environment and assisting children in their work.

  • The material is presented on a 3 year cycle and is presented according to the age and ability and interest of the individual child as much as possible. A material is never "done," and a child who wants to delve more deeply into geography or the parables or the bible work may always choose to do so.

  • A good catechist is a "co-listener" with the children to the Word that she or he proclaims. The true catechist in the atrium is the Holy Spirit, and adults come to learn and be led with a listening, rather than instructing, stance before the child.


What is the "atrium"?

The atrium (or prepared environment) is one of the important elements that helps the relationship between God and the child to flourish. After a theme has been presented, the child is free to choose an activity that will make possible the inner dialogue with the “Interior Teacher.” How does the atrium help to nourish this relationship? ~ The atrium can be compared to a retreat house facilitating recollection and silence. ~ The atrium is a place for religious life, for community and worship—not a classroom for instruction. ~ The atrium is a place of meaningful work through which the child can have a conversation with God. ~ The atrium was the place in the early church where the catechumens were prepared. For the child, too, the atrium is a place of preparation for involvement in the larger worship community. -- taken from https://www.cgsusa.org/

For example, there is an area in the room set aside for work with the articles of the Mass: a smaller than child-size model altar, chalice, paten, tabernacle, among other articles. Another area for the sacrament of Baptism, and a prayer table set up where the children gather to pray and may use for prayer individually.

What do my children learn?

Coming Soon!

Is this a new religious education program?

Coming Soon!

My child is currently in the traditional religious education program, can they attend Catechesis of the Good Shepherd ?

Yes, your child has the option to either enroll in the traditional religious education setting or Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS). CGS begins in the Fall just like the traditional religious education does and ends around the same time as the traditional religious education as well. Level I is for the 3-6 year old child and Level II is for the 6-9 year old child. If your child attends CGS, they also receive their formation for the Sacrament of 1st Reconciliation and 1st Communion through the atrium.