We are grateful to all those who shared memories of Gianna, along with those who have shared with us how her writing, her art and her work has impacted our role as catechists.  In 2019 we honor Gianna Gobbi on the occasion of her centenary.  Gianna’s  was born in  on December 15, 1919.Â
Gianna began her studies as a Montessorian when she was twenty years old. Her work with the child brought her to the door of Sofia Cavalletti. Together they began to work with children in 1954 in the area of children’s religious formation.
Her experiences and insights are documented through her book Listening to God With Children, as well as in numerous articles which may be found in the annual Journal of the United States Association of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Numerous other writings of Gianna are available in Italian and Spanish.
December 15, 2019 is the centenary of Gianna Gobbi’s birth and to remember and celebrate her joy, the United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is inviting all involved in the work with children to share their stories of joy for 100 days.
Gianna Gobbi Resources
Prayer Services
Gianna Gobbi: A Joyful Servant
Remembering Gianna
A Litany based on Listening to God with Children
Gianna Gobbi: Listening to the Voice of the Good Shepherd
Gianna Gobbi: Joy in the Fruits of their Work
Other Resources
Week One Theme: The Environment
Week One Theme: The Environment
September 7 – 14, 2019
Day 100 – Our Celebration Begins
Day 99 – From Gianna
Day 98 – Pearl from a Child (Rachel, little lam)
Day 97 – From a Catechist (Sandra, a Rome catechist)
Day 96 – From our Sources
Day 95 – Memory from Carol Cannon Dittberner
Day 94 – From Sofia
Day 93Â – Gianna’s Favorite Song
Week Two Theme: The Adult
Week Two Theme: The Adult
September 15 – 21, 2019
Day 92 – From Gianna
Day 91– Pearl from a Child (Meghan ponders the Kingdom of God and the Precious Pearl)
Day 90 – From a Catechist (Barbara Matera, Chair, Board of Trustees)
Day 89 – From our Sources
Day 88 – Memory from Grazia Honneger Fresco
Day 87 – From Sofia
Day 86 – Sofia shares the story of how she and Gianna met
Week Three Theme: The Material
Week Three Theme: The MaterialÂ
September 22 – 28, 2019
Day 85 – From Gianna
Day 84 – Pearl from a Child (Matthew, Age Nine, Atrium of the Little Flower, Gilbert, Arizona)
Day 83– From a Catechist (from board member Patti Franz)
Day 82Â – From our Sources
Day 81Â – Memory from Patricia Stenton
Day 80Â – From Sofia
Day 79 – From the O’Bryan Archives
Week Four Theme: Essentiality in The Three Period Lesson
Week Four Theme: Essentiality in the Three Period Lesson
September 29 –Â October 5, 2019
Day 78 – From Gianna
Day 77– Pearl from a Child (from Judah)
Day 76 – From a Catechist (from catechist, Mary Heinrich)
Day 75 – From our Sources (Gianna’s letter to Maria Christlieb)
Day 74 – Memory from Patricia Coulter
Day 73 – From Sofia
Day 72 – From the catechist Maria Christlieb
Week Five Theme: The Catechetical Center
Week Five Theme: The Catechetical Center
October 6 – 12, 2019
Day 71Â – From Gianna
Day 70– Pearl from a Child (a song, from Julia, age eleven)
Day 69 – From a Catechist (from catechist, Lynn Worthington)
Day 68 – From our Sources
Day 67– Memory from Claudio
Day 66Â – From Sofia
Day 65Â – Video from Sofia Cavalletti
Week Six Theme: Welcoming the Children
Week Six Theme: Welcoming the Children
October 13 – 19, 2019
Day 64 – From Gianna
Day 63– Pearl from a Child (Corinne, Good Shepherd)
Day 62 – From a Catechist (from catechist, Gianna Gobbi)
Day 61 – From our Sources
Day 60– Memory from Anna Mae Guida
Day 59 – From Sofia
Day 58 – Video that shares responses of the children about being welcomed to the atrium
Week Seven Theme: Introducing the Mass
Week Eight Theme: Two Lines of Education
Week Eight Theme: Two Lines of Education
October 27-November 2, 2019
Day 50 – From Gianna
Day 49– Pearl from a Child (Selah, age six, Atrium of the Two Hearts, Prescott, AZ)
Day 48 – From a Catechist (from catechist Lynn Worthington)
Day 47 – From our Sources
Day 46– Memory from Tina Lillig
Day 45– From Sofia
Day 44 – Video from Rebekah Rojcewicz
Week Nine Theme: Development and Education
Week Nine Theme: Development and Education
November 3-9, 2019
Day 43 – From Gianna
Day 42 – Pearl from a Child (Luke, Age 11, St Francis Cabrini Catholic Church Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Day 41 – From a Catechist (from catechist Jo Ann Padgett)
Day 40 – From our Sources, a letter from Gianna from the 2019 Journal of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Day 39 – Memory from Nicoletta, an ex-bambini from the Rome Atrium
Day 38 – From Sofia on the nature of wonder
Day 37 – Video from Betty Hissong
Week Ten Theme: The Sensitive Periods
Week Ten Theme: The Sensitive Periods
November 10-16, 2019
Day 36 – From Gianna
Day 35 – Pearl from a Child (Gina, Age 6, Good Shepherd Atrium St Aloysius Church Creston, PA)
Day 34 – From a Catechist (from catechist Claudia Margarita Schmitt)
Day 33 – From our Sources, Listening to God with Children
Day 32 – Memory From Anna Mae Guida
Day 31 – From Sofia on the Good Shepherd
Day 30 – From Sofia on the joy and seriousness of the child
