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Erica Dunning

A woman with brown hair, wearing a dark green top and a necklace, stands in front of a stone wall and smiles at the camera.

Erica Dunning

Currently serving at St. Luke Catholic Church, San Antonio, TX

Ages of children with whom you work:

Ages 3-6 at St. Luke Catholic Church
Ages 9-12 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church

I first encountered CGS while running a Catholic moms group I started at my parish. I constantly looked for ways to dive into the Sunday Gospels with the kids and moms through crafts and activities. I ran across Montessori principles, and my enthusiasm for the method was met with much more exciting news that there existed a faith formation in that same style. I jumped at the chance to go to Level I training in 2017. I couldn’t wait to get to Levels II and III, which I finished in 2021 and 2024.

After one summer of Level I, I talked two of my mom friends into going to training and starting the Level I Atrium with the help of money offered by our Men’s Club, and my own insatiable zeal for creating materials. Under my direction, we transitioned our moms group into Good Shepherd, and have welcomed tiny numbers of children every year for 8 years, offering Level II concurrently when needed. When my four kids aged out of what we had set up, I began helping at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in addition.

Before marriage and kids, and now for the past two years, I’ve held communication positions related to my BBA in Marketing. I currently create and edit the weekly bulletin and update our parish website, primarily using my graphic design skills to support parish and ministry efforts to promote events and fundraisers. My previous communication jobs focused greatly on writing, editing, and interviewing. I’m also a co-creator and primary contributor to a faith formation craft and reflection blog. And so it is all of these skills, a deep desire to listen and learn, and a passion for evangelizing and promoting Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, that I would like to offer to the Board.

Catechist Formation:

Level I: 2017-2018; Holy Trinity Catholic Church, San Antonio, TX (course 1-1400 with Lynda Catalano)

Level II: 2019-2021; St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, Boerne, TX (course 2-552 with Marty O’Bryan)

Level III: 2022-2024; Holy Trinity Catholic Church, San Antonio, TX (course 3-286 with Lynda Catalano)

Religious Affiliation:

Roman Catholic

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We believe God and the child have a unique relationship with one another. Children need their own place to foster the growth of that relationship. The growth of this relationship is assisted by the adult, but is directed by the Spirit of God within the child.

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What is the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd? The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was born from the joy of the children’s encounter with God. It has been observed that children of the same developmental stage, even those from widely varying cultural backgrounds, respond to elements of the Christian message in the same way.

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In Catechesis of the Good Shepherd adults are given the opportunity to embrace a method of catechesis (or religious education) that will deepen one’s relationship with God. Catechist formation in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is both instructive as well as experiential. It captivates both the head as well as the heart.

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We read in the Gospel of Mark that Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs, two by two; the journey was not meant to be a solitary one. It is essential for us as catechists to support one another as we prepare materials, work in the atrium, and observe the child. We come together in unity, as members of CGSUSA, to share the joy of this work.

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Through their joy, their wonder and awe, their capacity for love and prayer, and their radical simplicity, children offer us adults a glimpse of what it means to fall in love with God. This has been the work of CGSUSA for over 30 years: to advocate for the child’s joy.

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