CGS in the School

CGS in a Montessori School Setting

“I have been nothing but AMAZED at what CGS has done for the faith of my children. This is truly a dream method of formation for our faith!”
– Jon Leonetti, Catholic speaker and author, whose children attend School of Mary Montessori in Des Moines, Iowa

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was developed through the careful observation of the spiritual engagement of children and according to the principles of Montessori education.  Maria Montessori writes about providing the children access to an Atrium – an environment prepared with age-appropriate religious materials that enable a joyful expression of the child’s relationship to God:
“I would have the room built in an ecclesiastical style…  There would be statues, here and there, of our Lord, our Lady and the saints; and the children would bring flowers to put in front of these… and also light candles before them.  On the walls would be sacred pictures…  The whole room would be fitted up as a sensorial environment calling out to the souls of the children.”  (Maria Montessori, The Child in the Church)

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. Helena Montessori School

CGS in a Traditional or Parish School Setting

“I see the spirituality of the children developing in the Atrium and it is changing our school.”
– Kindergarten Teacher, Catholic School

A school is a center for learning, where adults and children come to be formed. Montessori tells us that the child’s relationship to his or her environment is different than an adult, the child absorbs their environment. What the child sees becomes a part of him, not just a memory, but form part of his or her soul.
The spiritual formation of the children, the educators, and the family is a priority for the school.  Establishing Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in a Traditional or Parish School Setting is a gift for the entire school community. The spirituality that is nourished in the Atrium environment has the potential to permeate the entire school community, and to assist the family in living their faith more authentically at home.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at Epiphany Catholic School, Normal, IL