“Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” – Luke 24:32
During the Easter season we often hear the story of Jesus with the disciples on the Road to Emmaus. This is one of the resurrection narratives catechists read and discuss with children in the Levels II and III atria (6-11 year old). This scripture offers many avenues to explore for both adults and children. Today Karen Maxwell joins us to ponder this narrative and how it parallels a catechist’s journey through formation in The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Karen became involved with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 1990 when her oldest daughter was four years old. She was moved by the spiritual depth offered to the youngest children and found this approach to faith formation personally enriching as well. She helped to begin all three levels of atria in the first church in Georgia to offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She also enjoys introducing adults to this method of catechesis as a CGS formation leader. Karen joined the staff for the United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 2004 as Director of Formation. Her work supports formation leaders and catechists through communications, conferences, ongoing formation and resources as well as in responding to a variety of inquiries and pastoral concerns about CGS. Karen is one of two US representatives to the International Council. She also was part of the first cohort to complete a Masters in Pastoral Studies in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at Aquinas Institute of Theology. Karen currently serves as a Level III catechist for a church in her area. Her children, now young adults, all were involved in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.