Donor Stories

A Tale of Two CGS Grandmas

Connie’s first grandchild was born in 2012 and very soon Connie noticed something.  It seemed like her granddaughter already knew how to pray.  She would respond at Mass with a sense of closeness and understanding.  During evening prayers, Connie had the wondrous sense that her granddaughter was praying along with her.  These behaviors surprised Connie and made her curious.

One day she spoke to her friend, Claudia, who had just started offering the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd children’s formation at their church.  Connie described her granddaughter’s “wondrous, prayerful” behavior.  “That sounds just right,” responded newly- minted -CGS -catechist, Claudia.  “You see, your granddaughter already has a relationship with God.  We adults are only helping them to name it and giving them a space to enjoy it.”  Connie understood this truth deep in her heart.  She had seen it in her granddaughter.

“I am dreaming of something,” Connie told Claudia one day.  “When my granddaughter is three (our atrium was from the way old days before Infant/Toddler!), I am going to walk into the atrium with her, holding her hand and we’ll enjoy God together.”  And Connie’s prayer was answered and one day she and her granddaughter did just that.

Connie’s granddaughter is now 12 years old, and Connie is a catechist formed in all CGS levels and directs the program that Claudia started.  By the way, Connie is now the catechist for Claudia’s granddaughter, too.  Many dreams do come true…

Please help to make so many CGS dreams to come true.

Please donate to the CGSUSA 2025-2025 Annual Appeal.

Thank you from the bottom of these big grandma hearts!

“Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me?”

Reading the piece on “Friendship and Collaboration: A Gift of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd” by Julie Baltuska and Marilee Quinn in the recent CGSUSA journal caused me to reflect on the friendship and co-work in the vineyard that has grown over the last several years between Jen Altier and me. While various circumstances have changed, including parish locations for our Atria, I have been delighted to continue to get to work with Jen. We love the Lord, love this work of listening to God with children, and we can be honest with each other.

When Jen started the work to expand CGS at St. Ambrose Academy, we brainstormed where we could apply for any funding support. I told her we could apply for the Tina Lillig Grant, but I cautioned low expectations. “Those grants probably go to people like religious sisters in the Bronx, running an Atrium out of a van, people who are saints-in-the-making planting a mustard seed in really challenging circumstances, not regular people like us.”

When I received the email that we would be awarded the maximum $500 amount for the work expanding the Atria offerings at St. Ambrose Academy, I teared up. Who were we?

Jen had made all the Level II & III materials for her parish and a set of Level II materials for my previous parish, but there were gaps in our Level II & III material list for St. Ambrose Academy. Another local CGS catechist whose church closed (after her third Atrium location move) and who decided to retire, let it be known in the local CGS community that she would sell her beautiful materials (a full Level I-III set) to any interested catechists. The support from the Tina Lillig Memorial Fund went towards purchasing her materials (and supporting her a little way in covering the costs of her second adoption!). Jen Altier donated many of the acquired Level I materials not needed at St. Ambrose Academy to a Level I formation happening in a nearby city to help new catechists to start their first Atria. Her generosity amazes me!

The Level I Atrium has been in use since early in the school year and the Level II Atrium will be ready for its first students in early November (major cleaning and painting work was needed before the space was ready for the set up of furniture and materials). I observed 4 year old preschool children in Jen’s Tuesday Level I Atrium. They had amazing concentration for so early in the year. The Atrium was so quiet! After the procession and setting the prayer table, one girl did the cloth washing work, fully focused, hanging each cloth carefully on the line to dry with clothespins, for half an hour. It was a beautiful session to observe!

Thank you for your support of our work. Or rather, the Lord’s work that we have been called to. Jen is so all-in on material making and setting up the Atria and working as the catechist throughout the week for the school children, that as the Sunday catechist in the same space, I feel absurdly blessed.

The pastor of Peace of Christ Parish is so supportive of CGS and would like to see it continue to grow at St. Ambrose Academy and for our Sunday faith formation program. He gave us the full front of the bulletin last week to share photos from the St. Ambrose Level I Atrium and the Toddler Atrium at St. John’s, set to open early next year.

The Smallest Seeds

I am most accustomed to meditating deeply on the smallness of the mustard seed with the smallest of children – the three-to-six-year old’s I serve. This year, I have several children in Level II and III who are new to Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. One of those children, Matthew, is 9 years old. As we meditated on the History of the Kingdom of God he responded with wonder and amazement at the announcement of the moment of Redemption and the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection. He has thought deeply about the bread and wine becoming Jesus’ Body and Blood. Everything he is hearing is exciting and new and he is responding with wonder and awe.

Recently we were listening to the Parable of the Mustard Seed together. When I brought out the seeds and put one in Matthew’s large hand his eyes widened and he breathed “WOW!” He then walked through the room showing everyone the tiny mustard seed, telling them, “this can become a tree!”

So many beautiful seeds are being planted in Matthew’s soul, which has proven to be fertile and receptive ground. I am so grateful to have been formed as a CGS catechist and have the privilege of listening to God with my friend, Matthew. I invite all of you who benefit from membership in our association to enthusiastically support our annual appeal so CGSUSA can continue its good work supporting catechists, families and children. Your gift helps us continue to plant seeds in fertile souls.

Peace I Give You

Upon enthroning the Holy Bible in our atrium this year, clad in masks and spread apart in front of the prayer table, a three-year-old girl came to the center of our circle around the prayer table, lifted the Holy Bible gently into her lap, and proclaimed to all of us, “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Peace I leave you. Peace I give you.’” (John 14:27)

This little one, along with William, reminds us in these uncertain times that Jesus desires our peace and Jesus is our peace. How fortunate we are to work among these peacemakers who show us, if we allow them to lead, how to proclaim the Good News of Jesus’ peace to a world that so deeply needs to know his everlasting love.

I invite you to join me in supporting the CGSUSA Annual Appeal for 2020-2021, and to pray for the children we serve through this work. May the leadership of these little ones teach us how to pray and work for peace.