Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:14
"The initiation of a child into Christian life is not a work that can be fulfilled by the catechist alone, nor by the parents alone. It is the whole Christian community that proclaims Christ, and the child must enter into contact with the entire Christian community"
- Sofia Cavalletti (co-founder of CGS)
A Brief introduction to CGS
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a religious education program designed for young children, typically ages 3 to 12. Developed by Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi in the 1950s, it is rooted in the Montessori method and emphasizes a child-centered approach to spiritual formation.
The program focuses on helping children develop a deep, personal relationship with God through a carefully prepared environment called the "Atrium." In this space, children engage with hands-on materials and presentations that reflect key aspects of the Christian faith, such as the life of Jesus, the Sacraments, and the liturgy.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd encourages children to explore their faith through sensory experiences and meaningful, age-appropriate activities. It aims to nurture their spiritual growth in a way that respects their natural development and curiosity, allowing them to discover and connect with the sacred mysteries of the Christian tradition in a way that resonates with their own experiences and understanding.
Divine Mercy Academy’s Level I Atrium
Divine Mercy Academy is proud to offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for our students in preschool - kindergarten. Our dedicated catechists are trained using a Montessori approach to help children develop their existing relationship with our Creator.
Students enter an intentionally prepared and peaceful environment, called an atrium, where they hear scripture, rejoice in song, ponder God’s nature, introduced to the sacraments, and even practice important development practical skills such as pouring water and tidying up.
Our youngest students will spend on average an hour an a half each week in the atrium, accompanied by trained catechists and assistants.
Our atrium is the first, but hopefully not the last, CGS Atrium in Southwest Montana.
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As children use and pray with materials, we are in constant need of resupplying materials or helping hands to help repair items. Things we typically need extra of are:
Glue Sticks
Faber-Castell Triangular Colored EcoPencils, packs of 12
Prang watercolors, pans of 8 colors
Decorative/scrapbooking paper (floral/botanical/geometric designs - for prayer cards made by the children)
Cardstock paper (yellow/gold, white, red, brown, green, orange, purple)
Construction paper (various colors)
Facial tissues
Swiffer w/replacement pads
Gift cards to Hobby Lobby, Michaels, WalMart, Staples
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DMA has several trained volunteer catechists. Trina Matthews is our CGS director and may be reached at the email: cgs@dmamt.org.
