Age 3 through 6th Grade
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to the religious formation of children rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the church and the educational principles of Dr. Maria Montessori.  The Catechesis has been the primary approach to children’s Christian formation at St. Peter’s since the early nineties. Over fifty years old, this method is used worldwide and is based on the work of Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, a Hebrew scholar and her co-worker, Gianna Gobbi, a Montessori educator.

Children meet in specially prepared rooms, called atria, that contain simple yet beautiful materials that provide concrete links to the Christian message. In the early church, the atrium was the place where the catechumens were prepared.  For the child, the atrium is a place of preparation for the involvement in the larger worshipping community.

Children gather weekly in the atria of St. Peter’s, located on the main floor of the parish house.  The atrium environments change at each level to meet the developmental needs of the growing children.  Based on the conviction that God and the child are in a relationship, the Catechesis focuses on the specific needs and learning styles of the child.

The philosophy of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program is that even the very young children have a religious life, that God is present to them in their deepest being, and they are capable of developing both a conscious and intimate relationship with God.  We provide guidance and vocabulary to enable them to become aware of their relationship with God and to express it.  Sessions typically include a time of prayer and song, a variety of presentations, and a time for personal work by the child.  The work of the children is their prayer and is the most important part of the class.

The Catechesis is divided into three levels that correspond to the Montessori planes of development.  Children from ages three to six are in Level I.  Level II covers grades one through three, and fourth, fifth, and sixth graders are in Level III.  As the child matures, the essentials of our religious faith are presented in increasing detail and sophistication.  At each level, presentations focus on the life and teachings of Jesus and the liturgy of the church.

Level I (Children ages 3 to 6 years)
Atrium of the Good Shepherd

The theme for this level is the Good Shepherd who loves his sheep and gives everything for them.  The child comes to discover who the Shepherd is and who the sheep are.  The enjoyment of the gift of God’s own self to the child is the foundation of further religious insight and moral development.  This level could be characterized as a “time of joy and wonder” in the lives of the children.

Level II (Children in 1st through 3rd Grade)
Atrium of the True Vine 
The overall theme for these years is the image of Christ as the True Vine, focusing on both relationship and responsibility.  The History of the Kingdom of God is an important tool in introducing and illustrating God’s work and planning on behalf of humanity.  As the children begin to discover the vast cosmic history of God’s plan and salvation, they begin to realize that they have something to contribute to it.  Moral sensitivity and awareness begins here and grows as the work is presented. Children have the option of participating in a sacramental preparation series called Solemn Communion.

Level III (Children in 4th through 6th Grade)
Atrium of the Parousia

The theme for this level is the Plan of God as worked out in the Bible and human history.  The child begins to deal with the advance of the Kingdom and people’s opposition to it.  The paradigm of Creation-Redemption-Parousia guides a more thorough exploration of Scripture, particularly the Old Testament.  They explore Salvation History through moral parables, the Sacraments, Old Testament typology, and our Jewish roots. This level could be characterized as a time of “intellectual curiosity about the world and our place in it.”

Everything we do in the atrium helps the adult and child experience and express joy.  Prayer is the aim of the atrium and joy becomes a spiritual practice.  In the atrium, adults are not traditional teachers, but rather co-wonderers with the children.  We explore the scriptural and liturgical traditions of our faith, lifting up the aspects that experience with the children have proven to be the most essential.  For the youngest children, ages 3-6, these include prayer, Holy Eucharist, Baptism, the liturgical year, geography, the infancy narratives of Jesus and the Paschal mystery.  Older children, 6-12, expand upon these mediations.

This approach to Christian formation is not limited to children. Adults take part in substantial formation courses at each level to study child development and theology.  Catechists from around the world and here at St. Peter’s commonly express how this work has profoundly deepened and enriched their own faith journeys.

St. Peter’s routinely offers Catechesis of the Good Shepherd formation courses for adults. Additionally we have available a large selection of books for those who wish to learn more about children’s spirituality.

You’re invited!

All children ages 3-12 are invited to participate in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  We begin at 9:15 and end at approximately 11:15 each Sunday.  Children join their parents at the Exchange of the Peace in order to participate in the Holy Eucharist.  Adults are invited to take formation courses, help make materials, or to simply pray for the continued work of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. Peter’s.