Information and enrollment

Classes begin the week of October 17, 2022.
St. Andrew Catholic Church will be offering Level 1 CGS to their parish families. In Level 1, the children receive presentations about the person of Jesus, His kingdom, and their life with Him through the liturgy with joy and then most often work alone and contemplate what they have heard, working with the specially prepared materials in the Atrium*. 

Level 1 CGS will be offered for children 3 - 6 years old - Tuesday evenings from 6-7:15 pm with lead teacher Nikki Leafgreen and Wednesday mornings from 9-10 am with lead teacher Lucie Malloy.
Spaces in the Atrium are limited, and registration does not guarantee your child a spot.  However, we appreciate your interest and will do our best to accommodate as many children as possible.
We hope to offer a modified Level 2 in February 2023.

Due to a generous donor, this first year of CGS will not have a fee; families may choose to donate flowers and supplies as needed throughout the year.  We hope to continue to keep CGS low cost or free for our families.
 

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd takes place in a specially prepared space called an Atrium:
    * The Atrium contains age-appropriate materials that are simple and essential to the child’s development of a relationship with God.
    * The Atrium items are carefully selected or created out of wood, glass, metal, and fabric. Many of the materials will remind the child of what they see in church.
    * Children are taught a sense of reverence for the Atrium and for the items it contains. The expected behavior in the Atrium is peaceful and respectful, similar to what is expected at Mass.
    * In our busy, noisy world, many children find refuge in the quieter atmosphere of the Atrium.
    * A visit to an atrium session would be a good way to understand the experience of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
  Each session consists of a presentation of new material, work time, and prayer:
    * Presentations include biblical geography, liturgy, the Nativity narratives, parables, and practical life lessons. Older children are also introduced to Old Testament work.
    * The presentations are selected to coincide with the Church year. After the presentation, the children may choose to work with the materials during their work time. All materials remain in the Atrium the entire year so children may revisit past presentations during their work time. The children are given time for repetition and contemplation but may only choose to work with materials that have been presented to them.
    * Communal prayer takes place during each atrium session. The children gather around the prayer table and are encouraged to be calm and silent. This habit helps develop an atmosphere to listen and talk to God.
    * Since many of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd lessons are linked to the liturgy, children benefit greatly by also attending Mass regularly with their families.

"Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."  John 15:4

The Level 2 atrium corresponds to the religious needs of the 6-9-year-old child, who continues forming a love relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Developmentally this age seeks to understand the moral life, and wonders, how do I respond to this love? As in Level 1, scripture and the liturgy provide the framework to answer these big questions. Accordingly, the central parable that guides Level 2 is the True Vine; through this scripture, the children meditate on what it means to remain in relationship with God. In presentations on the parts of the Mass, the child sees that they too have a place and a role in our sacred liturgy.

Through sacred scripture and materials prepared to assist in their learning, the children both hear and see that from the beginning of time, God had a plan for humanity. We call this The History of the Kingdom of God, and they learn the 3 key moments of Creation, Redemption, and Parousia. As they meditate more deeply on the moral parables and maxims, and prepare for both First Communion and First Reconciliation, they awaken to the understanding that they too have a role to play in the magnificent drama of Salvation History. The three-year cycle of presentations not only prepares them for the reception of these sacraments, typically in second grade but also engages them in contemplation as they move into third grade and beyond. 
 

Level One registration link

Level Two registration link