Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a common religious experience involving children and adults in which the religious values of childhood, primarily those values of contemplation and enjoyment of God, are predominant. This experience is shared in a place particularly prepared for the religious life of children called the Atrium (cgsusa.org). The Atrium is a place of simplicity and order, prayer and work, and community.

CGS began in Rome in 1954 when two women, Sofia Cavalletti (a theologian) and Gianna Gobbi (a Montessori educator) worked together and observed the religious life of children.

The philosophy of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is that young children – even the very young – have a religious life. God is present to them in their deepest being and they are capable of developing a conscious and intimate relationship with Him. Each session offers an opportunity to work with specific materials designed to draw the child into the Biblical and Liturgical themes. Time for individual work allows the child to absorb and ponder presentations as well as respond to God’s constant invitation to grow deeper in knowledge and understanding of His infinite love. This approach respects the child’s individualism by allowing each child to grow and explore at their own pace. By allowing this natural path to unfold for the child, they encounter Jesus and their faith in a deeply personal way. (olmct.org)