Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd - commonly called CGS - is a contemplative, Montessori-based approach to Catholic faith formation. Children gather once a week in a specially prepared environment called the atrium, where they encounter Sacred Scripture, the Mass, the sacraments, and the liturgical year through prayer, presentations, and hands-on exercises.
About CGS
Where: Holy Family Campus, Atrium
When: One session per week (~2 hrs); Sep-May
Cost: $150 for first child; $50 for each additional child
Classes are offered for three levels of development. If your child is new to faith formation, then we encourage you to select the lower-level option for their age.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd began in Rome in 1954 through the work of Sofia Cavalletti, a scholar of Sacred Scripture, and Gianna Gobbi, a Montessori educator. Their work grew from observing how deeply children respond to the essential mysteries of the Christian faith when these are presented through Scripture and the sacred liturgy.
CGS rests upon the conviction that God and the child already share a unique relationship. The adult assists the growth of that relationship, but the Holy Spirit remains the true teacher.
Children gather in a specially prepared environment called the atrium. A trained catechist offers brief presentations drawn from the Bible, the Mass, and the sacraments. Children are then given time to pray, work with the materials, return to previous presentations, and quietly ponder what they have received.
The materials are not simply crafts or toys. They make biblical and liturgical realities accessible to the child and encourage concentration, repetition, prayer, and personal response.
CGS was developed as a three-level approach, with each level corresponding to the changing spiritual and developmental capacities of children from ages three through twelve.
Learn More about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at CGSUSA
Level I
Ages 3–6
Available Sessions:
Mondays 4:00 – 6:00PM
Tuesdays 4:30 – 6:30PM
Wednesdays 9:30 – 11:30AM (ages 3-4 only) & 3:30 – 5:30PM
* Children in Level 1 must be potty-trained and at least 3 years old by September 15th
Ages 3-6
Level I centers upon the joyful announcement that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows, loves, and calls each of His sheep by name.
- the Good Shepherd and the Found Sheep;
- the infancy and Paschal narratives;
- the parables of the Kingdom of God;
- the geography of the land of Israel;
- the altar and principal articles of the Mass;
- the gestures and prayers of the sacred liturgy;
- the signs of Baptism;
- the liturgical seasons and colors; and
- simple forms of personal and communal prayer.
Practical exercises help younger children develop the concentration, coordination, reverence, and interior stillness needed to participate in the life of the atrium.
The principal emphasis is not moral obligation, but the child’s enjoyment of God’s abundant love and the awakening of a personal response to Him.
Level II
Ages 6–9
Available Sessions:
Tuesdays 4:30 – 6:30PM
Wednesdays 3:30 – 5:30PM
Sundays 2:30 – 4:30PM (First Communion preparation students only)
Ages 6–9
Level II builds upon the child’s earlier encounter with Jesus the Good Shepherd. As children become more aware of relationships, moral choices, and life within a community, the image of Christ the True Vine assumes greater importance: “I am the vine, you are the branches.”
- Jesus the Good Shepherd and the True Vine;
- the history of the Kingdom of God;
- the synthesis and principal moments of the Mass;
- the Eucharistic Presence of Christ;
- Baptism and the Sacrament of Penance;
- moral parables, including the Good Samaritan;
- the Maxims and teachings of Jesus;
- the gifts God has entrusted to humanity; and
- the child’s response to God through prayer and moral action.
Level II also includes the biblical and liturgical themes that support preparation for First Penance and First Holy Communion. Children preparing for these sacraments remain within the regular Level II atrium while undertaking the parish family’s additional sacramental preparation.
Level III
Ages 9–12
Available Sessions:
Tuesdays 4:30 – 6:30PM
Wednesdays 3:30 – 5:30PM
Ages 9–12
Level III invites older children to contemplate the whole history of salvation and to recognize their own place within God’s plan.
The child’s attention expands from the immediate atrium community toward the history of God’s Kingdom—from creation, through
redemption in Christ, toward the fulfillment of all things in Him.
- the history of the Kingdom of God;
- creation and God’s plan of salvation;
- the Old Testament, its principal figures, and the prophets;
- the Jewish roots of Christian faith and worship;
- the life, miracles, and teachings of Jesus;
- the sacraments and liturgical life of the Church;
- conscience, virtue, and moral responsibility;
- the gifts of God and their proper use; and
- humanity’s collaboration in the building of the Kingdom.
Level III increasingly calls children to consider the relationship between gift and responsibility:
What has God given me, and how am I called to use those gifts within His Kingdom?
What Families Should Know
- Children attend one atrium session each week.
- Regular attendance is important because presentations build upon one another.
- The two-hour session allows children time to receive a presentation, choose meaningful work, pray, and return to materials previously presented.
- CGS supports, but does not replace, participation in Sunday Mass and prayer within the family.
- Space is limited by the size of the atrium and the availability of volunteer catechists and assistants.
- Final placement is confirmed by the Faith Formation staff.
Preparing for First Communion
Children preparing for First Penance and First Holy Communion remain enrolled in their regular Level II atrium while completing the parish family’s additional First Sacraments preparation sessions which take place on Sunday.
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Parents may indicate their child’s interest in First Communion when completing the annual Faith Formation registration. You will then be contacted to proceed with preparation.