Children & Family Ministry - Taste and See

In Children and Family Ministry, we seek to minister to the whole family, from infants to parents and beyond!  Our program seeks to form disciples, rooted in prayer, service, the teachings of our Church, sacred community and proclamation of the Gospel.

We offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in three levels:

• Infant and Toddler (0-3 years old, plus a parent)
• Level I (3-6 years old)
• Level II (6-9 years old, plus Level II T, for 9-10 years old)

In Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, the children work with Montessori-based materials that help them reflect on Scripture and the liturgy.  This happens in a specially prepared environment called an “atrium.”  The atrium space is a place for work and prayer, a place to “listen to God” together, while cultivating a sense of wonder and awe.  Even the very youngest children reflect deeply on the faith and develop an increasingly personal relationship with their Creator.

In our Zoom program, families who are not able to attend in person can still learn and pray in sacred community.  Zoom CFM is offered by several beloved catechists for grades 1-4.

Our Eucharist/Reconciliation Sacramental Prep includes intergenerational liturgies, times of reflection between parent and child, retreat days, and beautiful meals shared in community.

For our 5^th-8^th graders, we offer a Tween/Teen Program.  Our Tween/Teens meet for three hours once a m  onth on a Sunday evening.  They cook together, reflect on Scripture together, learn new ways (and old ways!) of praying, and bring their real-life concerns to small groups.

Our 9^th graders experience a spiritually rich Confirmation Program, which meets a couple times a month from fall to spring.  The Confirmation candidates dig more deeply into the teachings of our faith, and bring their real questions, challenges, joys and lives to the space.  In addition to the regular sessions, our candidates engage in service work that’s meaningful to them, experience a retreat, and do research on their Confirmation Saint.

________________

A large part of our Children and Family Ministry Program happens in a place called an “atrium,” which is where Catechesis of the Good Shepherd sessions are held.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Montessori-based religious education program.  It was developed in the last century by Sofia Cavalletti, a Scripture scholar, and Gianna Gobbi, a Montessorian who trained directly under Maria Montessori.  In Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, the child learns to “work and pray” in a Benedictine spirit.  Learning is both sensory and contemplative:  instead of textbooks, the children receive “presentations” that incorporate materials and Scripture.  After the presentation, the children are invited to work with the materials anytime in order to deepen their understanding and reflection.

Each material in a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd space pertains to a meaningful experience of Scripture or liturgy.  There are wooden dioramas to reflect on the parables, a miniature altar to provide a tactile experience of the Sacrifice of the Mass.  The work of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is multifold, including the goals of:

• Increasing scriptural and liturgical literacy.
• To heighten an awareness of the child’s own relationship to Christ.
• To elevate the dignity of the littlest ones.
• To instill a spirit of focus, contemplation and joy in even the youngest children.
• To nurture a path of discipleship, so the relationship with Christ becomes internal, rather than based
• in external rules.
• To foster a sense of the joy and dignity of work.
• To foster a spirit of independence and competence in the child.

The space where this takes place is called an “atrium.”  In the early Church, an atrium was the place for the catechumens to gather in community and learn the rhythms of the Church before they were fully initiated into the faith.  In a similar way, the “atrium” for our youngest ones is a “specially-prepared space” where they can come develop into more fully initiated disciples.  The atrium is a sacred space. Furnishings are simple and essential; everything within the space exists for a purpose.  Furniture is child-sized and is meant to resemble a home or church more than a classroom.

Our current atrium/Catechesis of the Good Shepherd offerings exist in these multi-age configurations:

• Infant/Toddler (0-3 year olds, plus a caregiver)
• Level I (3-6 year olds)
• Level II (6-9 year olds)
• Level IIT (Fourth Grade)

For an atrium tour, for more information, to learn how to register your child, or to explore becoming certified as a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd catechist, please contact Holly Mohr