Origins of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

(I was asked to give a talk to the Ladies of St. Andrews and this was the talk I gave in 2007.  In turn they graciously helped us financially to get much needed furniture, rugs and materials when we first started Level II.  We only had enough materials for two atrii, so my husband and I worked together building the materials for a third atrium.)

The origins of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd can be attributed to three Catholic Italian women:

Maria Montessori, M.D. (1870-1952)
She was the first woman doctor in Italy.  She did research in Rome on how children learn at different stages of development.  She did this for twenty years after giving up her practice.  She worked with sixty young children of working families.  She was up for the Nobel Peace Prize for her research as she was the first  person to ever do research on developmental psychology and learning of children.  As a woman of those times, she barely stood a chance of  winning, however in any education courses you are bound to study her research and she is held in high regard in education history.

Dr. Sophia Cavalletti (1917-2011)
She was a Hebrew and Scripture scholar; a member of the Vatican Commission for Jewish-Christian relations; and a writer for Vatican II.  She was also a scientist.  She attended a conference of Maria Montessori in England and came away wanting to scientifically study how children at different ages and stages of development could learn the Bible and Liturgy of the Mass.  She did just that after people began asking her to prepare their children for the sacraments.  She then designed the program as we know it as The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  She discovered early on that three year olds especially love the parable of the Good Shepherd.  They gravitate toward Him as a protector and someone who loves them.

Professor Gianna Gobbi (1919-2002)
She was an educator herself and had worked with Maria Montessori and later joined Sophia in her work.  Together they established the program called the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

A good definition of the word, "Atrium" then would be that it is an approach to the religious formation of children, ages 3-12 years.  It originated in 1954 with the founding of the children's centre or "Atrium in Rome, Italy.

I looked up the definition of the word, "Atrium."  It means:
1.  A central main room of an ancient Roman private house.
2.  A courtyard, mostly surrounded by colonnades in front of early Christian or medieval churches.
3.  An auricle of the heart.
4.  The entrance to the Vatican, which is sometimes referred to as the Atrium.
So we can conclude that the Atrium is the entrance to learning about God, the Church, the Holy Bible, the Sacraments and the Holy Mass.

The program is based on the conviction that a child has a deep need to experience and enjoy the presence of God and that God and the child are in a relationship.

How wonderful to hear that because it is what we as adults should be aspiring to in meditation and contemplation of Our Lord.  It is what the Protestants refer to when they ask, "Do you have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ?  This program nurtures that relationship from the very beginning.

This program is also used by Episcopal, Lutheran, Anglican or any non-Catholic church which uses a Liturgy.  It has been adapted for these churches.  Sometimes when there are not enough catechists, the children from these various churches use the same atrium.  The catechists also do their training together if there is only one training available in their area or when the schedule is convenient.

What I loved immediately about the program after observing it was the peacefulness of the room.  There was busy activity going on as the children were deeply involved in whatever materials they were working on.  Three observations about the program also made me know I wanted the training for this.  I was observing a presentation on the small altar as the catechist named each article of the mass: chalice, paten, tabernacle, etc.  However, she hesitated when she got to the article inside the tabernacle, but a child called out "ciborium!" before she could remember the name!  The 3-6 year olds are like little sponges and remember everything you tell them.

Then there was the incident when I had my first class in 2002 as I was assisting the catechist during my training in Phoenix.  I just didn't believe that three year olds could possibly understand a parable in the Bible.  I watched one three year old turning around while sitting on the rug and squirming while the Pearl of Great Price was being read.  Yet as I observed this child using the materials afterward, I could see he knew the story perfectly.  I could hear him telling the story quietly in his own words as he moved the figures exactly as the catechist was doing during her presentation.  After that, I was a believer.  It is truly teaching the children "meditation and contemplation of scripture" at the earliest age.

Also, I was always happiest when I'd get feedback from a grandmother or parent that their child while at mass would call out, "That's the Epiclesis!"  They knew the different gestures of the priest during the mass as well as their names.  What a great program!

Class Schedule:
The class schedule is set up as follows:
1.  The children sit on the rug at the prayer table.  They begin with prayer.
2.  The catechist then gives a presentation on either a Bible Story or demonstrates one of the gestures of the priest during the Liturgy of the Mass.  (about 20-25 minutes)
3.  The children can now choose a work.  There is only one of each Bible Story but there are many art activities relating to the mass and the Bible Stories, so the child can choose one of these or another Bible Story which was already read to them. (about 50 minutes)
4.  The bell is rung (around 10 minutes after the hour.)  This indicates that it's cleanup time.
5.  They gather back on the rug quietly.  We pray.
6.  We sing songs ending the class joyfully.
7.  Dismissal as we call individuals to get their work out of the folders to take home.

About the training of the catechists:
The training for each Level is 2 weeks long.  Sometimes it will be scheduled 1 week during one summer and the following summer will be 1 more week.  Other times I've traveled to Phoenix one weekend every month for the same amount of time.  I finished my Level I training in 2004 after observing and as an assistant for one and a half years during the training.  I certainly learned a lot about my faith.  I feel privileged and honored to prepare children for the sacraments.  I can't think of anything I've enjoyed more.  I was a teacher for 22 years in the public sector and always knew I was where God wanted me to be then and even more now.  I have been blessed with this ministry.

Our Atrium (Level I and Level II) at St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Sierra Vista, AZ.

This is a common atrium setup with a few variations.  We have a holy water font and as the children enter, they learn to bless themselves with holy water.

In the small basket on the left is where we serve small paper cups of water for the children whenever they are thirsty as we have no water fountain in the room or nearby.




We also have a table with files where the children keep their artwork or letters to take home.  There is a date stamp on the table for them to stamp their work that day.






Also, as we don't have a sink with running water, there is a pitcher and bowl, typical in a Montessori classroom.  We keep the pitcher filled with some water and they are taught to wash their hands after polishing or pasting.  They throw the excess water into the bucket below when finished.

On the left bookcase is "The Tomb," "The Eucharistic Presence," and on the bottom shelf, "The Eucharistic Presence with International figures."

Most importantly there is the stationary bookcase with colored pencils, paper, glue sticks and scissors.  The first thing they learn in the atrium is how to collect their materials and put them away at the end of class.  It's wonderful to see three year olds in Level I become so comfortable with this structure.  They become competent and learn responsibility.

You can see blue name cards on the top shelf.  These I use for my Level II atrium because so many different family members drop off and  pick up during the year.   In addition, it is dark at 6:30 p.m. by the time they pick their children up.  The parent passes the name card to the relative or friend who will be picking up.  I have found that this makes it so much easier for me when they hand me the card.   I can look directly into their face and after a while I recognize them.  We have a sign in/sign out policy as well.  The sign up sheet is outside the atrium on a stand.

Our Level I atria meet on Sunday.  There are two sessions.  We also have a Thursday, Level I atrium for home school children.  Our Level II is during the week on Wednesday and Thursday.  These classes prepare our children for their First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion, ages 7 to 9 and sometimes older.  Now we have a Family Class for the older children and their parents attend as well.

Pin Maps and Sharing a Level I and Level II Atrium

Sharing a Level I and Level II Atrium

 Level I Practical Life Skills material for the 3-6 year olds is covered with a small curtain while the Level II atrium is in session.  This includes brass and silver polishing, grasping, spooning, and pouring.  This also gets them ready for pouring cruets and makes the three year olds feel very comfortable and at home in the atrium. 










This is the same bookcase but with the curtain over the Level I materials during a Level II atrium.
The Synthesis of the Kingdom of God Parables:  the Mustard Seed, Pearl of Great Price, Grain of Wheat, and the Growing Seed are displayed on a silver tray.  Also, The Found Sheep and The Wolf and the Hireling are kept in the tapestry box on the top of the bookcase.  These are within reach of the Level II children.


 

 Two of the Moral Parables, The Found Coin and The Insistent Friend are covered with a small curtain during Level I.  I keep all the tracing packets and the Presentations for Baptism and Reconciliation in this bookcase that I got at St. Vincent's.  We keep our calligraphy materials in this bookcase, Missals and Prayer Journals along with Altar Work for Level II.

The Moral Parables presented during our Sacrament Retreat

On a bookcase behind this one (seen below) is kept The Healing of the Centurion's Servant, The Forgiving Father, The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (first shelf), The Wedding Feast, the Ten Bridesmaids (2nd shelf) and The Good Samaritan (bottom shelf).   This too is covered by a small white curtain during Level I atrium. 

Displayed is the Invitation to the Wedding Feast.  This is my favorite of all the moral parables.  It suggests so much about what God wants from his people.  It lays out four categories of human choice and what can happen when we have free choice and make wrong decisions.  However, He wants us to all to come to the Wedding Feast.  He is a forgiving Father.
I always compare this with the Good Shepherd when He says, "There are other sheep outside this sheepfold."  But He wants one flock; one shepherd.

Missal Work and Prayer Journals

On this bookcase you can see the Missal Work for Level II and the White Control notebooks for the Missals (left)  The top shelf houses the Level II Altar pasting work.  I am the Level II catechist for this atrium.  We have two atriums.  So I've tried to keep everything out of the main part of the atrium for Level I catechists in that it flows like a Level I atrium only.  I have a Wednesday and Thursday late afternoon/evening class and so I keep their Missal material separate on these two shelves.

The Gifts of the Kingdom are a very popular material for Level II.  There are small boxes of Herbs in the picnic basket and below are two drawers - one with small boxes of rocks and the other is filled with seashells and different sea life.  They like to sit in pairs and discover everything.

There are also a file basket on the top filled with downloaded pictures of animals, people helping others, along with rocks and rock formations, sea creatures and ocean scenes, flowers and trees - all God's creations!

The posters displayed across the wall belong to this work also.  It describes creation and how God put everything in place including this beautiful world of creatures and human helping others. On the four large tables are the foam board maps for the City of Jerusalem and the Pin Maps.  Our trainer for Level II always said, "Big work means big tables."  You can see why.  Normally the children stand to do this work, but when necessary they can use the tables to sit and work too.

                                                                                                                                     The Pin Maps

  The children find the name of the city on the control map (left) and then look for it on the larger mute map and place the flag on that location.  They are to do this with the mountain ranges, large land and mountain ranges as well as the bodies of water.  They are four control maps for them to choose from.  The red flag are the cities, blue for the bodies of water, green for the land masses and yellow

 for the mountain ranges.



The bookcase on the right shows where the Pin Map Flags are stored.  They are covered on the top shelf.  The large foam board maps are kept between the two bookcases behind this one as well as the City of Jerusalem foam board maps.
So everything has a place but does not disrupt the flow of the Level I children.  It becomes the job of the Level II catechist to put everything back in place for the Level I catechists and their children.  "A place for everything and everything in its place."  That's the Montessori way.

 

In the photo below I've taken the pins and replaced them with small wooden pegs and small block bases.  A lot less hurtful than getting stuck with a pin.  We put up with that for years until one of the catechists discovered these posts with bases at Hobby Lobby.  So much nicer now and more attractive.