Bringing faith to life

A couple of months ago, one of Nancy Magnuson's third grade students walked into the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) Atrium, closed her eyes, and said, “Oh, this is my favorite place to be!”       

Her comment meant a lot to Nancy, who is the elementary religion teacher at Bishop Ryan Catholic School, but at the same time, it didn't surprise her. Time and time again, Nancy witnesses the remarkable impact that the CGS program has on her students, and how it helps them blossom into the beautiful little people God has created them to be.

“I had a five-year-old preschool CGS student who drew a picture of the Mass, and he even included the epiclesis in it,” Nancy shared. “He also drew the arms of the priest raised over the chalice and the paten. He even had the liturgical colors correct! It is amazing what my students learn from the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. They are filled with excitement during class, and can't wait to get their hands on the new works I have in the atrium.

From experience, Nancy has seen how valuable a hands-on, dynamic faith formation program like CGS can be, especially when it is offered to highly impressionable little hearts and minds.     

“I have taught CCD for many years, and I see the difference in how much they learn through CGS over the basic CCD curriculum,” she said. “It is a totally different way of learning for the children, and it really sticks with them. It utilizes materials that allow them to grasp what they are learning about. It gives them contemplative prayer time, in union with the Holy Spirit, which is something I believe they really need. It bears great fruit in their spiritual lives.”          

Overall, it is a profoundly rewarding program for all those involved–students, as well as teachers, parents and aides.       

Basically, a CGS session begins when the students come into a learning space called an “atrium” which has carefully, beautifully designed hands-on, faith enrichment materials. Once the children have seen a presentation about how to use a certain material, they are allowed to work with it during the session. During each session, a CGS teacher gives a presentation to groups of three to four children at a time, while an the aide helps the other students to work with materials that have already been presented. In closing, they unite their hearts together in God's presence at the prayer table.          

Julie Jacobson, Director of Faith Formation at Christ the King Parish and School, has also witnessed the extraordinary impact that CGS has on the intimate spiritual lives of children.         

“In working with the young children at our school, I have noticed that their love and understanding of the faith has increased tremendously by using the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd,” she shared. “The children make correlations from the infancy narratives, to the geography of Israel, to the death and resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem. Everything about the faith becomes interrelated for them, and they begin to understand the person of Jesus, His love for them and how they can return that love.”          

Importantly, it provides a venue for a reverent yet personal companionship with Christ to be nurtured in the blossoming soul of a child.

“CGS allows the cry of the child to be heard, 'Help me come closer to God by myself,'” explained Julie. “Sofia Cavalletti, the co-foundress of CGS, felt this cry from the heart of every child and she responded, with Gianna Gobbi, in the creation of this Montessori catechesis program. The goal of the catechist is simply to come to know the interior life of each child before them and so direct them to a particular work in the atrium. After presenting the lesson, the catechist 'disappears,” leaving the child to draw closer to God by themselves. This is what makes CGS so wonderful.”      

Ultimately, CGS brings Catholicism to life, making it a tangible gift that a child can hold with their exploring hands and witness with their eyes.          

“CGS really brings to life the richness and beauty of the Church,” Julie commented. “The catechist is encouraged to follow the child, and create new works or materials that help each child find their personal relationship with Jesus. It may include helping a child understand the Annunciation so as to help them later see why Mary is the Immaculate Conception; it may be to introduce the Kingdom parables so the ‘Our Father, Thy Kingdom come’ comes alive for them. CGS is a way of catechizing the child that allows the Holy Spirit to form their interior life and grow in Christian maturity.”          

And, like Nancy, Julie has experienced many touching moments as a CGS catechist.         

“Once, a young boy came over to me during our atrium session, and whispered, 'As I was tracing the articles of the altar, Jesus told me He wants me to be a priest.' The atrium creates a space for these young children to hear the voice of Jesus and recognize it. It was quite beautiful!”         

CGS is generally offered at parishes and schools as a compliment to the existing religious education program. For example, at Bishop Ryan Catholic School, in addition to participating in a CGS session each week, the students also attend two school Masses as well as Eucharistic Adoration, pray a rosary each week, have regular virtue lessons, and enjoy various seasonal devotions, such as the Stations of the Cross.  

“CGS prepares the children very well to enter into traditional faith formation classes, giving them a solid base in Scripture and Liturgy,” Julie said. “However, CGS does offer atrium formation until the child is 12 years of age, if a parish or school so desires to offer CGS all the way through until confirmation.”

At this time, there are CGS programs at a few of the parishes in our diocese, such as Spirit of Life Parish in Mandan and Corpus Christi Church in Bismarck. A number of Catholic homeschooling mothers are trained in CGS as well.

This summer, the diocese is offering training for level one and two guides for the CGS program in order for those guides to bring the method back to their parishes and schools.