Instead, the catechist says, “I wonder what this means?” While reading the Bible passage, she said the catechist moves the figures so the child can witness the sheep following the Shepherd’s voice.Īt the end of any presentation Pflug said the catechist does not tell or ask the child what the parable means. “At age three to six, what a child needs is protection and love.”įor the Good Shepherd presentation, Pflug explained that the catechist introduces a wooden sheepfold surrounding small figures of a shepherd and his sheep. “The idea is to introduce the child to Jesus as the Good Shepherd who protects them, loves them and knows them by name,” Pflug said. The foundational parable is the Good Shepherd, said Kathy Pflug, coordinator of CGS at St. Remarkably, developing a readiness and capacity for prayer is a gift that can remain throughout a child’s life, she said.Īnother cornerstone of CGS is immersion in the Scriptures, with a particular emphasis on prophecies and parables. Keller said a teacher friend in Kansas claims she can tell which high school students experienced the Atrium as youngsters based on their ability to quiet themselves as teenagers. Keller said she often asks the children, “How do we prepare our bodies to hear God’s voice?” She said catechists model slow movements and quiet speech, in addition to leading the children in games that teach “sitting tall” and breathing deeply. “If they can sit and concentrate on two bowls of water and a sponge for 15 minutes, it really helps them to quiet their mind and soul as well.” “We’re teaching the children to have control over their bodies,” Wilkerson said. She said children as young as three years old can spend 15-20 minutes in the Atrium just transferring water back and forth with a sponge. Jessi Wilkerson, a CGS catechist at Sacred Heart Parish in Norfolk, has witnessed this in action. “The ‘practical life works’ like pouring water and scooping beans teach the children how to calm themselves, which can then lead to prayer and contemplation,” Keller said. This hands-on approach is integral to the Montessori philosophy, she said, noting that it creates an opportunity for children to ponder the mysteries of faith at a deeper level. Keller explained that young children enjoy repetitive actions like scooping small items from one bowl to another. The colorful circle represents the Church’s liturgical seasons in purple, green, red and white. She explained that the candle recalls the Sacrament of Baptism, and the map displays the topography of the Holy Land. Stephen the Martyr School in Omaha, said that each of the materials was carefully chosen and deliberately designed for a specific lesson called a “presentation.” For example, visitors to a CGS atrium may notice a candle, a relief map, a wooden circle with colorful pieces and a bowl of beans.Īlthough it isn’t immediately clear to an outside observer how these ordinary items foster a child’s relationship with God, Brooke Keller, CGS catechist at St. At first glance, a Montessori-based religious formation program called Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) houses an unusual collection of items in its classrooms (called “Atriums”).
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