Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atrium
A brief history and introduction:
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) began in Rome, Italy in 1954 when Sofia Cavalletti, a Catholic and a Hebrew and Biblical scholar, joined with Gianna Gobbi, a Montessorian, to continue the work that Dr. Maria Montessori started before her death. Dr. Montessori had in her lifetime asserted that her own method “could only find its fullest expression when applied to teaching the Catholic faith.” By her own words, then, her educational ideas find their fulfillment in what is now called “The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.” Today this Catechesis is offered in centers throughout the world.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd takes place in “The Atrium,” a prepared environment of prayer and quiet reflection where the meaning of the liturgical moments of the Church are celebrated, and the traditions of the Catholic faith are experienced. By means of lessons and beautiful sacred materials to work with, the child is assisted to enter into the great mysteries of God’s kingdom and of life. This approach to religious and spiritual development nurtures the innate spirituality of the young child as well as the adult.
The aim of the CGS is to help the child to fall in love with the person of Jesus. This is done through presenting parables, signs, and symbols and asking reflective questions to help ponder the great love of the Good Shepherd.
“It is possible to see a clear analogy between the Shepherd of the Church and that of the prudent and generous Montessori directress – who with tenderness and love and a wise evaluation of the best gifts knows how to discover and bring to light the most hidden virtues and capacities of the child.” ~ Pope John XXIII
“Before the majesty of God I desire to consecrate myself to the service of the Catholic Church, offering myself as a holocaust to Jesus Christ our Lord. I desire to follow the path of His divine will, embracing my sweet cross with the intention so truly to live that, if it be His will, the Church of Christ, in a reformed humanity, may triumph midst the splendors of civilization.” ~ A vow taken by Maria Montessori and her first followers before The Blessed Sacrament in 1910.
“Each of us is called to serve God within the limits God has ordained, and in the form He has willed; and my service is the offering of my work. I believe that this method of education is the instrument God placed in my hands – for His ends.” ~ Maria Montessori
