Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

What is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?

Young children learn best by actively engaging their whole bodies and all their senses. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a distinct approach to catechesis, through which the youngest children build deep, lifelong relationships with Christ and His Church. Originating in Rome in the 1950s, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd uses a rich Montessori approach to engage children as young as 2 1/2 in age-appropriate, hands-on materials, based on Sacred Scripture and the Liturgy. 

Because it engages children so profoundly, it has become the best approach to young children's catechesis in a growing number of dioceses, parishes and schools around the U.S and the world. 
In the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, typically, 10-20 children gather with two or three catechists in a room called the "atrium," which is reserved exclusively for this purpose. Catechesis normally begins with songs and hymns related to current catechetical themes. Then, usually some children will receive a presentation from a catechist, while the other children select materials to work with that they have previously been presented. Children will typically work with several materials during each visit to the atrium, and work with each material many times over the years. (Because the children conduct their own works, and learn directly from the Holy Spirit, the Catechesis is not a "class," and the catechists are not the "teachers.") 
The atrium is filled with a rich variety of beautifully crafted hands-on work materials related to Christ's life, His parables, the Liturgy and the Sacraments. It also includes many meditative handworks that help children quiet their bodies and minds. Visitors to an atrium are often astounded at how fully even the youngest children immerse themselves in this quiet, meditative, retreat-like environment. 

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Characteristics: 

❖ Hands-on, child-size, attractive Montessori-based materials 
❖ Children conduct their own works, and learn directly from the Holy Spirit, 
❖ Based on Scripture and the Liturgy 
❖ Believes that God and the child have a unique relationship with one another and that the growth of this relationship should be assisted by the adult, 
❖ Children need their own place to foster the growth of that relationship. 

Parishes with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atriums 

Blessed Sacrament Parish, Tallahassee 
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Parish & School, Pensacola 
Good Shepherd Parish, Tallahassee 
Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Niceville 
Nativity of Our Lord Parish, Pensacola 
St. Ann Parish, Gulf Breeze 
St. Dominic Parish, Panama City
St. John Parish & School, Panama City

“If we want to help the child draw nearer to God, we should with patience and courage...seek to go always closer to the vital nucleus of things. This requires study and prayer. The child himself will be our teacher if we know how to observe him.”

Sofia Cavalletti