"No methodology, no matter how well tested, can dispense with the person of the catechist in every phase of the catechetical process. The charism given him by the spirit, a solid spirituality and transparent witness of life, constitutes the soul of every method. Only his own human and Christian qualities guarantee a good use of texts and other work instruments.”

General Directory for Catechesis #156

catechist FORMATION                                                                   

• Catechist Formation Program

• Website for Level II

• Catechist Formation Level I Form

• Catechist Formation Level II Form
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• Catechist Formation Elective Form

Are you a new catechist? This is a place to start.

What are your tasks as a catechist?

In the National Directory for Catechesis directives are given.

In the General Directory for Catechesis six tasks are given.

What are you to teach?

Here’s a Basic Curriculum

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 

“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

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