It Takes Time

8. The weekly atrium gatherings should last at least two hours, of which a small part is often dedicated to the catechist’s presentation, and the majority of the time is reserved for the personal work of the child. From the Characteristics of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

In a recent survey about session times, I had an anonymous question from a responder about the possibility of offering a one-hour session that would make it more convenient for families to be together for supper. I know that many faith-formation programs offer time frames like this, especially for smaller children, so I am sure it is confusing when our minimum session duration is 90 minutes and some of them are 2 hours long. This time frame can be difficult to accomplish for small children and busy, working families. This is the reasons we are seeking help from parents to find the best time in which to offer their children a 90 minute or 2 hour session. But parents rightly ask: "Why?" "Is it really necessary?" And even, "Won't they get bored?"

In the Characteristics of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, there are 32 points of reflection that set CGS apart from other faith formation approaches, programs, and curricula. These points are necessary to consider because while anyone can use the name "CGS" for their program, there is no pre-packaged, annual purchasing of the program. The investment and is not in books or even in the materials. It is in the catechists and their faithfulness to their own formation.

So the short answer as to why we offer longer sessions is therefore pretty simple: because we want to be as faithful as we can to this time-tested approach to formation for children. A better answer is because we have seen something quite remarkable in the children: a desire to be here longer!

In answer to the question about boredom, Sofia Cavalletti, an internationally-known biblical scholar and one of the foundresses of CGS, writes in her book The Religious Potential of the Child, "We should not alter too often or too rapidly the object of the child's attention, in which case the child would defend himself with an intentional indifference to this wearying, continuous movie. If the child does not have the time to dwell on anything, then everything will come to seem the same to him and he will lose interest in all things" (RPOC, 112.) When we see indifference to the mystery of God, it is not a sign we need to hurry up or give more information, but that the child may need us to slow down and give him more time to ponder.

The children have shown us over and over that this time is not a burden to them. Even at an hour and a half, they will groan and sigh when the catechist rings the bell indicating that it is time to restore our work and finish up for the day.

When the Missionaries of Charity (St. Teresa of Calcutta's order) decided to use Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in their work with children (and more interestingly: in the formation of their new sisters!) they were asked, "What have you found in CGS that is different from other catechesis?" The answer: "Contemplation."  It is not the child alone who experiences this opportunity for deep prayer and contemplation in the atrium. Probably the single greatest reason there is so little turnover of catechists in CGS is that in this approach, the catechist has time to see the child's quiet and individual encounter with God - that "incandescent moment of the meeting with God [which] occurs in secret between the Lord and His creatures" (RPOC, 53).

The content of CGS is nothing new to religious formation. We teach the faith. The striking difference comes in the way we prepare a space and allow time for the children to contemplate the mysteries they receive. In fact, the time in the atrium in which the child is receiving presentations (lessons) is much, much shorter than the time we leave for their personal work and reflection.

To those parents of small children for whom this time commitment can be a challenge: as a mother of little ones, too, I understand your difficulties. It can be hard to trust your little "seedlings" to an approach that seems so different than others around. But after 12 years in this work of CGS (which is over 60 years old and has spread throughout 38 countries in the world), I can testify that the investment in toddlers and 3, 4, and 5 year olds has already borne great fruit in countless families in our area and beyond. It just takes time to see it.

The New, Older Child

Because Catechesis of the Good Shepherd begins at such a young age, (which is 3 years old for the majority of our parish children and even younger for our volunteers' children), it is not uncommon for new children to join in 3 or more years after their atrium-mates have been in formation. Many times, the new children look around and see the others hard at work and prayer and simply follow suit. Sometimes, though, especially for older children, there is more of a struggle. So how can we help to prepare the older child for this method of formation? I'll give three ideas for parents and catechists that I hope will help make this a beautiful experience for all!

Parents:

1. Learn all you can about this new program that your children are joining. The Missionaries of Charity and the Nashville Dominicans both use CGS in their schools and the formation of their sisters(!) Your child's catechist has been preparing for years to work with your older child. www.cgsusa.org is a great resource and so is our parish CGS blog: allsaintscgs.blogspot.com.
2. Encourage your child to be an active participant. This work is very individualized, and your child will receive short presentations each week, but the majority of his or her time will be self-directed work in a prepared environment. After receiving presentations, some children choose to dive in to biblical geography. Others spend time making their own missal. Others take on the big work of memorizing all of the books of the Bible. Others do a little bit of everything. The atrium is full of things to do. Your child may need encouragement to "get active" in their formation.
3. Talk to your child's catechist or your parish director of religious education early and often. You are always welcome to come and observe in your child's atrium. We like to give the children a heads up that we are having a visitor, so a week's notice is great. You may decide you want to jump in and get involved. Our community of catechists is growing each year because of parents who fall in love.

Catechists:

1. Get to know each child in your atrium and make sure to meet the parents, too! The more you know about each child (especially the older, new child), the better you will be able to follow that child and determine what he or she needs.
2. Don't forget the Good Shepherd! The older child may need the Good Shepherd and other primary works presented to them in a different way (less moving of the 2D figures), but they still need to have the proclamation (kerygma) which is the foundation and hallmark of our work in order before moving into moral formation (parenesis) or synthesis work. You must be sure that the child has had time to enjoy the covenant relationship with Jesus first!
3. Observe carefully! A quiet child is not necessarily a happy child. Think carefully about who you might "match" this older child up with as a work partner. The second plane (6-12 year old) child is a social child who is learning how to live his faith and his life in community. You know that there is so much you want to pass on to this child, but take it slow and always follow the child!

Catechists and Parents: Take heart! We have had so many beautiful experiences with the older child who comes in new to CGS. Two of these children had work that was published in the same CGS Journal 6 years ago (back when we were rookies). The Holy Spirit moves, even when we are unsure. Trust that!

God's Blessing on you and your families, this week and always!

Open House!

Help Me Do It by Myself

Maria Montessori was a Catholic scientist, doctor, and ultimately, educator, whose discoveries about what she called "the true nature of the child" have had a profound effect upon parents, educators, catechists, and children around the world. One of the key tenants of Dr. Montessori's understanding of the child is the silent plea to the adult: "Help me do it by myself."

When adults are aware of this need and desire of the child, amazing things happen. From toddlers who drink out of regular cups, make bread, and carefully clean out fish tanks (without killing the fish!), to 4 year olds who dress themselves (including coats and shoes) and who prepare and clean up their own snacks (including washing and putting away the dishes and sweeping the floor), the examples of what a child can do with the proper presentation and prepared environment are astounding.

A young child in our toddler
environment washing mirrors

It is not a matter of the adult pushing the child to independence, but serving as a humble guide who offers all the child needs to take his independence for himself.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, as you may know, is inspired by the work that Montessori added to the field of education as well as spirituality. We seek to prepare an environment where the child, even the youngest child, can be independent in the very important work that only a child can do: building a man (or woman).

Our scope in our parish CGS program, of course, is limited by the time frame (less than 2 hours per week for only part of the year) and our purpose. We seek to prepare a place where the child can fall in love with God. Yet the child does not wish for us to do this work for him/her.

Much like the Montessori dressing boards that prepare a child to dress himself, fasten his own coat, and tie his own shoes, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd seeks to offer formation to the child (and adult) that will prepare the child to take responsibility for his own "white garment" which he received at baptism. The catechist prepares the presentation (usually pertaining either to the Liturgy (Mass) or Scripture, offering rich food for the child's wonder, but the majority of the child's time in the CGS atrium is for his own personal work. In this way, his faith formation is an active response of the child, a seeking to discover more, to understand better.

A relationship with God is not something that any person can give to another, however, we can seek, both in our parish and in our homes, to prepare an environment that will help the child feel and respond for himself to that inner longing for relationship with the Lord that was placed there by God Himself.

"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you." St. Augustine

What is CGS? A Primer for Parents

Is this your first time in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd? You probably have a lot of questions. Hopefully this post will give you some answers. This post is a beautiful one by a parent who discovered our program. We hope you feel the same way as she did!

How Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is different from traditional textbook methods of religious formation

We can begin with the obvious: there are no textbooks! But let's first describe a textbook classroom.

In a textbook classroom:

• there are tables and chairs where similarly aged children usually sit for the entire class time which varies but is usually 75 minutes or fewer
• a catechist leads the class as a whole, usually at the head and leads the lesson and makes assignments. She or he is the director of the classroom activity
• the catechist in these classrooms may be someone with 15+ years of experience as a catechist and a professional teacher on the side, or it may be someone without any formal training doing this for the first time
• the material is covered according to the textbook. The scope and sequence is determined according to the text, as well as the interest of the class as a whole
• a good catechist is someone who can create exciting ways to impart the material in the text in a way that the children will retain it

In a CGS atrium:

• there are many different areas where the children may sit and receive lessons or work, as well as 3 different ages of child who are instructed not simply according to age, but also interest and ability.
• the catechist generally does not instruct the class as a whole unit, but gives lessons or "presentations" to small groups of children at a time. The child's activity, beyond the presentation he or she receives, is chosen by the child from a variety of choices that are offered. In this way, the child is generally the director of the time, choosing work that corresponds to his or her interests and abilities.
• The time in the atrium is usually more extended, allowing for a settled pace. There is no hurry, and there is time for the child to enter into "bigger work."  One of the chief ways a child defends himself against a hurried pace and interrupted concentration is boredom. We do not see boredom as an enemy in CGS, but often as a part of the process of building concentration that leads to contemplation. After a few months, the children groan when the closing bell is rung because the time is too short, not too long!
• Each trained catechist has an "album" of presentations, 50+ presentations per level, complete with direct and indirect aims laid out--these are the goals of what we want the children to achieve and how we measure our success in the presentation. The material from these presentations is drawn from liturgy (the Mass) and scripture.
• The CGS catechist falls into two categories: lead catechist and assistant. The lead catechist is someone who has undergone a 90-hour formation/training course (over 2 weeks of formation) for the level in which they work. Each level is a pre-requisite for the next, so if someone is a lead catechist in Level III (for the 9-12 year old child), she or he has completed a 90 hour training course for Level I and a 90 hour formation course for Level II, as well as 90+ hours for Level III. It does not necessarily mean that the catechist is "experienced," yet, and I can tell you that it is definitely a learning process to catechize in this way, but generally catechists will return year after year to serve and often get to serve the same child for multiple years. An assistant is someone who may or may not have been through formation, but "assists" the lead catechist with the work of maintaining the environment and assisting children in their work.
• The material is presented on a 3 year cycle and is presented according to the age and ability and interest of the individual child as much as possible. A material is never "done," and a child who wants to delve more deeply into geography or the parables or the bible work may always choose to do so.
• A good catechist is a "co-listener" with the children to the Word that she or he proclaims. The true catechist in the atrium is the Holy Spirit, and adults come to learn and be led with a listening, rather than instructing, stance before the child.

Child working with Level II Baptism Work

How thus approach was developed over the course of the last 60+ years

CGS began simply. The foundress, Sofia Cavalletti, was a well-educated scholar of the Hebrew Scriptures, and was asked to help prepare a friend's child for First Holy Communion. She took this role very seriously, and through collaboration with other women who had great interest and experience with child development research and success of Maria Montessori, this group of women developed what we know today as Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. It has been over 50 years now of observing what lessons and parables most resonate in the heart of the child, and what work leads them to desire holiness and develop spiritually according to their great potential.

What to expect (and what not to expect) from your child

Atrium is a bit more like going to church than it is like going to school. The experiences are very personal and sometimes difficult to explain. It is not a matter of: "I drew this today" or "I learned about this today" so much as it is, "I received the Word of God, and it spoke to me in a new way." These sentiments can be difficult for a child to verbalize. However, sometimes it happens! We had a child last Sunday who spent time in the class "prayer chair" writing up her "prares" after working on two materials over the previous weeks:

"Jesus Christ thank you for bringing me into the world. You take away the sins of the world and keep me safe."

"From creation to Redemption to Parousia you have been leading us into your light. You sacrificed your life for us thank you Jesus Christ Amen"

In the younger ages, the first few weeks are not as obviously fruitful, as the child has quite a bit if "practical" work to do to prepare and enable themselves to hear and absorb the content that will be presented. In some ways, the practical life work in the atrium, such as cutting paper, spooning beans, and pouring water, can appear to be completely unrelated to the goals at hand. However, these activities build the child's capacity for concentration and control of movement: very important skills needed for further exploration of the atrium!

How the three levels of CGS meet the developmental needs of the 3-6, 6-9, and 9-12 year old child (Levels I, II, and III respectively)

It is worth pointing out that CGS begins with the needs of the 3 year old child in mind, but continues to grow and change to meet the needs of children in their own unique developmental stage. The need for repetition in young children is more than met in the Level I atrium by the work presented there, while the need but lack of desire for repetition is met for older children by varied works on the same topic. Many of the materials in a Level III atrium can be as difficult or simple as the child needs them to be, and the extention works (e.g. research that the child may do) are directed exactly where the child is. This is why one never really outgrows the material in Level III (I know I haven't), but the way in which it is used changes. For more information on this, keep reading in the blog for individual work descriptions!

MORE INFORMATION FOR THE VERY CURIOUS

How CGS follows the guidelines of the General Directory for Catechesis
The GDC and the NDC are both followed very carefully by the content presented in CGS. The difference is merely in the method and approach. We have a catechist in our Level II (1st grade-3rd grade) atrium who had taught 2nd grade faith formation for years and she was impressed at how everything that was covered in the book was woven seamlessly into the CGS approach. I have templates covering exactly how our presentations work to meet these guidelines available for parents who want them. Just let me know!

Why CGS is respected worldwide and used by the Nashville Dominican Sisters (Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia) and Missionaries of Charity

When asked why the Missionaries of Charity have gone to using CGS in their schools as well as in the formation of their own sisters, the superior of the order (after Mother Theresa's death) replied, "Contemplation." The Good Shepherd approach, as you could see in the 5th grade girl's prayers above, facilitate contemplation in the child... more than just thinking about God, it is a communication with him, and a driving force behind the desire for holiness.

How to follow your child's work and communicate effectively with his/her catechists

• This BLOG! Read here to learn more about the actual lessons and fruit that is taking place in the different levels of CGS.
• Email Mandie! I send a weekly email with announcements for the week, and you can just hit "reply." I can also put you in contact with your catechists with one click!
• Observe in your child's atrium! Ask your child's catechist when would be a good time to come and observe. There are some guidelines that we have (trying to be invisible is one of them!) that the catechist will give you to help you see how the class goes even when you aren't there!
• Hang around after class or come early and ask the catechist how your child is doing. Catechists love nothing more than talking about the work of the children in their atrium!

That is about all for this rather lengthy "orientation," but I hope you have a better understanding of the experience your child will be having this year. We look forward to working together with you!

God Bless,

Mandie DeVries, CGS Catechist and Director of Religious Education