Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Brochure
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Trenz Pruca 4321 First Street Anytown, State ZIP What’s the process? The process of initiating a Level I Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program at St. Joseph’s will involve the following action points: • Observing the program in action at St. George’s and Christ Church Cathedral • Four volunteers committing to the training, as well as to volunteering with the ministry for 2 years (the investment in training is such that a significant commitment is needed) • Selecting an appropriate location for an Atrium. • Coordinating volunteers in the parish with the interest and skills to create appropriate items for the atrium (e.g. a child-sized altar, communion vessels, figurines etc...) Please pray about the possibility of this ministry here at St. Joseph’s. If you feel called to assist at any of these levels, please let Fr. Jody know by emailing him at [email protected] , or calling him at 615-440-6492. e Church of ST. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA ST. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA 103 Country Club Dr. Hendersonville, TN 37075 Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: Introduction & Invitation
Transcript of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Brochure
Trenz Pruca4321 First StreetAnytow
n, State ZIP
What’s the process?The process of initiating a Level I Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program at St. Joseph’s will involve the following action points:
• Observing the program in action at St. George’s and Christ Church Cathedral
• Four volunteers committing to the training, as well as to volunteering with the ministry for 2 years (the investment in training is such that a significant commitment is needed)
• Selecting an appropriate location for an Atrium.
• Coordinating volunteers in the parish with the interest and skills to create appropriate items for the atrium (e.g. a child-sized altar, communion vessels, figurines etc...)
Please pray about the possibility of this ministry here at St. Joseph’s. If you feel called to assist at any of these levels, please let Fr. Jody know by emailing him at [email protected], or calling him at 615-440-6492.
e Church ofST. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA
ST. J
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103 Country C
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Hendersonville, T
N 37075
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: Introduction &
Invitation
Starting Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. Joseph’s
What is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd? The Philosophy of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is that even very young children have a religious life, that God is present to them in their deepest being, and they are capable of developing a conscious and intimate relationship with God. Catechesis provides guidance and vocabulary to enable them to become aware of their relationship with God and to express it. Classes are structured to offer a time of prayer and song, a time for the "presentation" and a time for individual work by the child. The work of the child is their prayer and is the most important part of the class.
This program is used worldwide and based on the work of Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, a Hebrew scholar and her co-worker, Gianna Gobbi, a Montessori educator. For more information on the program, see www.catechesisgoodshepherd.org
Children are grouped by age or grade level and attend class in specially prepared rooms called "atria". The atrium contains attractively displayed handmade materials that are designed to invite children to deepen their relationship with God at their
We are blessed to have two large Catechesis programs with long histories here in the Diocese of Tennessee at Christ Church Cathedral and St. George’s. Both of these congregations offer periodic training opportunities for Level I and Level II Catechesis. Our goal is to begin Catechesis Level I (ages 3-6) at St. Joseph’s next fall.
The director of program at St. George’s, Joanna Williams, has offered to schedule times for interested folks to see the Atrium in action, and to give tours of their atria as well.
If you think you might be interested, please let Fr. Jody know by emailing him at:
or by calling at 615-440-6492 to discuss the possibilities in detail.
own pace. The program is biblically based and follows the rhythms of the church year. Based on the conviction that God and the child are in a relationship, the program focuses on the specific needs of the child.
The Catechesis is divided into three levels that correspond to the Montessori planes of development. Children from ages three to six are in Level I. Level II covers grades one through three, and fourth, fifth, and sixth graders are in Level III. As the child matures, the essentials of our religious faith are presented in increasing detail and sophistication. At each level, presentations focus on the life and teachings of Jesus and the liturgy of the church.
How can we start this at St. Joseph of Arimathea? Beginning a program like this at St. Joseph of Arimathea will take a great deal of commitment and follow through on the part of volunteers. The training to be a leader of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is extensive and requires a large time investment on the part of volunteers, and a significant financial investment on the part of the congregation. If taken up and developed, however, the returns will be more than worth it, in terms of the spiritual formation of our children and the strong foundation for our congregation.
