April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
NEW FAITH FORMATION
Montessori-method catechesis in Albany
Years ago, I watched my mom begin this program at our parish in Connecticut. Thanks to her efforts, I attended the "atrium" as a child.
Going to atrium was a joy. The room was inviting; it contained child-sized furniture, wooden dioramas and figures depicting parables and infancy narratives, a three-dimensional map of Jerusalem, a miniature altar and many other hands-on materials related to Scripture or liturgy.
There were choices for students on how to spend time: choosing your own material, working alone or with others, or having a new lesson. It was a place to dwell with God.
Growing up, I had no idea I was participating in an exceptional form of religious education. I simply knew the love of Jesus.
Mass was always interesting to me, because I recognized the gestures of the priest, meanings of liturgical colors and names of sacred vessels.
I heard familiar texts at church; they were almost like friends from my time spent with the atrium materials: the Good Shepherd, the True Vine, the Pearl of Great Price, the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, The Last Supper and many others.
The deep religious potential of children is a core element of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This is what captivated two Italian laywomen: Sophia Cavelleti, a Hebrew scripture scholar who served on the Vatican commission for Christian-Jewish relations; and Gianna Gobbi, a Montessori educator. In the 1950s, they began collaborating in Rome, and spent their lives developing materials for the spiritual development of children ages three through 12.
The program is divided into three levels: Level I for three- to six-year-olds, Level II for six- to nine-year-olds, and Level III for nine- to 12-year-olds. The Cateche-sis of the Good Shepherd was first used in the United States in the 1980s; today, it is offered in many dioceses across the nation, in 37 countries and by several religious orders, including Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia and Missionaries of Charity.
Years after my own experience in the atrium, I became a mom and desired Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for my own children. As a transplant to the Albany Diocese, I searched for a local atrium and was disappointed not to find one. Eventually, I began training as an educator myself, making and gathering materials.
This fall, a Level I atrium for preschool to kindergarten children will begin at Blessed Sacrament parish in Albany. It won't be the first in the Diocese: Holy Trinity parish in Hudson/Germantown offers Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, and homeschoolers in Saratoga County use it.
I'll be the CGS coordinator and Level I catechist at Blessed Sacrament.
(For information, see www.cgsusa.org or contact Ms. Reno, [email protected], or Arlene Liepshutz at Holy Trinity, [email protected].)[[In-content Ad]]
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