“I love the independent spirit of exploration and the way that the kids are empowered to find their relationship with God and to develop that connection. It's really more about relationship more than it is about knowledge,” said Rebecca Adomshick, mother of five, about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Hellertown.
Her two youngest children have been attending the program for over two years.
“I stumbled over the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program that was first described to me as the Montessori approach to religious education,” said Adomshick.
Anita Vincent, Th.D., Director of Religious Education and Formation at St. Theresa, brought the program to the parish three years ago.
“A prepared environment is what we call it,” said Vincent. “The atrium is a prepared environment.
“The word ‘atrium’ comes from the very early Church, when catechesis was done in the atrium of the Roman home before they were baptized. We have all these materials that the children work with … we have these themes in the Bible and the liturgy."
CGS was developed in 1954 in Rome by Sofia Cavalletti, a Hebrew Scripture scholar, and Gianna Gobbi, an educator. CGS conforms to Church documents and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The program made its way to the United States in 1975. Vincent has worked with the program for 20 years.
“For the younger kids, because they are in the stage of language acquisition, we just do nomenclature with the articles in the Mass. So, this is the chalice. This is the paten,” explained Vincent.
“As they grow up, we talk about the Mass itself. So, by the time they are 12, they know the Roman Missal as well as a transitional deacon would.
“We start to talk about the Sacraments at age 3, and we take it to discipleship by the time they're 12. All with Bible and liturgy.”
The parish offers six sessions: three Level 1 (ages 3-6); two Level 2 (ages 6-9), which includes sacramental preparation for Reconciliation and Eucharist; and one Level 3 (ages 9-12). Two of the Level 1 sessions are in the mornings to accommodate homeschooling families.
“This period of early childhood is really important to strong foundations in the faith afterward,” said Adomshick.
“While a lot of that education happens at home in the family, I think there's a deep value in allowing the kids to explore these concepts with peers and to know from an early age that it's not just in our house, it's not only when we go to church, but there are people my age asking the same questions, exploring the parts and pieces that make our faith what it is, and working to build this relationship with God.”
She hopes to see the program really take root in the Diocese. As of now, only two parishes in the Diocese offer CGS.
“My hope is that this early experience, and this deep and independent exploration of their own relationship with God, will follow them into their later years,” said Adomshick.
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus will host two open houses in April: Tuesday, April 8 and Saturday, April 12, both 10 a.m. to noon, in the old convent building, 255 Wilson Ave.
The program runs from October through the feast of Pentecost since CGS follows the liturgical calendar. The sessions are 90 minutes, and the cost is $100 per child, per year.
“However, we will work with parents who find this to be a hardship to make it possible for their children to attend," said Vincent. "We welcome families from all parishes who would like their children to experience the profound love of God in the atrium.”
For more information, email Vincent at St. Theresa, at prep.sttheresacj@gmail.com.
Photo: a student working with the Last Supper.
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