 Catechesis of the Good Shepherd,
a Montessori-based program of Christian formation, will be offered
at the Church of the Heavenly Rest for 5 and 6 year olds on Monday afternoons from 3:15-5:00 pm, and for 3 and
4 year olds on Tuesday afternoons from 3:15-5:00 pm. In September of 2002, these classes will become Catechesis Level II
on Mondays, for children ages 6-9 (Grades 1, 2 & 3) and Catechesis Level I
on Tuesdays, for children ages 3-6 (Preschool and Kindergarten). Wendy
Barrie, Director of Religious Education, will lead these classes,
which will be held in the Good Shepherd Room.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a radical
approach to religious education, both in the sense that it is firmly rooted in scripture and the liturgy of the
church, and in the sense that it is fundamentally different from the traditional model of Christian education.
It does not take place in a teacher-led classroom, nor does it use a series of textbooks or worksheets. In this
approach, children and catechists live together in the presense of God, in a specially-prepared environment of
beauty and order called the atrium, named for
the entry to the basilica where, in the early Church, catechumens were prepared for baptism.
The atrium is a place of purposeful activity and quiet contemplation, offering opportunities to listen, work, sing,
pray, wonder and respond to the word of God. The method and materials employed in the Catechesis
of the Good Shepherd are based on the educational principles of Maria
Montessori, as developed by Hebrew scholar Sophia Cavalletti and Montessori educator
Gianna Gobbi,
who began their collaboration in Rome in 1954. Today, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is used worldwide. In
the United States, approximately half of all atriums are found in Episcopal parishes. Extensive training of more
than 90 hours per level is required of the catechist, whose role is more that of a facilitator than instructor,
and whose observations of the children guide the work in the atrium.
In the atrium, there is a model altar with miniature sacred vessels, real candles and a fair linen; and an area
dedicated to baptism, with a
Paschal candle and a font. Children may choose to work with materials representing events in the life of Christ,
the parables or the geography of Israel; they may polish silver or wood, or use art materials. A variety of manipulatives
develop fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination and concentration; at the same time, these activities are indirect
preparation for prayer. Music is essential as a way of creating community, establishing the atmosphere, and as
a form of prayer. Everything in the atrium is designed for children to meet and know our loving God, not as an
abstract idea, but as a real and transforming presence among us. |
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For more information on Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, please contact Wendy Barrie, Director of Religious Education, at
(212) 289-3400, ext. 207.
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