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Where we explore the spirituality of Christian children through the method of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Episodes
4 days ago
4 days ago
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!
Sr. Mary Rose joins us today to explore the prayer life of the second plane child—what it can look like in the atrium and beyond, how we as adults and catechists can nurture the child’s natural relationship with God, and the role communal prayer plays in the Level II and III atria.
Sr Mary Rose Bingham became a Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia of Nashville, TN in 1980. She has had the opportunity to serve as a teacher and principal in several states. Besides a Masters in Educational Administration, she has a Masters in Elementary Education with Montessori Primary and a Masters in Theology. She is a CGS Level 1 and 2 formation Leader and pending Level 3. She delights in being with children in a Level 1,2, and 3 atria while also traveling to give formation courses both nationally and internationally.
Characteristic #3: The atrium is a community in which children and adults live together a religious experience which facilitates participation in the wider community of the family, the church, and other social spheres.
- The atrium is a place of prayer, in which work and study spontaneously become meditation, contemplation, and prayer.
- The atrium is a place in which the only Teacher is Christ; both children and adults place themselves in a listening stance before his Word and seek to penetrate the mystery of the liturgical celebration.
Podcasts about Second Plane Child:
Episode 41 – The Elementary Aged Child with Anna Hurdle
124: Work of the Second Plane Child
Books you might be interested in:
The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Year Olds
History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: Creation to Parouisa
History of the Kingdom of God Part 2: Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom
Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues
CGS Atrium Locator - Please check if your church atrium in in our atrium locator. If not, please send this link to the COORDINATOR of your CGS program to add your atrium to the locator. THANK YOU! If you have any questions please email contact@cgsusa.org
Find out more about CGS:
Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Follow us on Social Media-
Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”
Instagram- cgsusa
Twitter- @cgsusa
Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA
YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd
Wednesday May 06, 2026
Wednesday May 06, 2026
"When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all." -1 Corinthians 15:28
Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!
Ann Garrido joins us on the podcast again and today she speaks about the life and theology of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the French Jesuit priest whose writings and theology Sofia mentions in the chapter My Readings from Way of Holy Joy which is a book of selected writings of Sofia Cavalletti. Ann tells us about this unique theologian, helps us explore the similarities in his work and those of Maria Montessori and Sofia Cavalletti as well as where we can see his influence in the work of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Ann Garrido has been a catechist of the Good Shepherd since 1996. She has served as a catechist and formation leader at all three levels. Ann is an Associate Professor and Director of the Aquinas Children’s Worship Partnership at the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the author of multiple works, including her newest book Redeeming Power about the healthy and holy exercise of leadership. Ann Garrido’s website HERE
“Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We should like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new. And yet, it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability- and that it may take a very long time. And so I think it is with you, your ideas mature gradually- let them grow, let them shape themselves without undue haste. Don’t try to force them on, as though you could be today what time (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make you tomorrow. Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be. Give our Lord the benefit of believing that God’s hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.” - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Making of a Mind, from a letter written July 4, 1915
“The Son of God became man so that man might become God” - St Althanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, On the Incarnation
Website on the Aquinas Children’s Worship Partnership
Podcasts about CGS Heritage/Influencers:
92: Who was Adele Costa Gnocchi
60: Pioneers of CGS with Betty Hissong
57: Celebrating the Life of Tina Lillig
Podcasts Episodes with Ann Garrido:
Episode 19 – Typology with Ann Garrido
Episode 53 – The Birth and Infancy of Jesus with Ann Garrido
Episode 59 – Preaching with Children with Ann Garrido
Episode 68 – The CGS Heritage – Eugenio Zolli with Ann Garrido
Episode 111. About Justice, A Meditation by Fr Mongillo with Ann Garrido
Books by Ann Garrido
ANN’S NEW BOOK – REDEEMING POWER
A Year with Sofia Cavalletti by Ann Garrido
Books you might be interested in:
The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Year Olds
History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: Creation to Parouisa
History of the Kingdom of God Part 2: Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom
Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues
CGS Atrium Locator - Please check if your church atrium in in our atrium locator. If not, please send this link to the COORDINATOR of your CGS program to add your atrium to the locator. THANK YOU! If you have any questions please email contact@cgsusa.org
Find out more about CGS:
Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Follow us on Social Media-
Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”
Instagram- cgsusa
Twitter- @cgsusa
Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA
YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd
Wednesday Apr 22, 2026
Wednesday Apr 22, 2026
“For if you cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and discover the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2: 3-5
Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!
Anna and Kerri discuss three different listener questions that we have received. What to do when you do not have enough formed catechists, what to do if you have formed catechists but no church atria, and how to end the atrium year among catechists.
Watch your Member Memo emails once a month for the date to the next Membership 101 Zoom Meeting where Mary Heinrich will walk you through the CGSUSA website and its many resources there.
CGS Atrium Locator - Please check if your church atrium in in our atrium locator. If not, please send this link to the COORDINATOR of your CGS program to add your atrium to the locator. THANK YOU! If you have any questions please email contact@cgsusa.org
CGS Resources for Priests and Religious
Podcasts with Priests:
Books you might be interested in:
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in the Parish Setting
The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Year Olds
History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: Creation to Parouisa
History of the Kingdom of God Part 2: Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom
Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues
Podcast Episodes you might be interested in:
Episode 75: FAQs: Beginning The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd with Karen Maxwell
Find out more about CGS:
Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Follow us on Social Media-
Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”
Instagram- cgsusa
Twitter- @cgsusa
Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA
YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd
Wednesday Apr 08, 2026
Wednesday Apr 08, 2026
Episode 165. Building of Relationship with Carolyn Kohlhaas
“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.”
Psalm 130: 3-4
Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!
"Moral existence is a response to the Lord's loving initiative. It is the acknowledgement and homage given to God and a worship of thanksgiving. It is cooperation with the plan God pursues in history." Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 2062
“To teach morality, the catechist must be convinced that at its roots is love, and then proceed from that principle. Morality emerges from love. We must never wander far from this source, not even when we teach explicitly the Law, which shows us the way we must follow to reach God. The entire Law has been summarized by Jesus in the two commandments of love, and He has made love the badge of allegiance. ‘One cannot obey more than one loves,’ wrote the prior of the Little Brothers of Jesus.” (Teaching Doctrine and Liturgy)
“We can never stress too much the necessity of anchoring every moral teaching in a solid, kerygmatic orientation. Before providing specific instructions of what I am to do, moral formation must tell me with whom I do it, for whom I do it, with whom I am in relationship. Often we rush to action without having given enough thought to these primary questions.” (RPCII, 83)
“The primary and fundamental attitude of the person educated in the moral life is the awareness of belonging: to belong to God, to belong to God’s world, to belong to humanity.”- Father Mongillo
Carolyn joins the conversation today to walk us through how morality evolves and progresses in a child’s life and how we can meet those needs in all levels of the atria.
Carolyn Kohlhaas is a nationally recognized Formation Leader for CGS at all three levels of formation. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology and in Religious Education from Franciscan University of Steubenville and her AMI Primary (3-6) and Elementary (6-12) Level Certifications from the Montessori Training Center of Minnesota. Carolyn has a Master of Education degree (Loyola College, Maryland) as well as a Master of Arts in Theology (St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity). She has worked with children in Atriums in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis since 2006 and with adults in formation courses across the US since 2009. wosatrium.weebly.com
Books you might be interested in:
Development of the Rome Atrium
The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Year Olds
History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: Creation to Parouisa
History of the Kingdom of God Part 2: Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom
Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues
Podcast Episodes you might be interested in:
Episode 34 – The Paschal Mystery
TINA LILIG MEMORIAL FUND
During the month of February, we remember our first national director, Valentina Lillig, and we honor her legacy by encouraging generosity to the Tina Lillig Memorial Fund.
The mission of the Tina Lillig Memorial Fund is to support the growth and development of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd through catechist formation, missionary outreach, and the work of the United States Association of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGSUSA). To these ends, the TLM Fund offers a source of financial aid (in the form of partial scholarships) to applicants who would find paying the full tuition of a course to be a hardship.
If you or your community needs scholarship or grant support for formation, please visit our website and apply [this could be a link in the show notes]. The next deadline for applications is April 30. Thank you to all the donors who have generously supported the TLM Fund and made formation courses possible for catechists across the US and the world.
AUDIOBOOK:
Audiobook – Now Available on Audible
CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!
The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child’s spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.
Find out more about CGS:
Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Follow us on Social Media-
Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”
Instagram- cgsusa
Twitter- @cgsusa
Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA
YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd
Wednesday Mar 25, 2026
Wednesday Mar 25, 2026
“For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of the light.” Ephesians 5:8
Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!
Ruth joins us on the podcast to explore the theology behind the Easter Vigil Mass and also how it parallels to the celebration of the Liturgy of Light in the atrium.
Ruth Ohm Sutherland is a catechist in Levels Infant-Toddler-3 and a Formation Leader for Levels 1 and 2. She has started the CGS in several cities, most recently in Wausau, Wisconsin; she offers atrium sessions for Levels 1-3 in Wausau. Prior to moving to Wisconsin, Ruth taught Sacred Scripture at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Great Vigil of Easter for Episcopalians
Roman Catholic Novus Ordo Easter Vigil
Roman Catholic 1962 Extraordinary Form of the Mass
Books you might be interested in:
The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Year Olds
History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: Creation to Parouisa
History of the Kingdom of God Part 2: Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom
Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues
Podcast Episodes with Ruth:
Episode 62 – Christ the Good Shepherd and the Eucharist
Episode 77 – Eucharist: God with Us
Podcast Episodes for the Easter Season:
Episode 34 – The Paschal Mystery
Episode 61 – The Roots of the Eucharist and the Easter Mystery
Episode 84 – The Family in Easter with Gerturde Mueller Nelson
AUDIOBOOK:
Audiobook – Now Available on Audible
CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!
The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child’s spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.
Find out more about CGS:
Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Follow us on Social Media-
Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”
Instagram- cgsusa
Twitter- @cgsusa
Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA
YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd
Wednesday Mar 11, 2026
Wednesday Mar 11, 2026
“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.”
Psalm 130: 3-4
Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!
“To ‘build the house’ which morality will inhabit, some mastery of the body is necessary” (Spontaneous Activity in Education, 7: Will, 147
“We must always give the children “the big picture” that informs and sustains immediate behaviors. Bracketing for a moment all we have said up to this point about presenting the kerygma, what foundation would moral exhortation rest upon without kerygma? If moral exhortation were left to stand alone, if good behaviors were taught for their own sake, it would be like preparing robots who know and follow rules instead of persons who participate in God’s plan for the fullness of life.” (RPCII, 94)
“We must remember that Christian morality is a morality of “you can.” Through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, “we can”; or, in the words of St. Paul, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).” (RPCII, 88)
Carolyn joins the conversation today to walk us through how morality evolves and progresses in a child’s life and how we can meet those needs in all levels of the atria.
Carolyn Kohlhaas is a nationally recognized Formation Leader for CGS at all three levels of formation. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology and in Religious Education from Franciscan University of Steubenville and her AMI Primary (3-6) and Elementary (6-12) Level Certifications from the Montessori Training Center of Minnesota. Carolyn has a Master of Education degree (Loyola College, Maryland) as well as a Master of Arts in Theology (St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity). She has worked with children in Atriums in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis since 2006 and with adults in formation courses across the US since 2009. wosatrium.weebly.com
Books you might be interested in:
The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Year Olds
History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: Creation to Parouisa
History of the Kingdom of God Part 2: Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom
Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues
Podcast Episodes you might be interested in:
Episode 34 – The Paschal Mystery
TINA LILIG MEMORIAL FUND
During the month of February, we remember our first national director, Valentina Lillig, and we honor her legacy by encouraging generosity to the Tina Lillig Memorial Fund.
The mission of the Tina Lillig Memorial Fund is to support the growth and development of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd through catechist formation, missionary outreach, and the work of the United States Association of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGSUSA). To these ends, the TLM Fund offers a source of financial aid (in the form of partial scholarships) to applicants who would find paying the full tuition of a course to be a hardship.
If you or your community needs scholarship or grant support for formation, please visit our website and apply [this could be a link in the show notes]. The next deadline for applications is April 30. Thank you to all the donors who have generously supported the TLM Fund and made formation courses possible for catechists across the US and the world.
AUDIOBOOK:
Audiobook – Now Available on Audible
CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!
The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child’s spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.
Find out more about CGS:
Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Follow us on Social Media-
Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”
Instagram- cgsusa
Twitter- @cgsusa
Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA
YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd
Wednesday Feb 25, 2026
Wednesday Feb 25, 2026
“But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Mark 13:32
Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!
“The religious needs and capacities of older children are no less great or essential than those of younger children. Their religious potential is no less strong; rather, it is expressed through the new capacities of their own stage of development.” - Sofia Cavalletti, The History of the Kingdom of God, Part 1, Pg. 173
Rebekah joins us on the podcast today to discuss the Spiral Method and how it applies to our work in CGS.
Rebekah Rojcewicz is a catechist and formation leader in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd having completed her training in 1981 in Rome with Dr. Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi. She has translated several of their books and articles from the original Italian and has written and edited various parts of the CGS core texts. She is also the author of Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues. Rebekah is a catechist at her parish, St. Patrick Catholic Church, and for the Missionaries of Charity atrium in Memphis, Tennessee. She serves on the formation advisory council for CGSUSA, as well as on the International Board for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Characteristic #3 - The atrium is a community in which children and adults live together a religious experience which facilitates participation in the wider community of the family, the church, and other social spheres.
- The atrium is a place of prayer, in which work and study spontaneously become meditation, contemplation, and prayer.
- The atrium is a place in which the only Teacher is Christ; both children and adults place themselves in a listening stance before his Word and seek to penetrate the mystery of the liturgical celebration.
“The pilgrimage of faith is not a journey in a straight line with death waiting at the end, but a kind of spiral through which progress is made only in successively deeper experiences of death and rebirth.” - Mark Searle
Books you might be interested in:
The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Year Olds
History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: Creation to Parouisa
History of the Kingdom of God Part 2: Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom
Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues
Podcast Episodes you might be interested in:
Episode 42 – The Mystery of Time
Episode 57 – Celebrating the Life of Tina Lilig
TINA LILIG MEMORIAL FUND
During the month of February, we remember our first national director, Valentina Lillig, and we honor her legacy by encouraging generosity to the Tina Lillig Memorial Fund.
The mission of the Tina Lillig Memorial Fund is to support the growth and development of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd through catechist formation, missionary outreach, and the work of the United States Association of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGSUSA). To these ends, the TLM Fund offers a source of financial aid (in the form of partial scholarships) to applicants who would find paying the full tuition of a course to be a hardship.
If you or your community needs scholarship or grant support for formation, please visit our website and apply [this could be a link in the show notes]. The next deadline for applications is April 30. Thank you to all the donors who have generously supported the TLM Fund and made formation courses possible for catechists across the US and the world.
AUDIOBOOK:
Audiobook – Now Available on Audible
CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!
The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child’s spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.
Find out more about CGS:
Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Follow us on Social Media-
Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”
Instagram- cgsusa
Twitter- @cgsusa
Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA
YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd
Wednesday Feb 11, 2026
Wednesday Feb 11, 2026
“But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Mark 13:32
Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!
Rebekah joins us on the podcast today to discuss chapter 2 of The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 year Olds on the Mystery of Time.
Rebekah Rojcewicz is a catechist and formation leader in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd having completed her training in 1981 in Rome with Dr. Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi. She has translated several of their books and articles from the original Italian and has written and edited various parts of the CGS core texts. She is also the author of Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues. Rebekah is a catechist at her parish, St. Patrick Catholic Church, and for the Missionaries of Charity atrium in Memphis, Tennessee. She serves on the formation advisory council for CGSUSA, as well as on the International Board for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Characteristic #3 - The atrium is a community in which children and adults live together a religious experience which facilitates participation in the wider community of the family, the church, and other social spheres.
- The atrium is a place of prayer, in which work and study spontaneously become meditation, contemplation, and prayer.
- The atrium is a place in which the only Teacher is Christ; both children and adults place themselves in a listening stance before his Word and seek to penetrate the mystery of the liturgical celebration.
“The pilgrimage of faith is not a journey in a straight line with death waiting at the end, but a kind of spiral through which progress is made only in successively deeper experiences of death and rebirth.” - Mark Searle
Books you might be interested in:
The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Year Olds
History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: Creation to Parouisa
History of the Kingdom of God Part 2: Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom
Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues
Podcast Episodes you might be interested in:
Episode 42 – The Mystery of Time
Episode 57 – Celebrating the Life of Tina Lilig
TINA LILIG MEMORIAL FUND
During the month of February, we remember our first national director, Valentina Lillig, and we honor her legacy by encouraging generosity to the Tina Lillig Memorial Fund. Learn more and donate HERE
The mission of the Tina Lillig Memorial Fund is to support the growth and development of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd through catechist formation, missionary outreach, and the work of the United States Association of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGSUSA). To these ends, the TLM Fund offers a source of financial aid (in the form of partial scholarships) to applicants who would find paying the full tuition of a course to be a hardship.
If you or your community needs scholarship or grant support for formation, please visit our website and apply [this could be a link in the show notes]. The next deadline for applications is April 30. Thank you to all the donors who have generously supported the TLM Fund and made formation courses possible for catechists across the US and the world.
AUDIOBOOK:
Audiobook – Now Available on Audible
CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!
The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child’s spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.
Find out more about CGS:
Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Follow us on Social Media-
Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”
Instagram- cgsusa
Twitter- @cgsusa
Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA
YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd
Wednesday Jan 28, 2026
Wednesday Jan 28, 2026
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord in my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?” - Psalm 27:1
Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!
Joann joins us on the podcast to discuss the Introduction and Chapter One of The Religious Potential of the Child for 6 to 12 Year Olds.
Joann Terranova: In the past Joann has served as a Pastoral Assistant for Children's Ministry in Catholic parishes, and began her involvement with CGS in 1998. She helped to begin the atrium at St. Michael Olympia WA, and currently serves as a Toddler Catechist. Her ministry as a formation leader began in 2007, and she is recognized to serve Levels 1, 2, &3. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Religious Studies and Psychology, a Master's in Adult Christian Community Development and Master's in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Books you might be interested in:
The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Year Olds
History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: Creation to Parouisa
History of the Kingdom of God Part 2: Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom
Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues
AUDIOBOOK:
Audiobook – Now Available on Audible
CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!
The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child’s spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.
Find out more about CGS:
Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Follow us on Social Media-
Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”
Instagram- cgsusa
Twitter- @cgsusa
Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA
YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd
Wednesday Jan 14, 2026
Wednesday Jan 14, 2026
"Arise! Shine, for your light has come, the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you. Though darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds, the peoples, upon you the Lord will dawn, and over you his glory will be seen.” - Isaiah 60:1-2
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We’re kicking off Season 6! With an overarching theme of the Second Plane Child, we’re especially excited to welcome Anna Hurdle as our co-host this season.
Anna Hurdle is a catechist and formation leader at levels I, II and III. She is a retired elementary Montessori guide and coordinator of CGS at her parish in Charlotte, NC. Anna serves the National Association through the Episcopal Committee and the Formation Advisory Council.
Link to Maria Montessori’s Speech from January 6, 1942
Books you might be interested in:
The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Year Olds
History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: Creation to Parouisa
History of the Kingdom of God Part 2: Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom
Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues
Podcast Episodes you might be interested in:
Episode 28- Montessori's Epiphany with Sherry Mock
AUDIOBOOK:
Audiobook – Now Available on Audible
CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!
The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child’s spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.
Find out more about CGS:
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