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Where we explore the spirituality of Christian children through the method of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Episodes
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Season 2, with new episodes of the podcast, will begin in October of 2021.
Freedom and Discipline with Claire Paglia originally aired on February 3, 2021
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17
Freedom and Discipline are two words usually used as opposites and yet they are at the heart of the Montessori method and our work in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Maria Montessori’s believed that true discipline comes from within and that freedom is the ability to accept rules without being limited by them. The purposeful work that we offer in our environments that leads to concentration and then is followed by the opportunity to make choices and then subsequently develops the will, feeds independence, and results in freedom. Discipline is not the idea of “training people to obey rules” but more about self-discipline. It comes from within the child rather than imposed externally.
The art of applying Freedom and Discipline in the atrium, classroom, or our homes can be tricky as we encounter children of different needs or different emotional states from day to day. Claire Paglia joins us on the podcast today to speak about the Montessori’s philosophy of Freedom and Discipline and its application with children.
Claire Paglia was a child of the atrium. As an adult, she is an AMI-trained guide who has been in the primary environment for 12 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in education with a concentration in Montessori from Loyola University, Maryland. She worked for a year as a course assistant for the primary training center. In 2012, she received her Level I formation and has been a catechist at her church in varying capacities since then. She enjoys spending time with her family and particularly enjoys preparing Montessori-friendly spaces at home for her three children.
Listening to God with Children by Gianna Gobbi (This book is now published as Nurturing the Whole Child)
The Absorbent Mind (Owl Edition, 1995) Chapters 25 and 26
The Discovery of the Child (Clio edition, 1997) Chapters 3 and 23
The Secret of Childhood (Ballantine, 1966) Chapter 19
Education for a New World (Clio edition, 2007) Chapter 12
The NAMTA Journal: Montessori's Positive Psychology to Help All Children (Spring 2017 Volume 42, Number 2)
Montessori Speaks to Parents: A Collection of Articles
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Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
Season 2 with new episodes of the podcast will begin in October of 2021.
CGS and Children of All Abilities with Trinka Hamel originally aired Sept. 30, 2020
“You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know.” Psalm 140 13-14
Maria Montessori began her journey with children of “different ability” so it is fitting that our work in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which follows her educational model, would be inclusive of children of all abilities as well. If we truly believe, as our work in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd tells us, that we are “led by the child” then we will meet each child in the atrium wherever they are on their faith journey. Once a child with disabilities is accepted into an atrium, many practical tasks remain such as assessing the child’s abilities, identifying a catechist, and determining which materials are appropriate.
Trinka Hamel joins The Good Shepherd and the Child Podcast today to share her experience with experimental work with children and young people of different abilities using the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd model. She has years of experience both professionally and in the atrium to share with us.
Trinka considers the young children she came to know in her first years as a special education specialist in Chicago to be among her greatest mentors and teachers. Like all children, they were drawn to beauty, joy, relationship and kindness. When Trinka was introduced to CGS in 2004 it was like coming home to a place she’d never been. She has been a catechist since 2008, helped to develop all levels of atria at a local parish in Tacoma, WA, and recently became a Level I formation leader. Trinka completed a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at Aquinas Institute of Theology in 2017, and continues to support the CGS communities in her region as a member of the Sheepfold Consortium for CGS sustainability in the Pacific Northwest.
Resources for further growth:
CGSUSA and Children with Disabilities
National Catholic Partnership On Disability
The Anthropological and Christological Foundations of Baptismal Formation
Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
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Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
Season 2 with new episodes of the podcast will begin in October of 2021.
Typology with Ann Garrido originally aired on September 2, 2020.
“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.” – Job 42:5
“Open your eyes; the mysteries hidden in the visible are revealed to you.” – Gregory of Nyssa
Sofia Cavalletti in History of the Kingdom of God: From Creation to Parousia states that “the typological method searches for the ‘imprint’ of one phase of sacred history upon another, keeping in mind the unity of the divine plan from creation to Parousia.” So what is Typology and how can we utilize this method with children? Ann Garrido joins us on the podcast again to dive into the depth and beauty that this ancient method provides. Ann's article Typology in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd appeared in the 2012 Journal of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Ann Garrido is associate professor of homiletics at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO and founding director of the school’s Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies program with an emphasis on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (MAPS-CGS). She has served as a catechist with children ages 3-12 since 1996. Ann is also a formation leader with the U.S Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for twenty-one years and a member of the association’s formation committee.
She is the author of eight books, including Mustard Seed Preaching (Now published as Preaching with Children), A Year with Sofia Cavalletti (LTP, 2017), and Let’s Talk about Truth (ND: Ave Maria Press, 2020)
Please visit Ann Garrido’s personal website to read more about and from Ann.
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Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
Season 2 with new episodes of the podcast will begin in October of 2021.
The Infant-Toddler with Elizabeth Calanchini originally aired on June 10, 2020
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” Jeremiah 1:5 NAB
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd exists to serve the religious potential of the child, even the youngest child. In our episode today we explore who is the Infant-Toddler? How can we serve them through The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd? How is the environment and the adult different for this aged child? What content are we able to address to this aged child? What mysteries about the Kingdom of God does the Infant-Toddler reveal to us?
Elizabeth Calanchini joins us on the podcast today to ponder these questions and share her wisdom and experience with this aged child.
Elizabeth Calanchini is an AMI trained Montessori directress and guide for children ages 0-12. She is formed in 4 levels of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and has hosted/assisted/formed in formations of all levels on both coasts for several years. Since 1991 she has worked in 3 different Catholic Montessori schools, most recently as both a Level 2 & 3 catechist and Director of Programs for 6 years. In the last position she was able to continue working on toddler catechesis and was asked to offer the Toddler Breakout Sessions at the 2014 International Catechesis Celebration in Arizona. For several years she has offered 2 or 3 retreats a year to children preparing for sacraments and celebrating Lent ages 6-13. Elizabeth has consulted independently for a handful of Catholic Montessori Schools and parishes and has offered Montessori Theory and Practical Life to catechist groups.
For several years she has been part of a team offering level 1 CGS formations for the Missionaries of Charity novices in San Francisco, CA.
Information about Infant-Toddler Adult Formation is now available - CGSUSA Course Locator. Book discussed, The Good Shepherd and The Child, A Joyful Journey, is available for purchase from the CGSUSA online store.
Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
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Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”
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Twitter- @cgsusa
Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA
YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd
Wednesday Aug 04, 2021
Wednesday Aug 04, 2021
Season 2 with new episodes of the podcast will begin in October of 2021.
God and the Child with Rebekah Rojcewicz originally aired on January 6, 2020
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,* you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 NAB
Does the child already have a connection with God? How can we, as adults, foster it? Why does an encounter with God create a peace and joy in the child and what does this look like? What about the children who have a hard time finding that peace and joy? What is a Metaphysical child?
Rebekah Rojcewicz explores with us the spiritual depth of the child that is discussed in the first chapter of The Religious Potential of the Child by Sofia Cavalletti. In this episode she helps us have a deeper understanding and respect for the hidden riches of the child. She lifts up the place of the adult as co-learner so that we can allow the true teacher, the Holy Spirit, to encounter the child.
You can purchase the NEW third edition of The Religious Potential of the Child today!
Rebekah 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. Her book, Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues, is due for publication in 2020. 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 committee of CGSUSA, as well as on the International Board for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
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 Jul 21, 2021
Wednesday Jul 21, 2021
“But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Mark 13:32
What is the mystery of Time? How does God speak to us through this mystery of time? How do we ponder the mystery of time in our work with the children in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?
Autumn Domingue joins us on the podcast again today to ponder these questions. Autumn Domingue is a spiritual director, formation leader and Life Coach, whose greatest joy is journeying with those searching for greater meaning and purpose in their lives. In addition to her private practice, Autumn serves on two teams forming new spiritual directors and works as a national formation leader for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd; a Montessori based religious education movement that seeks to honor the contemplative spiritual nature of the child. In her free time, Autumn enjoys yoga, painting, playing with her grandchildren, and taking long walks along the river at the summer camp where she resides.
To Purchase the 2nd Edition of Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old by Sofia Cavalletti, visit the CGSUSA Online Store today! Your purchase has purpose.
Listen to Episode 37 with Autumn: CGS and Spiritual Direction from Autumn Domingue.
Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
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Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”
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Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA
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Wednesday Jul 07, 2021
Wednesday Jul 07, 2021
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” John 15:11
“It is possible to see a clear analogy between the mission of the Shepherd in the Church and that of the prudent and generous educator in the Montessori method, who with tenderness, with love and with a wise evaluation of gifts, knows how to discover and bring to light the most hidden virtues and capacities of the child.” Pope John XXIII
Anna Hurdle join us today to dive into the mystery of the second plane child, the 6-12 year old. We break open who this child is, what face of God they need, and how we can respond to their developing capacities. This episode goes with Chapter 3 of Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues by Rebekah Rojcewicz.
Anna is a practicing Montessori teacher (AMS 6-12) in a public Montessori school. She is Director of Children’s Formation coordinating Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in her parish, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, where she also serves as a catechist. Anna serves as a formation leader at three levels offering courses in the U.S. and Canada. She frequently serves on national CGSUSA formation teams. In addition, Anna is a member of the CGSUSA Episcopal Committee and the Formation Committee.
Purchase Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues from the CGSUSA online store today.
For information on the Life in the Vine Book Study, please take some time to read more today. The Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues Level II Book Study is a wonderful opportunity for catechists to gather in person or via Zoom, at the parish level, by region, or as a way to reconnect with fellow catechists from your time in a CGSUSA formation course.
We are grateful to Joann Terranova, Maria Muscado, Connie Moretti, and the catechists in the Sheepfold Regional Group in the state of WA for developing this process and sharing it with CGSUSA, and also to board member, Sussan Stuhhlsaaatz-Reese, who piloted a Zoom Book Study group this spring using this study. What you will find in this book study is an opportunity to read and share, to reflect on what resonated with you, and to ask questions and discuss the rich themes found in this text, alongside the child’s expression of those themes. For each chapter, samples of the child’s artwork will be shared, so that you may go deeper still to reflect upon the Mystery of the God and the Mystery of the Child.
Listen to Episode 33- Chapter 7 – Moral Formation with Rebekah.
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 Jun 23, 2021
Wednesday Jun 23, 2021
“Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.” John 15:4
Today we begin our two part book study on Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues by Rebekah Rojcewicz. Today we dive into the short first two chapters of the book with Rebekah herself. Next episode we will dive into Chapter 3 with Anna Hurdle. We will not be doing all the chapters on the podcast because we would like this to be a springboard to help you get started on a book study with your friends. Chapter 1 dives into the 0-6 year old child, recalling who they are so that we can move towards to child in the second plane: 6-12 year old child. Chapter 2 lifts up the spiral method and how the essential, vital nucleus is the central format for what we do with the children.
Rebekah 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. 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 committee of CGSUSA, as well as on the International Board for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Purchase Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues from the CGSUSA Online Store.
Learn more about the Book Study today! The Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues Level II Book Study is a wonderful opportunity for catechists to gather in person or via Zoom, at the parish level, by region, or as a way to reconnect with fellow catechists from your time in a CGSUSA formation course.
We are grateful to Joann Terranova, Maria Muscado, Connie Moretti, and the catechists in the Sheepfold Regional Group in the state of WA for developing this process and sharing it with CGSUSA, and also to board member, Susan Stuhlsatz-Reese, who piloted a Zoom Book Study group this spring using this study. What you will find in this book study is an opportunity to read and share, to reflect on what resonated with you, and to ask questions and discuss the rich themes found in this text, alongside the child’s expression of those themes. For each chapter, samples of the child’s artwork will be shared, so that you may go deeper still to reflect upon the Mystery of the God and the Mystery of the Child.
Listen to Episode 33- Chapter 7 – Moral Formation with Rebekah
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 Jun 09, 2021
Wednesday Jun 09, 2021
“He said to them, ‘Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
Meagan Hofman joins the podcast today to help me share our story of how God helped us build an atrium in Haiti.
Meagan Hofman is president and founder of The Reveye Initiative, a non profit school in rural Haiti. The mission of Reveye is to awaken joy and wonder in education in Haiti. Meagan is trained in level 1 of CGS and has worked in atriums both in Haiti and in St. Louis. She is a former elementary school teacher and has a passion for education and mission work. Meagan lives in St. Louis with her husband and 5 month old son working to build their own little domestic church.
For more information about Reveye:
Or to see pictures of our atrium and CGS “to the streets”
Join CGSUSA for our Summer Book Study of the first few chapters of Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues! Purchase the book at the CGSUSA Online Store today!
The June 23rd Episode, we will be covering Chapter 1 and 2 with Rebekah, and the July 7th Episode will cover Chapter 3 with Anna Hurdle.
Learn more about the book in Episode 26. You may also listen to Rebekah discuss Chapter 7 on Moral Life in the Kingdom of God in Episode 33.
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 26, 2021
Wednesday May 26, 2021
Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Acts 2:8
¿Cómo es que cada uno de nosotros los escuchamos en nuestra propia lengua? Hechos 2:8
Our experiences with children in the atrium show us a place where we can live a contemplative life with greater intention, permeated with an awareness of how to live as Sofia writes, "the whole of one's life," contemplatively. We, as catechists in the atrium, have the responsibility to help the child live their relationship with God with “the whole of one’s life.” In the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, we give the child time and space for prayer to develop this relationship. We recognize that we need to be using the child’s familiar language, their “mother tongue.” A bilingual environment takes a fundamental role in the prayer life of a child, where the child can live the contemplative life with greater understanding and intention.
Lourdes Santiago Vazquez joins us today to speak about our how we can assist the how we can be sensitive to in serving the child who is bi-lingual and what we need to consider in preparing a bilingual environment and the adults who will serve there so that we can work together as one community with two or more languages.
Lourdes began her work in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 1991 as a volunteer with the Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona. She helped to build the bilingual Atrium at St Anne’s in Gilbert AZ and welcomed many families and children at home and abroad. Lourdes works with all three levels of children and is a formation Leader in English and in Spanish. She has a bachelor’s degree from the State University of Phoenix, and holds a master’s degree in Theology from the Graduate Theological Foundation from South Bend, Indiana. She has served as a missionary in Honduras, Peru, The Philippines and Western Europe with the Missionaries of Charity. Lourdes continues to coordinate CGS in Spanish at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Gilbert, Arizona. She joined the staff of the National Association in 2006 and works as the coordinator for those in Spanish and bilingual communities. .Lourdes is from Puerto Rico. She has been a resident of Arizona since 1989.
This summer CGSUSA will hold a Zoom Servant Song Retreat regarding this "Child of Many Languages." This time apart will give you an opportunity to refresh yourself in prayerful reflection on the Gifts of the Spirit as they guide our understanding of the child who is bilingual. You are invited to share your experiences, listen to others' experiences and exchange ideas on serving bi-lingual or multi-lingual children in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium. As an association, we seek to bring our member catechists together for conversation in order to understand the needs of bilingual children who participate in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd as well as the communities they are in so that as catechists we are better able to serve our children.
This Zoom event will be presented in both English and Spanish. We will have translators interpreting both languages so it will be important for you to let us know when you register whether you prefer English or Spanish. We invite everyone to join us for a zoom version of this retreat on July 23-24. The event will be translated into both Spanish and English. Read more about the Child of Many Languages - El Niño De Muchas Lenguas 2021 on our website.
Join us for our Summer Book Study of the first few chapters of Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues! Purchase the book from the CGSUSA Online Store today!
Learn more about the book by listening to Episode 26, and listen to Rebekah discuss chapter 7 on Moral Life in the Kingdom of God in Episode 33.
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