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Where we explore the spirituality of Christian children through the method of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Episodes
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
Wednesday Sep 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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YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd
Wednesday Sep 16, 2020
Wednesday Sep 16, 2020
“Take to heart these words which I command you today. Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7
“If we want to assist the child in his or her religious experience, an important area which we must attend is that of prayer. Prayer is, first of all, listening to God. It is the particular key which opens up the mystery of God’s relationship with God’s creature; it is a key which belongs to God, but which God gives to all… Prayer is initiation to the mystery of God and is, itself, a mystery… our task is that of creating the conditions for silence and reverence which will help the child focus on and listen to God. We do this, first of all, by preparing an environment with a prayerful atmosphere.” Gianna Gobbi, Listening to God with Children, page 117-118
Jaclyn Ruli joins the podcast today to share with us her wisdom and practical tips for taking the experience of the atrium and applying it to our homes. She speaks about how the encounters with God that we experience in the atrium are not limited to that space and the home is the perfect place to foster our relationship with God alongside the children in our lives. She shares a lot of examples to help inspire us on our journey of building the domestic church.
Led by a desire to have a deeper understanding of the Church’s teachings on marriage and family, Jaclyn earned a Master of Theological Studies with a concentration in Marriage and Family from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C. Shortly after she was introduced to the work of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd by reading "The Child in the Church" and became a catechist in 2012. Jaclyn is passionate about CGS and sharing the beauty and hope of the Church’s teachings on the family with love and the humility of a person who is still being converted. She shares her domestic church with her husband and six children in Cibolo, Texas.
At CGSUSA, we believe the most valuable service that we can offer during this time is to help families pray with their children at home and so continue to assist children and adults live a common religious experience in which the religious values of childhood, primarily those values of contemplation and enjoyment of God are celebrated. This page is to support children, parents and families at home and catechists in their communities and parishes and schools. We are adding to it weekly (sometimes daily)!
Jaclyn’s rosary books:
- An Illustrated Rosary
- Mary talks to Me About the Rosary
- Joyful Mystery Rosary Book (this one is out of print but it’s the one I used w/ the roses)
Artwork:
‘Madonna and Child with St John 6’ by Raphael Painting
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 Sep 02, 2020
Wednesday Sep 02, 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.
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 Aug 19, 2020
Wednesday Aug 19, 2020
“You, yes you, O Lord, my God, have done many wondrous deeds! And in your plans for us there is none to equal you. Should I wish to declare or tell them, too may are they to recount.” Psalm 40: 6
Claudia Margarita Schmitt joins us today to dive into Chapter 4 of The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey. We discuss the child’s capacity for wonder and the parable method that Jesus’ uses and that we reflect to teach about the Kingdom of God. This episode completes our four-part series on the first four chapters of The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey. We encourage everyone to continue to read this gem of a book.
Claudia Margarita Schmitt has lived in many different countries throughout her life but has discovered over time that her roots are first in her Roman Catholic faith and also in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Everywhere she goes she recognizes the same language being used to discover the mystery of God. As an international formation leader for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Claudia constantly has had this experience of finding her roots. She has been a catechist for 33 years and a formation leader for 32. She lived in Rome for 8 years studying and working with Gianna Gobbi and Sofia Cavalletti and the children there. This time, she says, was very precious taught her many things but first of all, to be humble so that she could fall more deeply in love with Jesus through the child.
We have more information about how you can join us on this book study and resources on how to do this study with a group on our website.
Order your copy of the book The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey from the CGSUSA Store.
We will be having discussions about this book on our Facebook page: The United States Association of 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 Aug 05, 2020
Wednesday Aug 05, 2020
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news.” Isaiah 52:7
This episode continues our book study on The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey. Lynne Worthington discusses with us some practical ways that adults and families can sit beside the child in their religious development. She lifts up the role of the environment, especially the home, as an aid to that spiritual growth.
Lynne Worthington worked for 30 years as a catechist for children and adults at
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Durham, NC. She also served as the
coordinator for CGS in Immaculata School and for the parish.
Since 1991 she has taken part in National Formation courses for the Catechesis
of the Good Shepherd, earning certificates as a catechist for all three levels, ages 3-12
years old. She has participated in numerous formation leadership workshops and is
recognized as a formation leader by the National Association of The Catechesis of the
Good Shepherd. She holds an MA degree in Pastoral Studies from Aquinas Institute of
Theology in St. Louis, MO.
Lynne now lives in Ball Ground, GA and volunteers in Atria in the Archdiocese of
Atlanta. She and her husband, Bill, have three grown children and two grandchildren.
We have more information about how you can join us on this book study and resources on how to do this study with a group on our website.
Order your copy of the book The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey from the CGSUSA Store.
We will be having discussions about this book on our Facebook page: The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Join us in two weeks to discuss Chapter 4: Sources of Nourishment.
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 22, 2020
Wednesday Jul 22, 2020
Chapter 2 – Helping the Child with Maggie Radzik
“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
This episode continues our book study on The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey. In this episode Maggie Radzik shares with us the beauty and wisdom found in Chapter 2: Helping the Child. We discuss the child from conception through 3 years old. We lifted up the spiritual capacities of this age child and the adult’s role in nurturing those capacities, and how this very young child, even though small, is having substantial growth both physically and spiritually. How should the adults in the child’s life care for, respond to, and honor this growth?
Maggie has been a Montessori teacher and Head of School for over 25 years and a Level I formation leader for more than 10 years. She is currently the catechist in a Primary classroom at St. Jerome Academy in Hyattsville MD and also works with catechists and homeschooling families in Ave Maria FL.
Join us in two weeks to discuss Chapter 3: Practical Suggestions
We have more information about how you can join us on this book study and resources on how to do this study with a group on our Book Study page.
Order your copy of the book The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey from CGSUSA Online Store today.
We will be having discussions about this book on our Facebook page: The United States Association of 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 08, 2020
Wednesday Jul 08, 2020
Chapter 1: God and the Child Together– The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey with Marty O’Bryan
“God is love” 1 John 4:7
This episode begins our book study on The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey. In this episode Marty O’Bryan helps us dive into chapter 1: God and the Child Together. We discuss the two vital needs of the child, protection and relationship, and how the Good Shepherd parable meets those needs perfectly for the young child. We also discuss how the youngest child has a deep capacity to live in relationship with God.
Marty O’Bryan began her formation in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd with Sofia Cavalletti in 1983 and has been conducting adult formations at Levels I, II and III throughout the United States since 1991. A retired speech and language pathologist, Marty holds a Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd from Aquinas Institute of Theology. Currently, she works with children in Toddler, Level II and III atria in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.
Join us in two weeks to discuss Chapter 2: Helping the Child
We have more information about how you can join us on this book study and resources on how to do this study with a group on our website.
Order your copy of the book The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey from the CGSUSA Store.
We will be having discussions about this book on our Facebook page: The United States Association of 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 Jun 24, 2020
Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
“Behold, children are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward.” Psalm 127:3
Do Children have something to teach US about God? Can they draw US closer to the heart of God? Pam Moore joins us on the podcast today to discuss her book, Taste and See- Savoring the Child’s Wisdom, and her years of observation of children. She speaks about beautiful pieces of wisdom that children have shared with her over the years and how we can grow in the art of observation so that we don’t miss what they have to show us about God.
Pam is a retired catechist, formation leader, retreat leader, and author. However the essential tenets of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd continue to bring her joy and keep her grounded in the faithful love of our Good Shepherd. She obtained a Master’s in Theological Studies from Seabury Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL where she was able to continue contemplating the mystery of the child through a broader examination of Scripture and liturgy. Today she is writing her blank page of history by making blankets for Project Linus, a national organization that makes blankets for children in hospitals, battered women shelters, the CASA program in the courts, and other agencies. She introduced Project Linus to her Level 3 children.
You can order Pam’s book, Taste and See here
Join us for the next four episodes of the podcast for a book study on the book The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey. We will be diving into the first four chapters of this beautiful book. We have more information about how you can join us on this book study and resources on how to do this study with a group on our website:
Order your copy of the book The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey here.
We will be having discussions about this book on our Facebook page: “The United States Association of 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 Jun 10, 2020
Wednesday Jun 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.
If you would like to find formation for the Level T or Infant-Toddler atrium please go to: https://www.cgsusa.org/learn/find-a-course/?_sfm_course_level=Level%20T%20(ages%200-3)
You can purchase the book for our summer book study of The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey you can purchase the book HERE
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 27, 2020
Wednesday May 27, 2020
“And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” ACTS 2:4
Fifty days after the feast of Easter, we celebrate Pentecost. This feast celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father, the birth of our Church and the gifts that God gives us to transform our lives. As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost in this unique time let us ponder together the loving gifts presented to each of us during this feast and each day of our lives.
Mary Mirrione joins us today to reflect on the scripture of Pentecost, how we celebrate this feast in the atrium with children, and how we can celebrate this feast now at home with the children in our lives.
Mary Mirrione began working with CGS in 1992. She and a team of catechists and parents built atria at St Anne’s in Gilbert, Arizona for their 1800 children. She has been a formation leader since 1997 serving as such at home and abroad. She also works with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity throughout the United States and around the world. Mary served on the Board for CGSUSA and is a graduate of the first cohort at Aquinas Institute of Theology to receive a Masters in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She is a faculty member of Kino Catechetical Institute in the Diocese of Phoenix. Since 2010, she serves as the National Director for the United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Information on Celebrating Pentecost as a Family
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