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Ages 0-12

 

 

 

Where the mystery of God 

meets the mystery of the child

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Madonna of the Chair painting by Raphael

The Catechesis of 
the Good Shepherd

The Catechesis
of the
Good Shepherd

 

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a method of accompaniment of children from birth through age 12, gently nurturing the deep relationship with God that already lives within them.

 

Listen to our Faith Formation guest speakers Fr. Andy Walsh and Fr. Clay Kimbro speak about their experience with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. 

Right click here to download

Interested in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  

 
 

The
Atrium

At Sacred Heart, we have seven specially prepared spaces where our children are welcomed each week. Each of these spaces is called an atrium.

A place of
preparation

where the child is gently introduced to the great mysteries of our faith before full participation in the liturgy.

A sacred space
set apart

quiet, beautiful, and ordered, designed to foster prayer, wonder, and contemplation.

A place of
encounter

where the child meets the living God in a way suited to his or her developmental stage.

A place of formation,
not instruction

where learning happens through experience, Scripture meditation, silence, and relationship rather than lectures. Each level is a catechetical and spiritual match for the age of child it serves.

threshold to the
mystery of God

Just as the early Church atrium led believers into the deeper life of the Church, the CGS atrium serves as a threshold to the mystery of God, preparing the child’s heart for a lifelong relationship with Christ and full participation in the sacramental life of the Church.

Wonder and
Think:

An Introduction to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

 

Watch Video

Be Born in
Wonder

From Porch Time with the Padres
the CGS discussion starts around 9:50 mark

Listen to the Podcast

 

 

 

“We do not want to give the child the mere knowledge of God, but the joy of knowing Him.”

-Sofia Cavalletti

Learn More at CGSUSA.org

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Ages 0-3: Infant Toddler

Prepared
FOR ME

The Infant–Toddler Atrium does not replace the home; it extends it—a space prepared for the deepest spiritual needs of the child from birth to three. Here, all is simple, beautiful, and made specifically for the smallest children, inviting the child to explore and enter into meaningful work.

Wonder, Joy
AND PRAISE

In this space, ordinary work becomes prayer, revealing something profound: the child’s relationship with the Good Shepherd is very close. It is also a place of communion, where even the youngest begin to share in wonder, joy, and praise.

The Kingdom Belongs
TO SUCH AS THESE

Here, the Good Shepherd calls—and the littlest ones show us how well they already know His voice. Often without spoken language, the child reveals to us that they are able to deeply know and ponder the most profound truths of our faith and that they are already in relationship with their Creator who knit them with such great love in the womb.

  

 

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Ages 3-6:  Level I

Wonder
and Delight

The first six years of life provide a sacred opportunity when the child’s heart has great capacity for wonder, beauty and receiving love.  Later will come an awakening of moral awareness.  Now, in level I, is a time safeguarding their wonder and delight in the love of the Good Shepherd.

Christ as
Good Shepherd

In the Atrium, the child encounters the Good Shepherd and our faith through joy, not obligation.  When love takes root first, it becomes a foundation for the lifelong formation that follows.

A Mustard
Seed

Over these early years, the child is gently drawn into the mystery of the Incarnation and the Kingdom of God.  They are introduced to the Sacraments and the rhythm of the Church’s life, discovering a God who is lovingly near in all things.

 

 

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Ages 6-9: Level II

A Plan Existed
from All Time

The child’s horizon widens, reaching beyond what is merely visible to a better grasp of time and the vastness of the cosmos.  Their imagination and reason deepen, and they begin to ask “why?”  Spiritually, the child is drawn to contemplate the gift that is God’s beautiful plan for the world and each person’s place in it.

How am I to live
in the Kingdom?

The child’s heart also becomes sensitive to justice and the harmony of creation.  They long to belong to God and others, and are stirred by what is true and just. The question emerges: How am I to live in the Kingdom of God? What is my part in this great history? How can I remain united to Jesus, the true vine?  The moral parables and maxims of Jesus guide this search.

Responding to the
Shepherd’s Call

Earlier themes return with greater depth, engaging the child’s growing capacities. In the Level II atrium, they hear the call of the Good Shepherd calling them in a new and most intimate way: to reconcile themselves to Him and be with Him at the altar in Holy Communion. The children spend the year following this call preparing themselves to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion.

 

 

 

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Ages 9-12: Level III

Part of a
Greater Story

The 9–12 child continues to grow in abstract thought and a deep sensitivity to justice, responsibility, and right relationship with God and others. They begin to see themselves within a greater story and quietly ask: who am I, and how am I meant to live?

The Plan
of God

The Level III Atrium responds with a unifying vision of history—the Plan of God—where creation and redemption compose a single story of faithful love, meant to draw all toward fulfillment in Christ at the end of time: what we call Parousia.  At this age of hope, the child looks toward Christ’s return not with fear, but with joy and longing, and begins to consider their role in preparing the world for Him.

And My
Place in It

Through scriptural history, as well as parables, liturgy, and sacramental life, they come to see themselves as active participants in this divine story.  In reflection and prayer, their relationship with God deepens, gently preparing them for fuller life in the Holy Spirit through Confirmation.

 

 

 

Their own
encounter

“one of the gifts of CGS is that it really touches the children in a way that allows them to encounter Christ. And it takes seriously their inner life, even as children. A lot of times we look at kids and think, okay, you're just going to sit there and I'm going to tell you what you should think or say. But really they have their own thoughts. They have their own encounter with God. What we need to do is help facilitate that and allow them to come to greater knowledge.”
- Fr Andy Walsh

Something different
and beautiful

“Our children’s Catholic school gives a wonderful foundation, but Catechesis of the Good Shepherd gives them something different and beautiful, something that they don’t have the same opportunity for at school — uninterrupted time, space, and stillness to simply be with God. We are so blessed to be able to have access to the gift of both at our parish and share in these riches with our children.”
-Fr Labenz

Catechumenate
for children

“I like to think of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd as a catechumenate for children. The way that the early church brought people to knowledge of the faith wasn't just intellectual. It was the entire person: their mind, their heart, their soul, and it was a complete conversion.”

-Fr Andy Walsh

 

Proven model
and approach

“It is my ardent hope and desire that more and more of our children will be granted the blessing of faith formation according to this proven model and approach." 
-Bishop Carl Kemme

 

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