Why Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS)?
- The CGS approach feeds the inner needs of the children, guiding them to have an intimate relationship with God.
- Level 1, 3 to 6 years old: We focus on the ‘being’ - helping them fall in love with God, enjoying being in a relationship with God who is Love and always gives.
- Level 2, 6 to 9 years old: We focus on the relationship with God and others. The child now has a reasoning mind and a strong sense of justice. Moral formation is vital, helping them ponder and live out their lives according to the moral parables and the maxims of Jesus.
- Level 3, 9 to 12 years old: Helping the child ponder their place and task in the universe. The History of Salvation and the Plan of God to unite all His people revealed to the child until now make the child ask, “What is my place in God’s plan? How can I collaborate with God to build His Kingdom?”
- CGS believes that to nourish the religious life and potential of the child, a carefully prepared sacred space called the ‘atrium’ and a prepared adult called the ‘catechist’ help the children to draw close to God.
Adult Formation Retreat held in 2018 at St. Mark’s
- The prepared adult serves as the unworthy servant of the Gospel, guiding the children into contemplation and fades off. The true inner Teacher of the child is Christ Himself.
- The sensory-rich materials in the atrium are indirect means for the children to be still, to concentrate, contemplate and encounter God in works, scriptures, liturgy and prayer. Whether it is practical life activities of caring for self or the environment, scripture or liturgy, every work in the atrium is a passage to prayer.