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Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

For children ages 3 to 5

9:15am -10:30am Sundays

October 10, 2021 – May 15, 2022

St. Wendelin Parish Atrium (top floor of Parish Life Center)

"God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer."

- St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to the religious formation of the child which focuses less on instruction and more on formation of the religious life through introducing the child to prayer and work. Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, along with Gianna Gobbi, developed the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd as the fruit of careful observation of the religious capacity of the child.

"The religious experience is fundamentally an experience of love... We believe that the child, more than any other, has need of love because the child himself is rich in love." - Dr. Sofia Cavalletti

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd takes place in an atrium, not a classroom. An atrium is a carefully created environment with simple but beautiful handmade items that help the child to work independently, to pray interiorly, and to develop his or her relationship with God. The atrium is a place of learning, not primarily through instruction, but through the cultivation of silence and the ability to listen to the One Teacher, Jesus Christ. Children listen to the Gospel and then, in age-appropriate ways, meditate on it, respond to it, and begin to live it according to the child's own rhythm and capacity. It is here in this response that their work becomes their prayer.

"It is a method filled with veneration for the mystery; it does not claim to explain or define. It is a method full of respect for the person and his capacities." - Dr. Sofia Cavalletti

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is truly a life-changing opportunity for your child. Such practice of cultivating silence, learning how to work, and practicing true prayer will give your child the foundation and capacity to reflect, to wonder, to focus, and to find joy and peace in their work at an early age.

"When wonder becomes the fundamental attitude of our spirit it will confer a religious character to our whole life."

- Dr. Sofia Cavalletti

 To visit our atrium and register your child, please fill out a registration form here or contact the Parish Office at 419-435-6692 x338 or email Jessica Pehmoeller at jessica.pehmoeller@stwendelin.org.