Saint Mary the Virgin has two levels of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd available as part of our Sunday School program. Level 1 is offered for children from 3-6 years old, and Level 2 is offered for children from 6-9 years old. Classes take place at the same time as the other Religious Education classes on Sunday mornings.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a genuine formation experience for young children 3 - 6 years old, serves the relationship between God and the child with reverence and respect. Through interactive “works,” based on the principles of Maria Montessori’s philosophy, the child has the opportunity to discover the truth of God on as deep a level as possible. In addition to age-appropriate tasks of practical life - designed to nurture o rder, concentration, coordination, and independence - prayer, contemplation, and silence are natural components of a child’s religious life and are honored. The essence of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is to provide a joyful journey for the child. Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, protects His sheep and calls each of them by name. He prays, “I give praise to you, Father, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, you have revealed them to little ones.”
One mother shared her children' s experience in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd as the following:
“Over the past many months I have watched both of them (Amy and Alex) blossom into children who pray spontaneously and with a simplicity I know is not taught in formulas but experienced in encountering God. … I credit the Atrium so much with their prayerfulness, as I know it’s something my husband and I did not ‘teach.'"