The St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School is pleased to offer the Level 1, Part One formation course in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. It will be held June 20 – 25 from 8 AM to 3:30 PM. The formation course time includes Mass and a break for lunch. Your registration fee includes lunch on Monday and Friday along with snacks each day. Registration is limited. Please email Morgan+ before registering.
Course Description
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a practice of religious formation for children based on the educational method of Dr. Maria Montessori. CGS begins at the age of three and seeks to prepare a sacred “hands-on” space for children called an atrium, in which both children and their catechist can hear, ponder, and celebrate the most essential mysteries of the Christian faith as revealed in the Scriptures and the Liturgy. Originally developed in Rome by Sofia Cavaletti and Gianna Gobbi over sixty years ago, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd continues to spread world-wide and is used with adaptation in various Christian traditions. This formation course is for the first half of Level I (formation of children ages 3-6) and is sponsored by the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGSUSA). Upon the participant’s completion of the course and it’s requirements, he or she will receive Level I Catechist Certification. Note: this summer 2022 training is for the first half of Level I; training for the second half will be scheduled for similar dates in summer 2023.
Formation Leader
Sister Theresa
Anne Knuth, O.P. is a Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia from Nashville, TN, and serves children as a CGS catechist in Levels I and II. Prior to her work in catechesis and evangelization at her community's mission in the Netherlands where she currently resides, Sister was a Catholic school teacher in the United States. A nationally recognized CGS Level I Formation Leader with degrees in education and theology, Sister Theresa Anne treasures the opportunity to bring children closer to Jesus in the atrium, and to help adults experience the joy and wonder of an encounter with Jesus the Good Shepherd through Level I formation courses.
Assistant
Sister Maria Teresita Rodkey, O.P.
Cost
$250 to cover cost of certification fee, books, materials, food, and to offset trainer stipend.