Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is an experiential approach to the religious formation of children ages 3-12. It is rooted in Scripture, Liturgy and the educational principles of Maria Montessori. Through experimental work in the Diocese of Rome in 1954, Scripture scholar, Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, and Gianna Gobbi, (Montessori educator of Maria Montessori), discovered through astute and patient observation that God and the child are already in relationship; the child has a profound potential for receiving and enjoying the deepest elements of the Christian message; and that the child is capable, in the words of the mystics, of falling in love with God.

The purpose of CGS is to assist the development of this relationship, respecting the child's dignity and developmental sensitivities for the face of God that most deeply strikes his or her religious needs, drawing them closer to God.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level I, Parts One and Two, is foundational for subsequent CGS formation in Levels II and III.