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Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
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Contact Us
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Director of Formation
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Announcements
- Registration for the 2022-23 Year is open, and please REGISTER HERE.
- St. Thomas Aquinas currently offers Level 1, which serves Pre-K Age children.
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What is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?
Colors, smells, beauty, candles, song - these are some of the many ways that Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (or CGS) introduces the faith to young children. These things should sound familiar: our Church uses them in our liturgy all the time to draw us ever deeper into the mystery of God's love. Combine this with a fervent devotion to Sacred Scripture, a respect for God's role in the soul's formation, and a knowledge of the capacity and preferences of young children, and you have an educational method that will feed the faith of both student and teacher.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a unique formation experience founded on Montessori principles in Rome in 1954, and is now offered in over 54 countries. The goal of CGS is to provide an environment where the child can through his own inner teacher meet the Good Shepherd. This is accomplished by working with special materials, silence, prayer, meditation, and artwork. In this way, the mystery of the child encounters the mystery of God, and forms a lifelong relationship, that will provide a solid foundation for their catholic faith.
What is the Atrium?
The Atrium is a prayer space designed to meet the spiritual and developmental needs of the child. In the Atrium a child explores prayer, liturgy, and scripture through beautiful handmade materials. This is a space that can captivate even the most active child and bring him into a closer relationship with our Lord, the Good Shepherd
“I am the Good Shepherd and I know mine and mine know me, just as the father knows me and I know the father, and I will lay down my life for the sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me.”
- John 10:14-15, 27 -
2022-23 Offered Classes for Level 1 (PreK Age Children)
- Sunday from 9:45 - 10:45 AM
- Sunday from 3:15 - 4:15 PM
- Tuesday from 9:30 - 10:30 AM
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2022-23 Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Calendar
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Important Notes Regarding CGS
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd does not meet the requirements for First Communion preparation within the Diocese of Austin. A comprehensive Religious Education & Formation program is a K-12th grade curriculum that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), along with Diocse of Austin, has reviewed and approved.
- For First Communion preparation, the diocese recommends that children from should take part in a comprehensive Religious Education and Formation program and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd can be a wonderful way to enrich the older (ages 6-12) child's faith formation.