Newsletter - 2 November
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Back in the Summer of 2021 Nancy Wood put a notice in the Parish Newsletter about a meeting for the Good Shepherd Programme. At that point I had never heard of this method of catechesis. I was interested partly because this method is based on Montessori principles and I had been involved in catechesis over the years, helping with First Holy Communion and Confirmation Preparation.
I went along to the meeting quite unsure about whether I had the time or inclination to get involved, and at this point it was only an idea of Nancy's that it could be offered here at Christ the King. I was intrigued and later signed up for the training which Nancy put on alongside Lisa Meenan, Agata Godel and Olga D’Souza.
The training was a revelation. The method was so different to anything I had experienced before. We learnt about how the minds of children between three and six work and develop. We were taught to focus on the essential elements of our liturgy and of significant stories from the life of Jesus. We learnt that Sofia Cavaletti and Gianna Gobbi, who devised the method, through using it in Italy in the 1950s became aware of the intrinsic spirituality of children, and the importance for the catechist of drawing this out rather than feeling the need to pass on lots of facts and information. It shed a new light for me on many accounts in the Gospels with which I was familiar.
The method encourages the child to have a relationship with God. This happens through working in a quiet environment surrounded by beautiful materials where they are expected to move around slowly and carefully, through doing 'practical life' such as plant care, sweeping etc and working with materials which illustrate the life of Jesus and church liturgy.
Having enjoyed the training so much, I was keen to get involved when Nancy started the atrium in our parish.
We are now in our 4th year and have eleven children registered for this year.
Denise Sheen
Focus of the week
MASS TIMES FOR ALL SAINTS’ AND ALL SOUL’S
SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER - ALL SAINTS
Vigil 5.30pm, 9am and 11am
MONDAY 3 NOVEMBER - ALL SOULS
11am
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
If you would like your child aged 3-6 to come along you could check out the CGS page on the parish website https://www.Christthekingcockfosters.co.uk/catechesis-of-the-good-shepherd, email me (denisebsheen@gmail.com) for further information, or fill out a registration form from the entrance hall and return to the Parish Office. Atrium runs on Sunday mornings 10-11.30am, some parents go to 11am Mass and pop upstairs to collect their children at 11.30am.
Notices of the Week
Download the newsletter to check out the notices of the week