Adults and children are ‘co-learners’ in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd |
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Written by LAURIE STEVENS BERTKE, Chronicle Writer
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Friday, 05 September 2008 01:00 |
The seven kindergarteners and first-graders clustered on the floor around Marcia Rashley join her in song as she names the color of each miniature chasuble on display before them.
"Purple and gre-e-en, red and white, are the colors of the year. Purple and gre-e-en, red and white, remind us of the light," they chant, repeating the colors of the liturgical year.
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| Marcia Rashley teaches kindergarteners and first-graders about the vestments worn by a priest during a session of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at Swanton St. Richard. (Chronicle photo by Laurie Stevens Bertke) |
Ms. Rashley shows the children photographs of the pastor wearing vestments in each color as she explains that the chasuble, a sleeveless outer vestment worn by a priest during Mass, reflects the season.
The lesson taught during a summer religious education program at Swanton St. Richard is part of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a unique approach to religious education that has gained momentum in the Diocese of Toledo over the past 15 years. More than a dozen parishes in the diocese now use the approach, which draws on the educational principles of Maria Montessori to teach children about Scripture, liturgy, sacrament and prayer.
"The philosophy or the belief in this approach is that the child and God are already in relationship, and we’re just there to nurture that relationship and to help it grow," explains Sue Van Hersett, pastoral associate of Toledo Little Flower.
Children are usually divided into three age groups: 3-6, 6-9 and 9-12.
Mrs. Van Hersett, a formation leader who trains catechists in the approach and oversees its use at Little Flower, notes adults who work with the children do not consider themselves teachers. "The only teacher is Christ Himself," she says.
Lessons are held in a space called an atrium, where adults ponder the words of Jesus with the children as "co-learners."
Mrs. Van Hersett compares the prepared environment to a retreat house. In ancient times, she says, the atrium was a waiting place for catechumens preparing to enter the church.
"This is the place where we help the children prepare for church," explains Mrs. Van Hersett. "It’s a place where work becomes a conversation with God."
Notably absent from the atrium are textbooks, tests and other forms of assessment. Instead, most are equipped with a model of the altar, articles used for celebrating the Mass and other materials that relate to liturgy or Scripture.
Each lesson opens with a prayer offered by the children, followed by a short presentation by the catechist.
One presentation involves teaching the children to set the altar with the paten, chalice, candles and other articles. Holding up each item, the catechist names it and explains its significance during the Mass before placing it on the model altar.
Some presentations involve using miniature environments to explore Scripture stories. Catechists also use a relief map of Israel to talk about the cities of Bethlehem, Nazareth and Jerusalem.
"You start with just the bare essentials with the really young children, and each year as they grow older, you add a few more details," explains Mrs. Van Hersett.
She gives the example of the parable about the merchant who finds a pearl of great value and sells all he has to buy it. For the youngest children, the focus is on the value of the pearl as it relates to the value of God’s kingdom. As the children grow older, the focus shifts to the cost of the kingdom of God and what things those pearls might represent.
"You go back and revisit some of these same Scripture stories two, three, four times, but as the children get older, you start looking at them in a different way, and they can think deeper about it," says Mrs. Van Hersett.
Indirect learning
After a lesson, children have time to internalize what they learned by prayerfully doing an activity using concrete materials in the atrium.
For the youngest children, activities include "practical life exercises" like polishing leaves or statues, pouring stones or water and putting a chasuble on a hanger. Such tasks help the children develop coordination and concentration.
"The concentration leads to meditation, which is the basis for prayer," explains Mrs. Van Hersett.
Ann Geise, director of religious education at St. Richard, says parents have embraced the program since it began about seven years ago at the parish.
Her son Daniel, 5, has also participated and Mrs. Geise says she believes it has helped him be "more in tune at Mass."
Children learn ìhow to be quiet and how to listenî to God in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, according to Irene Alderman, catechetical leader of Lima St. John the Evangelist.
Mrs. Alderman felt it made a notable impact on the spirituality of her youngest daughter, Emily, when she participated as a preschooler and kindergartener at Lima St. Charles. Emily developed a strong sense of Jesus’ presence, and whenever they drove past a church, she would ask, "Mommy, can we stop and visit Jesus?"
"She saw everything in terms of God," relates Mrs. Alderman.
Worldwide movement
Kathy Krupitzer, a former director of religious education who introduced the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd to St. Richard in 2001, says the approach appealed to her because it is worldwide like the Catholic Church.
Developed in 1954 in Rome by a Hebrew and Scripture scholar named Sofia Cavalletti and a Montessori educator named Gianna Gobbi, the approach is now used in at least 32 countries.
It first appeared in the Diocese of Toledo at Toledo Blessed Sacrament in 1994, and has since been implemented to varying degrees in parishes across northwest Ohio. En Camino, a ministry to Hispanic immigrants and migrant farm workers based at Fostoria St. Wendelin, has even taken it into migrant camps in recent years.
Karen Momenee, a formation leader who helped introduce the approach at Blessed Sacrament, says the program has enjoyed strong support from parents over the years. At home, they often find their children singing the songs they learn or insisting upon praying at mealtime.
"It’s a joyful journey," she says. "Every year is an adventure, with the Good Shepherd guiding and the Holy Spirit leading."
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To find an atrium in a parish nearby, or to learn more about the program, visit the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Web site at www.cgsusa.org.
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Last Updated on Friday, 07 November 2008 09:00 |
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