The Good Shepherd Atrium

Bishop Hamilton School’s Catechetical Program for the Spiritual Growth and Religious Development of the Child.

The catechesis of the Good Shepherd originated in 1954 in Rome. Dr. Sofia Cavalletti (Theologian) and Gianna Gobbi (Montessorian) began this program, which was inspired by the pedagogy of Maria Montessori. Together, they explored a new way of helping children come to know God more deeply, through a hands-on approach. The Good Shepherd Catechesis is rooted deeply in the Bible and the liturgy of the church.

Today, children from all over the world take part in Good Shepherd Atriums. No matter the language, culture, or country, children seem to respond positively and eagerly to learning about God in an Atrium setting.

Sofia Cavalletti holds that every child has a ‘religious potential’, or a spiritual need. This is a yearning to discover who God is and to grow close to God in a personal relationship. This relationship is called covenant.

In a child sized, prayerful environment called the ‘Atrium’, the children are able to use hands on religious materials to learn about and encounter God in an experiential way. The retreat like ‘Atrium’ is an inviting and peaceful place for the children to be.

Using figurines, and dioramas depicting biblical narratives, the child is able to ponder the events of Jesus’ life, bringing the child into a deeper understanding of Christ’s life.

Using model-sized materials from the liturgy, the child comes to explore and identify the signs, gestures and articles of the liturgy. Through this the child comes to a fuller understanding of the events transpiring within the church.

Older children go on to explore the meaning behind a covenant relationship with God. Parables such as the True Vine, help the children to understand that God is the Vine, we are the branches and that the fruit is the response to walking with Jesus.

The Elementary children also learn about the History of the Kingdom of God, through presentations and explorations of the past, present and future of God. Some of this is done through time lines, which are over 50 feet in length. By looking into the history of salvation, the older children can see how God was present in the Creation, Redemption: the death and resurrection of Jesus, and in Parousia: when “God will be all in all”. By exploring the interactions of God throughout history, the children can then look to their own place as Christians in God’s world.

This ‘Atrium’ gives the child a place of their own, a sacred space. As a small community, they not only learn about God, but it is here that they have the opportunity to discover, experience and enter into meaningful relationship with the Creator. It is in the Atrium that they can pray, share, and worship together in a quiet and prayerful place in order to experience God’s presence. It is in the potential for core experiences of God’s love that then move into the children’s interactions throughout the community of the school and their lives.

Further Good Shepherd web links to explore:

http://www.catechesisgoodshepherd.org

http://www.archtoronto.org/ter/catab.htm