A Montessori Based Religious Education Program
Why Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (or CGS) is a faith formation program that seeks to answer the question “what are the vital religious needs of the child at this particular age.”
Using Montessori educational principals, the aim of CGS is to help foster a relationship between God and the child. CGS takes place in the “atrium,” a beautiful sacred environment especially prepared for children. The atrium contains materials such as a model altar, baptismal font, 3-dimensional scenes from the life of Jesus, sheep and a sheepfold, a prayer table and scripture cards. Students are given one-on-one lessons and then invited to work with the materials that go with each lesson. The atrium becomes a place of peaceful work, where the students learn in a deep and profound way about the life of Jesus, scripture, liturgy, and the teaching and traditions of the Catholic Church.
Each atrium session is led by a trained CGS catechist, along with an assistant.

How to Register or Learn More
Interested in learning more or enrolling your child in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program? We enroll on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Contact the Religious Education office at 715-736-3104 for more information.
Prospective parents! Come and observe! We are always welcoming parents to come and see what CGS is all about.
Calling all volunteers! We are always in need of classroom assistants and volunteers.
Program details
We are now offering Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for Level I and Level II students – ages 3-9 years old. Each session meets once a week between October and May.
Schedule:
The schedule is typically one day a week of sessions that last 1.5 hours. The time frame changes each year to accommodate the families that are enrolled. Students who are enrolled at St. Joseph School have the option to attend the sessions during the school day.


Parent Resources
Other Resources for Parents: