Children discover God’s wonder at Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

DISCOVERING GOD’S WONDER   (Left) The Fontanini Nativity Set is a teaching tool for learning about the Birth of Jesus Christ. (Right) Darlene Rasmusson, a catechist for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Program at St. Vincent de Paul, Stirling, with children in the program.

When Lindsay Schlegel signed up her 3-year-old son for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in the Stirling neighborhood of Long Hill Township, the catechists told the children to be quiet in the “atrium,” a sacred space.

Knowing how her son loved to run and jump, Schlegel was not sure how well he would take to the quiet and calm of the atrium, but to her surprise, he responded well.

“[That’s] because there is a sense there that this is a different kind of place, and this is the way that we behave here because something different happens here,” said Schlegel, a St. Vincent’s parishioner, wife, and mother of five.

That “something different” is the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd experience, a Montessori-based program. It engages children in learning and activities — with their hearts and heads — to discover the joy and wonder that emerges from their relationships with God. Darlene Rasmusson and Pip Donahoe run the program at St. Vincent’s for 3- to 6-year-olds on Wednesday mornings and early afternoons.

The children use two- and three-dimensional materials and figures related to the Scriptures. They read a Bible passage, a reading on the life of Christ, the parables, or a reading on life in the Church. They also learn about the articles and gestures of the Mass and the Eucharistic Presence. Then, the children use the materials to engage with the Bible story.

“They come to fall in love with the Good Shepherd. They develop the ability to be quiet — to learn to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in their lives,” Rasmusson said.

Schlegel recalls how her son talked about the epiclesis, the major part of the Eucharistic prayer, one day.

The worldwide program was founded in Italy in 1954 by Sofia Cavalletti, a Catholic laywoman, biblical scholar, and theologian, and Gianna Gobbi, a Montessori educator. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd counters the daily distractions children face by creating a quiet space and room for imagination and beauty.

“It’s hands-on. The children listen to chant music, pour the water, and handle the figures. They learn how to use the chalice and cruets and snuff out candles,” Donahoe said.

Some family members, such as Schlegel’s father, have assisted the program. He built the children’s tabernacle modeled after the one in St. Vincent’s and a cabinet for the children’s figures. Rasmusson and Donahoe would like to involve other parishioners in building a weekend program for older students.

Other parishes in the Paterson Diocese with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd programs include St. Vincent Martyr in Madison and Assumption in Morristown.

Schlegel, also a Catholic children’s book author and speaker, said mothers in the group have built friendships. The parents are grateful to Rasmusson and Donahoe for sharing their gifts and knowledge, “but even more for their love for the Lord and the example they are to our children. It is something that is having a lasting effect,” Schlegel said.

Previous Story

Carmelite Sister from Guam professes final vows in Morristown

Next Story

Diocese to parishes: ‘Have you started a Vocation Ministry?’

Latest from News