Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Rooted and Grounded in Love

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Inc. (CGS) will further develop and refine its program “Rooted and Grounded in Love” to prepare and support parents, caregivers, ministry professionals, and volunteers to nurture the spiritual formation of infants and toddlers. CGS is an ecumenical membership organization that has 4,200 members, which serve 135,000 children and families, and serves more than 6,750 churches and schools across the United States. Rooted in the pedagogy of Maria Montessori and grounded in the theology of Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, the organization provides resources, educational opportunities, and support to adults in creating settings that nurture the natural spirituality of children from infancy through adolescence, helping them encounter and grow in their relationship with the living God. CGS is refining new infant and toddler spiritual formation courses for catechists, training Formation Leaders to give these courses, and conducting pilot programs for parents in congregations and other settings. CGS is also building seven Infant/Toddler environments for the centers of excellence to serve as environments called atrium for the children and parents and as training sites for pastors, seminary students, and ministry professionals. There will be a 13 episode video series in English and Spanish to help adults grow in their understanding of the religious potential of children. As a membership organization, CGS believes that the new resources and training opportunities will expand its services to reach new constituencies and grow its membership network.