Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS)

CGS sessions for 2025-2026 will be posted by July 15
Online registration opens here on August 1: Registration Link
Please be aware that CGS Sessions fill up quickly

• Dates for upcoming training in level 1 for CGS will be posted later this summer
• If you are interested in being trained in the Montessori Method of Catechesis contact Andrea Zachman: [email protected]

What is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, also known as CGS, is a Montessori approach to the religious formation of children. It is rooted in the Bible, the Liturgy of the Church, and the educational principles of Maria Montessori. At Saint Michael CGS is offered as a weekly program that runs through the school year. Different sessions, for each CGS level, are offered during the week. Each year in the atrium builds on the previous. Even though the program is nine years, a child can start at any level, without previous involvement. The cost for CGS is $150.00 per child. 

Learn More About CGS

CGS Levels and Content:

• CGS Level One - Ages 3 1/2 to 6: Children in level one will spend time enjoying and nurturing a relationship with the Good Shepherd. They will be immersed in the atrium and work with materials that focus on the life of Christ, the Church, the geography of Israel, the Paschal Mystery, the Infancy Narratives, the Parables, and the Sacraments. The children come to know who God is and who they are to God and to the Church as they are becoming more active participants in their faith.
• CGS Level Two - Ages 6 - 9: Building off the level one materials and presentation, children will learn more passages of Scripture that talk about the life of Christ and his moral teachings. This allows them to understand how to stay on the True Vine. Their love and knowledge are strengthened and deepened as they explore the Liturgy and the Sacrament Rites, the prayers of the Mass, and the History of the Kingdom of God. Each child will get to make their own Roman Missal during the level two. Communal prayer ends each session, which offers songs, prayers, petitions, and Scripture readings.
• CGS Level Three - Ages 9 - 12: In level three children delve into the mystery of God’s covenant relationship with us through Salvation History while focusing on Biblical Typology linking Old and New Testament Scripture to Sacred History and Liturgy. Children in level three unpack the Eucharistic Liturgy like never before as they study the prayers and responses, and moments of the Mass. Level three also reflects on the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, and Anointing of the Sick.