The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Montessori-based method of spiritual and religious formation, founded in Rome in 1954. This approach follows the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas that all of our knowledge has its origin in the senses. Children are given developmentally appropriate presentations and sensorial materials with which to explore the liturgy, Scripture, and the life of Jesus. These materials include—among many others—a model altar, a model baptismal font, a raised-surface map of the land of Israel, and figures of Jesus and the apostles during the Last Supper. This concrete way of presenting the faith mirrors the way the Church teaches us throughout our lives, by means of the sacraments, holy water and oils, incense and statues. The “atrium” is a place of prayer, a room specially prepared for children to grow in their relationship with Jesus and in their knowledge of the Catholic faith.
CGS catechists receive at least 90 hours of formation for each age level that they serve. They are both intellectually and spiritually prepared to work with children in the Atrium, a place where the spiritual values of childhood are predominant. The catechist team includes members of St. Benedict Parish and Benedictine College students.
The catechists serving the atrium for 2025-2026 are: Danielle Blosser, Shannan Coy, Mary T Hynek, Elizabeth Mirarchi, Jennifer O’Malley, Lindsay Petruccelli, Marisa Pierson, Meggan Young, Heather Wahlmeier, and Julia Zia.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) Program Registration is in two parts:
1. This Registration Form is available May 5 and is due May 19th. At the end of this registration form is a link to sign up for a Volunteer Position, which is also due May 19th. This registration form alone does not guarantee your session preference.
2. On May 19th at 7pm, if you have registered, you will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to pay your CGS Tuition Fee utilizing the parish’s PushPay system. This process is time sensitive. In order to attempt some degree of "fairness" in establishing the order for session preference, we will be using the TimeStamp on your payment as your place in line.
Applications received after May 19th will still be considered, but please be aware that some sessions fill up quickly and space is limited.
Should you have any questions during this process, please contact Liz Coleman (913-426-6881)/ catechesisgs@benedictine.edu, or contact the Parish Office at 913-367-0671.
ATRIUM SESSIONS FOR 2025-2026
Spots listed as available have been compiled after the Catechists/Assistants/Leaders registration; the remaining spots will not be updated until after the Tuition date.
Level I (ages 3-6) Sessions:
Tuesday (1:00-3:00 pm) This Session is Full
Tuesday (4:00-6:00pm) This Session is Full
Thursday (4:00-6:00pm) This Session is Full
Saturday (1:00-3:00pm) This Session is Full
Level II (ages 6-9) Sessions:
Tuesday (1:15-3:15pm) This Session is Full
Thursday (4:15-6:15pm) This Session is Full
Saturday (1:15-3:15pm) 4 of 12 spots available
Level III (ages 9 and up) Session:
Tuesday (1:15-3:15pm) This Session is Full
Wednesday (6:30-8:30pm) 5 of 12 spots available
Saturday (1:15-3:15pm) 2 of 12 spots available
$100 for one child
$125 for two children
$150 for three or more children
The Tuition Fee is to be paid via PushPay, to complete the application process.
If you are facing financial hardship or making an online payment is not an option for your family, we offer the following solutions:
Make a payment of $1 using PushPay, securing your place in line, while paying the remainder of your fee in cash or check
Have a friend make an online payment of $1 on your behalf, to secure your place in line while paying your fee in cash or check (If the friend is also registering for CGS, she will need to make her own payment in addition to yours)
Purchase a VISA gift card (Walmart and CVS have these gift cards in store) and utilize on the PushPay website to pay your fee and secure your place in line
While we do not want anyone to be penalized by moving to an online process, we will be making the priority list from the online payment order; if you opt to not use PushPay (including the above suggestions), you will be placed behind all those who do. We highly encourage you to find the solution for your family before the Registration deadline of May 19th.
*If you need financial assistance or would like to divide the fee into payments, please contact Therese Loew at 913-370-1274.
