Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is method chosen for sacramental preparation at Gesu. It is a collaborative effort among parents as primary teachers of their child, trained catechists from the parish, and the community of faith as experienced by the children through Sunday liturgies. It is structured so that catechists trained in the CGS method can enrich opportunities for theological reflection on the sacraments and provide helpful information and insight for parents who wish to prepare their children for religious formation.
Please e-mail us at ministries@gesudetroit.org for more information or to get involved.
Links:
Introduction to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Article by Ann Garrido, America Magazine, Sept., 2008
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Training Program Grant
Gesu Church hosts a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Formation Training program for catechists and interested adults in the Detroit metro region. CGS is a Montessori-based faith-formation program, founded in the understanding that a child is already in a relationship with God. CGS provides an environment--the Atrium--set up to nurture that relationship. There are three levels of CGS at Gesu. Level I: ages 3-6; Level II: ages 6-9; Level III: ages 9-12.
In 2019-20, the training program received a grant from the Catholic Foundation of Michigan to help make this formation possible. The grant provided tuition for several catechists' training and a stipend for one of the formation leaders. Thirty-one catechists were enrolled in 2019-20. This is the only CGS training center in metro Detroit. It is a ninety-hour course which can be compared to a retreat. The training makes it possible to support parishes with trained CGS catechists and to foster new CGS Atriums in the Archdiocese of Detroit. We are most grateful to the Catholic Foundation of Michigan for its support in this work! The 2019-20 year was the most successful one we have had in terms of enrollment since the program began. Thanks also on behalf of the many parishes that have benefited from their catechists' training this year! The Catholic Foundation of Michigan's much needed support extends to many parishes, schools and ministries throughout southeastern Michigan.
