St. James' Parish

Youth Formation

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an 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. Children gather in an "atrium," a room prepared for them, which contains simple yet beautiful materials that they use.

You may be wondering how these materials help the religious life of children? If an adult hears a beautiful passage from the Bible, the adult might take a Bible, find the passage, and read it slowly again and again. He or she may think deeply about the words and perhaps speak to God in a thankful or hopeful prayer. But a little child, too young to read, needs another way. In an atrium the child can ponder a biblical passage or a prayer from the liturgy by taking the material for that text and working with it - placing wood figures of sheep in a sheepfold of the Good Shepherd, setting sculpted apostles around a Last Supper table, or preparing a small altar with the furnishings used for the Eucharist.

Older children who do read often copy parables from the Bible, place in order written prayers from the rite of baptism, or label a long time line showing the history of the kingdom of God.

Atrium I

In Atrium I, for children 3 to 6 years old, we begin by learning the names and uses of the articles on the altar. Next we introduce the Prayer Table and emphasize how special it is. A favorite part follows, learning about where Jesus lived and the names of the cities where important things happen, plus the waterways of Israel and the regions.

During the fall we always learn about the parables of The Good Shepherd and the Found Sheep. This is the foundation for the whole year. Next we explore the seasons of the Liturgical year and the Liturgical colors for each of the seasons. Then it is time to prepare for the first Feast of the year - Christmas. During Advent we do the Infant Narrative lessons - The Annunciation, The Visitation, and the Birth of Jesus before Christmas plus some of the 5 prophecies. After Christmas we do the Adoration of the Magi, and The Presentation in the Temple.

During the Ordinary Time before the season of Lent, we explore five of the Wonder Parables - The Grain, The Pearl of Great Price, The Mustard Seed, The Leaven, and The Hidden Treasure. During Lent we explore the Eucharistic Presence and the Mystery of Life and Death. Again we do some geography, learning all about the city of Jerusalem and where exactly each of the events of Holy Week took place, including a lesson on the Last Supper.

After Easter we celebrate with our own Liturgy of the Light, after which we talk about the Women at the Tomb. The Sacrament of Baptism is explored in depth and then we talk about the Parts of the Mass: preparation of the cruets, preparation of the chalice, and offering the bread and wine to the Lord. We end with our celebration of the Feast of Pentecost.

Atrium II

The Catechesis of The Good Shepherd program for Level II (grades 1st through 3rd) offers more Parables of the New Testament. The children are encouraged to do the activity that speaks to their heart. The presentation of the works are guided by the age (grade) of the child to allow the best understanding for that developmental stage. They will also have time to use their hands to create articles that are used in our Sunday Worship services, experience fellowship in prayer, and to know our faith not just by memory, but by absorbing the teachings of the Bible.

Atrium III

Level III is for the fourth through fifth graders (ages 9 through 11). This level introduces the children to the Old Testament for the first time in detail and is titled History's Golden Thread. The Old Testament provides a tool that helps this age group to discern the gray areas in their own lives as they are seeing things in a more abstract way. They will learn of the struggles, laws, wars, and decisions that the peoples of the Old Testament faced. The children will also find that they can identify with the choices, good and bad, that the people of the Bible faced.

They will explore independently the History of Biblical Peoples and lands. Lively discussions are a natural progression for the rather colorful happenings in the Bible. The children are encouraged to plan their own prayer services and lead special celebrations of the Liturgical Calendar.