CGSUSA news. Feed My Lambs. The National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Spring Volume 29, Issue 1

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1 Spring 2013 Volume 29, Issue 1 CGSUSA news Feed My Lambs This call of our Good Shepherd (John 21:15) has a particular resonance in the lives of our catechists. It is a call that is met with many emotions, and yet, is permeated with joy. For most of us in the USA, we are approaching the summer atrium break which gives us time to rest and reflect on how we respond to this call to feed His lambs. One way for us to do this is to read and reread the many resources written by Sofia available to us. For instance, the following quote from Way of Holy Joy is worthy of our reflection. Sofia writes The child lives the values of unity, peace, and harmony both naturally and supernaturally; but the child lives these values at a level which is not yet conscious or deliberate. The life of the human person consists in transforming the gifts that are offered into gifts that are accepted and desired and lived with ever more awareness. The work of education must be directed to helping children become conscious of the gifts, so that they can make them the building material of their very person. (Way of Holy Joy, Sofia Cavalletti, pg. 6) Another way this summer is to attend one of our national events which is an opportunity to nourish your role as catechist. We are offering the Montessori Foundations of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: The Mystery of the Child in Relationship With God, July 11-17, in Great Falls, Virginia and the Servant Song Retreat, August 23-25, in Phoenix, Arizona. These ongoing formation experiences will help you to become even more aware of the many gifts from God in your own lives and help our children to do the same. I invite you to join us this summer so that we might celebrate together this call of our Good Shepherd to feed His Lambs and continue to sing together with praise and joy. Mary Mirrione National Director The National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Our purpose is to assist the involvement of adults and children in a common religious experience in which the religious values of childhood, primarily those of contemplation of and enjoyment of God, are predominant. Our mission is to support catechists, formation leaders, parents, and others in the Church and beyond, as they grow in their understanding of the religious potential of children.

2 2 Sharing Pearls One of the delights of our work is to be able to share pearls of wisdom that we receive from children whether from their artwork, prayers, or their responses given during presentations. Often we see such profound theological content in these responses. We invite you to send us these pearls and artwork from your children so that we can share them with our members in our publications, particularly our annual Journal and on our website. The best possible images are obtained from the original work, a high-quality color copy, or digitally scanned image. We can only use art, prayers, and pearls that are accompanied by a signed and completed Consent Form. Adult notation should be limited to the permission form or the back of the child s art. You will also find on the form a signature release to submit photos for use on our website or in our other publications. A Consent Form is included with our Spring 2013 mailing, and is also available in the Document Library of our website, The child, particularly the religious life of the child, is central to the interest and commitment to the catechist of the Good Shepherd. (The first of our 32 Characteristics of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd) Mucho Gusto A ti catequista hispana, te saludamos y te damos las mas expresivas gracias por tu apoyo a la Asociacion Nacional de la Catequesis del Buen Pastor en los EU. El grupo etnico de mas crecimiento en los EU es el nuestro y agradecemos tu gran colaboracion con nuestros ninos hispanos. Sabemos que la CBP ofrece muchas herramientas para el desarrollo integral del nino dentro de un ambiente a veces tan diverso. Si de alguna forma te podemos ayudar, escribemos. Queremos saber de ti. Puedes comunicarte a lourdesvazquez@cgsusa.org Dios te bendiga. Feed My Sheep! (John 21:17) The National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is devoted to the religious life of children and a specific approach to their spiritual formation rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the church, and the educational principles of Maria Montessori. In order to fund our mission and programs, we are continually looking for new ways to raise money. Over the years at regional gatherings, formation courses, retreats and other events, it has become apparent that we have exceptional cooks! So, we are asking you to share your favorite recipes with us, as we compile our very first CGSUSA Cookbook: Feed My Sheep. All proceeds from the sale of this cookbook will benefit the National Association of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. We are gathering all categories and types of recipes, so feel free to send multiple recipes. Please your recipes to: cgsusacookbook@gmail.com by May 15, Make sure to include a title, ingredients, and instructions along with your name, address, and telephone number. We hope to receive recipes from around the country. If you are a member of this association outside of the USA, we also invite you to send recipes. You can reserve copies for yourself or friends by sending an to the above address. Please make sure to tell us the number of copies you would like to reserve along with your name. The cookbooks are expected to be ready this summer and will sell for around $12 (plus shipping).

3 3 Board of Trustees Meet in Chicago By Kay Brizzolara The Board of Trustees met in February in Chicago to continue work begun back in November During our time together we were struck, over and over again, at the amazing work that CGSUSA does in the service of Christ. This work calls forth a transformation of the hearts of adults who are formed to prepare spaces in which children can truly live in joy with the Good Shepherd. Through this transformation, children and adults are prepared to welcome in hope the coming of Christ our Shepherd. From the deep and slow formation courses for adults, to the publications which breathe the logos, to material works which invite the joyful contemplation of the children, to missionary outreach, in all these things in both their depth and breadth, together we continue to bear fruit on this beautiful vine that is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Yet, every gardener knows that to maintain the health of a vine and to support its ripening fruit, the vine must be trained upon a scaffold which will support its growth. In recognizing how beautiful and full the vine of our Catechesis is, the board is working hard to design and build the scaffolding needed to support the growth of our work. Once we were so small! Just a few dedicated catechists gathered to create our association nearly 30 years ago. We are so grateful for their work to begin this organization which supports now over 1,500 members, over 80 formation courses a year, missionary outreach, online materials manuals, and ongoing publications both by new authors and translations of works by our beloved founders. Our time in Chicago was spent considering what resources are needed to sustain our growth and developing a timeline to identify when such resources will be needed and what funds they will require. Ten years ago we did not have a website or need technological assistance; now, where would we be without our online materials manuals and the other rich troves of information upon which we all rely? We ask for the prayers and support of our members and friends as we humbly move forward seeking grant monies, cultivating donors, identifying professional advisors, and lifting up volunteers, to join us in nourishing our flourishing growth. We also ask you to look in your own hearts and to identify those skills and talents which you possess which can serve this growing work. Soon you will receive an online survey. Please take the time to fill it out and help us identify within our own membership those with special talents who are willing to lend their time to support this far reaching work in service of Christ. In this time as we greet new spiritual leaders in both our Roman Catholic and Anglican branches, we ask you to pray with us the prayer of the first Francis: Lord, make us a channel of your peace, let us sow love, faith, hope, and joy, and let us remember that it is in giving that we truly receive. For the gifts of our board, staff, members, and founders who sowed this growth, we sing a song of praise! The CGSUSA Board of Trustees Kay Brizzolara Amarillo, TX Patti Franz Phoenix, AZ Brent Glasgow Memphis, TN Mary Heinrich Urbandale, IA Jo Ann Padgett Boulder, CO We ask for the prayers and support of our members and friends as we humbly move forward seeking grant monies, cultivating donors, identifying professional advisors, and lifting up volunteers to join us in nourishing our flourishing growth. We also ask you to look in your own hearts and to identify those skills and talents which you possess which can serve this growing work. Soon you will receive an online survey. Please take the time to respond to it.

4 4 Concerning the Little Gospels By Rebekah Rojcewicz A Precious Gift These Little Gospels reflect the deep respect Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi had for the child, exemplified by the careful search for translations best suited to the child, the placement of only a few words on each page to facilitate the child s contemplation and enjoyment of each part of the text, along with minimal but beautiful illustrations. All who tend to the spiritual formation of children, parents, grandparents, catechists, and communities will want to place these gifts in the hands of every young child. Early in their work with children in the atrium (in the late 1950 s), Sofia and Gianna realized that the child needed even more direct access to the Word than just in hearing it read by an adult, and so they came up with individual Scripture booklets for each of the texts presented to the children. Their realization of the importance of the texts as the primary material for exploring the Christian message was further reflected in their choosing to have the texts hardbound and simply but beautifully illustrated by Gianna. In honoring both the importance of the Gospel texts and the needs of the young child, they made the booklets small (easily handled by the children), with a limited number of lines on each page. Sofia and Gianna did not rely on a published translation of the Bible; rather, they relied on the original Greek and adjusted their translation according to the capacities of the child. When our U.S. association was being formed in the mid 1980 s and we were lacking the resources to duplicate the Rome hardbound books, Catherine Maresca (of the original board) offered to publish the booklets in paperback form through Christian Family Montessori School. Sofia reviewed and approved the English Bible translations that were used. The booklet sets have been sold to many catechists and parents through the years and have been a great gift. They continue to be sold through the Center for Children and Theology. Over the years, some of us began to make our own, handmade booklets for the atrium in an effort to further honor the importance of the texts and the sensitivity of the children to handmade prayer cards and other materials. We realized that carefully handmade booklets serve a similar purpose as the hardbound books of the Rome atrium: they further communicate how precious these words are. Some of us had also never given up on the dream of producing booklets that looked like the Rome atrium booklets, complete with Gianna s lovely artwork. Sofia had long ago said how delightful it would be to re-discover these Little Gospels wherever one traveled in whatever atria one visited. Finally, just a few years ago, the time was ripe and we began the process of publishing the hardbound Little Gospels. Pat Sauerman s particular enthusiasm for the project spurred us on. Kathleen Garness did a wonderful job of restoring Gianna s original artwork. Rebekah Rojcewicz, of the Executive Committee of the International Council (Consiglio), led the translation from the original Italian booklets and the editing process, assisted by Patricia Coulter, Pat Sauerman and Mary Mirrione. (Sofia had agreed this translation and editing process was necessary. The Executive Committee reviewed and approved the final work before the production.) Continued on the next page

5 5 Concerning the Little Gospels, continued: The hardbound Little Gospels are a treasure, and we rejoice in their publication. We are grateful to LTP and to our CGS editor there, Margaret Brennan, for the beautiful job they have done on the boxed sets of the Level I booklets. It is important to clarify that these hardbound Little Gospels are by no means a mandatory atrium material. Homemade booklets are also a treasure for the children; and we continue to offer bookmaking workshops to encourage this endeavor. The paperback booklets published by the Center for Children and Theology certainly remain a valid option. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a living work; thus, it is always being refined, as guided by the responses of the children. It is always seeking to be even more essential, and this has prompted certain edits of the original texts as well as in choosing a more readable font for children. Again, our publication of these hardbound books is not meant to supplant the homemade books or even the published paperback booklets, but simply to offer an updated version of the most treasured material of the Rome atrium. The National Association will work to make the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and the writings of Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi accessible to all. New Summer Reading The History of the Kingdom of God, Part 2: Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom is Sofia Cavalletti s revision of her earlier book Living Liturgy. Together with The History of the Kingdom of God, Part 1, From Creation to Parousia, these books offer the reader insight into Scripture and Liturgy as the means to understand God's plan of salvation history, from the creation of the world, through redemption by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, to its culmination in the Parousia, when God will be all in all. Sofia Cavalletti s primary concern in this book is to assist adults who are working with the religious formation of children to enter more deeply into the essential aspects of the liturgy. As Rebekah Rojcewicz writes in the introduction, "The second volume, subtitled Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom, considers specifically the present phase of history, in which God s plan is always in action, that is, it is continuing to unfold, and every man, every woman, and every child is invited to participate and collaborate in this history." Sofia s understanding of liturgy as transformative prayer brings about God s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven makes this book of particular interest to all who love the liturgy and for whom liturgy is central to their Christian life. Why not invite catechists in your area to enjoy a summer reading group with both books? Bundles of Books CGSUSA is now offering selections of core texts in "bundles" to provide an even greater savings on the essential writings of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd! Buy all items in a bundle for one low price! When you purchase any book from CGSUSA, you ll always receive a discounted price over other retailers. Purchasing books in our new bundles offers you an even greater savings!

6 6 Contemplating Mystery, Enjoying the Fruits By Carla Orlando and the Good Shepherd Catechists of Western Washington Regional Gatherings We know that there is a particular friendship among catechists that needs time and space to be celebrated and shared. Groups of catechists want to come together, they need to gather to support one another in this work, get to know one another, and become more unified. Across the country we have seen, formally and informally, many regional groups form in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd which we are delighted to see. Our association celebrates the friendships that are brought about through our work with children. We hold it in one of our vision statements: Regional groups will be encouraged in every part of the nation. If you would like to offer a regional gathering in your area and would like to know more about how to do so, you can go to our website, to the member Document Library, where you can find a packet with guidelines for planning regional gatherings. Contemplation and enjoyment. These two words became, for me, the theme of our weekend, March 7-10, says Kim Ward of St Patrick s, Tacoma. For the first time, our region s catechists gathered with our national director, Mary Mirrione, and with formation leader Linda Kaiel. Inspired by the Servant Song Retreat last summer, we had returned home wanting to pray more with others in our region and to ponder our questions together: Who are we? What are we called to live? This process was a grace filled experience. We hoped, we prayed, we dreamed. How could we share this tremendous gift with as many people as possible? We prayed. From our prayer came the reality: a weekend of activity with our national leaders, hosted by and for our atria communities in parishes along the Interstate-5 of Western Washington. We listened. Distilling three of the 32 points became our main themes, shares Kim. And consistently on our radar was how do we honor the ecumenical and inclusive nature of this gift of CGS? This calling of our hearts to listen beyond our denomination compelled us to go slowly and listen deeply. This took time. As I reflect back over the weekend and recall our meetings prior to the weekend, I realize this will be one of our big works with each other as a region. God has clearly called us to this blessed task of collaboration. We celebrated. Being able to gather as a region and have the national director with us was the pearl of great price so precious and valuable!! says Lynne Shioyama of St. Anthony s, Renton. It is a lovely reminder of how we have grown and what wonderful resources we can be to one another. I have received inquiries from two Episcopal catechists regarding the Level II training, so we may have done a better job of reaching out to our non-catholic catechists than we thought! We were led. Mary s first keynote stirred me and has remained with me through Lent and until now, says Lynne. The scripture of Peter and the Lord asking him, Do you love me? moved me to contemplate how I am called to offer all that I have and all that I am to the work of CGS and beyond. I am in a place of quiet wonder right now from all I have experienced, says Dotti Krist-Sterbick at St Leo s, Tacoma, who hosted our planning team and national leaders before the weekend began. We were fed. From my experience of the weekend, claimed Ellen Bollard, I know with much more clarity what I need to do. I don't know what happened to others, I only know that I was deeply fed. I have been drawn back. Kim adds that, During the presentations, I became overwhelmed with gratitude and joy. I was being invited, once again, to contemplate and enjoy as the child within me soaked it in and dreamed of the time I could share this Good News with the little ones in our atrium. We give thanks. Thank you, Good Shepherd, thank you, for calling me personally to this work. Thank you, Good Shepherd, for bringing such true and deep friendships with whom to share the gospel. And, in the words of Catherine Doherty, give me the heart of the child, and the awesome courage to live it out.

7 7 Staff Changes at CGSUSA January marked a staff change in our association s offices. After five years with our association, Marrey Picciotti, who served as Course Coordinator from the Oak Park, Illinois office, resigned to take a new position with a consulting firm. We thank Marrey for her loving service and wish her well in her new work. We welcome Betsy Brown to our staff who now works part-time with Karen Maxwell from our Office of Formation in Marietta, Georgia. Betsy's duties include the Course Coordinator role and she provides administrative support to Karen for formation events and projects. All requests for Course Registration Forms and Certificates now need to be made to Betsy at the Office of Formation in Marietta, Georgia. Betsy is in the office on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Eastern Time. Karen continues to be available Monday - Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Time. The telephone number for both Karen and Betsy is We also welcome Sharon Urquidez-Weis to our staff! She is working part-time in the National Director s Office in Gilbert, Arizona with Mary Mirrione. Sharon s duties include providing administrative support by coordinating correspondence and communications for Mary along with developing a CGSUSA Helpdesk. Sharon will also coordinate the regional events Mary attends around the country. Sharon works with Mary on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2:00-5:30 Arizona Time which is in the Mountain Time Zone and does not observe daylight savings time. Mary will continue to be available Monday - Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Arizona Time. The telephone number for both Mary and Sharon is The Staff of the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Phoenix, AZ area 614 East Vaughn Ave, Gilbert, AZ 85234, Mary Mirrione Sharon Urquidez-Weis Pat Sauerman Lourdes Vazquez National Director, marymirrione@cgsusa.org Assistant to the National Director Coordinator of Materials Manuals & Resources, patsauerman@cgsusa.org Spanish Language Coordinator, lourdesvazquez@cgsusa.org Chicago, IL area P.O. Box 1084, Oak Park, IL , Rachel Faulman Sara Muriello Director of Business Operations, rachelfaulman@cgsusa.org Administrator, cgs@cgsusa.org Atlanta, GA area 4771 Old Timber Ridge Road, Marietta, GA 30068, Karen Maxwell Betsy Brown Director of Formation, karenmaxwell@cgsusa.org Assistant to the Director of Formation and Course Coordinator betsybrown@cgsusa.org

8 Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Join us for the International Catechist Retreat Phoenix, Arizona October 1-4, 2014 P.O. Box 1084 Oak Park, IL Help me come closer to God, by myself Plans are underway for our gathering in the desert next year. Around the world the excitement is growing for all of us to gather in one place! With Gratitude We bring news of our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd community to you through our newsletters, our website and our annual Journals. We give our profound gratitude to our Good Shepherd for all the people who have contributed their news, insights, and atria stories in order to preserve and pass on the work of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Our invitation was received with joy at the Latin American Formation Leaders Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico this January. Representatives from Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Honduras, Uruguay, Peru, Chile, Argentina and the USA gathered. There had been a VERY positive response to the 2014 DVD invitation which Lourdes Vazquez had shown during our country report at the Conference. For the rest of the week it was a sort of buzz, with many remarks about who would come to the 2014 in Phoenix. Following the Conference, the Executive Committee of the International Council (Consiglio), which is made up of Francesca Cocchini from Rome, Italy, our own Rebekah Rojcewicz, Tere Loyo from Mexico, and Nora Bonilla from Columbia, met for two days to address international concerns. Among their agenda items were the 2014 Consiglio Meeting and International Gathering. The theme was chosen for the retreat: The New Child and the New Adult: Encountering the Good Shepherd Together. The last time we gathered as an international community of catechists was in 1997, in Assisi, Italy. This gathering met a deep need in many catechists who have never and will never have the opportunity to serve on the International Consiglio. Those of us who were there remember the joys of unity and belonging and long for another event of this kind. We seek to create this spirit once again in 2014 as we gather to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of CGS in the world and the 30th Anniversary of the work in the USA. Look for more exciting details in the coming months! Please let us know if you can help with the preparation for this event or with contributing toward scholarships for those from our poorer countries by ing Mary Mirrione at marymirrione@cgsusa.org. You can see the YouTube invitation here: We know that throughout history God has called His prophets, His people to the desert. I will entice her to Me, lead her to the desert, and speak to her heart. (Hosea 2:14) Join us in the desert! Please mark your calendars for the Fall of 2014!