Sofia Cavalletti Commemorative Journal


Book Description

This collection of essays reflects on the essential elements of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd through the eyes of Sofia Cavalletti.




The Religious Potential of the Child


Book Description

This book describes the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based style of catechesis that focuses on the child’s independent journey to God by working with materials in a specially prepared place called an atrium. Written by Sofia Cavaletti, the Italian scripture scholar who developed the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, this classic work demonstrates the profound spiritual capabilities of children as brought forth through their engagement in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This book is important for anyone desiring to learn about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd or the spiritual life of children ages 3-6. Sofia Cavaletti is an internationally known biblical scholar and was a member of the committee that prepared the Directory for Masses with Children. Together with her collaborator, Gianna Gobbi, a Montessori educator, she has traveled throughout the world forming catechists in this essentially oral method and helping to establish catechetical centers modeled on their Centro di Catechesi in Rome.




Commemorative Journal Gianna Gobbi, 1919-2002


Book Description

To honor and remember Gianna Gobbi on the Centenary of her birth, the staff of the United States Association of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has selected several of Gianna’s articles and articles written about her, which express the spiritual richness of this approach to the religious formation of children for the child and adult alike.




Commemorative Journal: The Gift of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd


Book Description

Since Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi founded the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) in Rome seventy years ago, they approached children’s catechesis with a focus on Scripture and liturgy, and solidly based their approach on the Montessori principles of education. CGS is a gift and legacy that Sofia and Gianna have bestowed on generations of adults and children around the world who have fallen in love with Jesus, the Good Shepherd. In recognition of seventy years of CGS and of forty years as a national association, CGSUSA has compiled the commemorative journal The Gift of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The heart of this journal comprises a collection of previously unpublished excerpts from Sofia’s personal correspondence with translator Patricia Coulter, covering various reflections on life and on the nature of the Good Shepherd Catechesis itself. Also included are Coulter’s observations of Gianna's work with children in Rome. CGS members and catechists will appreciate Sofia and Gianna’s long and deep experience of living the Catechesis joyfully and fruitfully with adults and children alike.




Look at the Light


Book Description

During times of suffering, loss, and grief, each of us needs companions who console and strengthen us. As Christians, we also need to understand our experience in light of our faith. At such times, Sofia Cavalletti offered her friend Patricia Coulter such guidance and encouragement. We will all benefit from reading the excerpts from her letter to Coulter, as well as meditating on the questions and carefully selected texts from Scripture and liturgy that Coulter provides. Many people are familiar with Sofia Cavalletti's writings on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. These books help to train catechists and give the theological and pedagogical warrants for that approach to the spiritual formation of children. In this book we have a rare glimpse into her personal life and her deep care for her friends, in this case, her student and friend Patricia Coulter.




The Good Shepherd and the Child


Book Description

Anyone familiar with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has probably encountered the early description of this approach to the religious formation of the child in The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey. With major contributions by Sofia Cavalletti, Gianna Gobbi, Silvana Montanaro, and Patricia Coulter, this book has long been a “core text’ for catechists and also for parents of children in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Now there is a new edition, which reflects the changes in the presentations and the materials that Sofia Cavalletti made in the years before her death in August 2011. The original contributions of the authors are retained in Part I. In Part II, long time catechist and one of the first US catechists to study with Sofia Cavalletti, Rebekah Rojcewicz, has carefully outlined the current methods and developments in the work. This includes a selection of the key parables and scripture texts that are presented to the children. She also offers a new Introduction in which she describes the process by which the original authors and founders of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd came to recognize the child’s potential for a relationship with God and learned what nurtures that experience. The original art work by Julie Coulter-English is retained in this new edition.




A Year with Sofia Cavalletti:


Book Description

A Year with Sofia Cavalletti: Daily Reflections on the Spiritual and Theological Influences of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd provides a short excerpt for each day from significant theologians and scholars who informed Cavalletti’s understanding of Scripture, liturgy, and the spiritual life, as well as a question for further meditation. A brief biography of the writer introduces each chapter.




Listening to God with Children


Book Description

This work is the product of several decades of practical experience with children -- blended with prayerful reflection on the way children hear God speak to them personally and with profound simplicity. So is this work guided by the Spirit. It is the fruit of entering gently and respectfully into the child's joyful encounter with the mystery of God's silent self-revelation made tangible through ancient biblical images, liturgical signs and celebrations. Book jacket.




Letter and Spirit


Book Description

The bestselling author of The Lamb’s Supper continues his thoughtful exploration of the complex relationship between the Bible and the Catholic liturgy in a revelatory work that will appeal to all readers. Scott Hahn has inspired millions of readers with his perceptive and unique view of Catholic theology and worship, becoming one of the most looked-to contemporary authorities in these areas. In Letter and Spirit, Hahn extends the message he began in The Lamb’s Supper, offering far-reaching and profound insights into what the Bible teaches us about living the spiritual life. For both Christians and Jews, the texts of the Bible are not simply records of historical events. They are intended, through public recitations in churches and synagogues, to bring listeners and readers into the sweeping story of redemption as it unfolds in the Bible. Focusing on the Catholic Mass, Hahn describes how God’s Word is meant to open our eyes to the life-giving power of the sacraments, and how the liturgy brings about the “actualization” of the saving truths of Scripture. Letter and Spirit is a stunningly original contribution to the field of biblical studies and will help Hahn’s many loyal and enthusiastic readers understand the relationship between the Bible and the Mass in a deeper way.




Following God's Pedagogy


Book Description

In the 2020 Directory for Catechesis, the Church calls for a renewal of catechesis that focuses on bringing people to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Solid formation is not only about teaching doctrine, but also, and more importantly, about forming disciples who have encountered and know Christ. In Following God’s Pedagogy, Sister Mary Michael Fox, OP, brings decades of experience in catechesis to offer a unique and proven model for children’s catechesis. She draws upon her deep catechetical experience and thorough research into the nature of the child, divine revelation, and catechetical methodology. She offers timely insight into how the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) offers an approach to children’s catechesis that forms the mind and heart of the child, leading them into a deeper relationship with Christ and a life of discipleship. Bishops, diocesan catechetical directors, and all catechists will discover a way of faith formation of children that is sure to renew and strengthen catechesis for years to come.