Fund & Supply the Montpelier Atrium

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a philosophy of Spiritual Formation that was "born from the joy of the children in their encounter with God and lives in being nourished by this joy."

Since being introduced to Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at a local church, I have found myself on a surprising journey that has taken me further and further into this remarkable work. This journey has enlivened and deepened my own faith through observation of the children's work--listening to their prayers and contemplations of God has revealed to me the reality of Divine Love in fresh and profound ways.

CGS happens in a carefully prepared environment called an Atrium, where children are invited to interact with specific Biblical works and spiritual materials. The Atrium is a place of prayer, curated for the child with their developmental level in mind, employing pieces of the Montessori educational philosophy.

In the Atrium, children are ushered into God's presence for an experience that is unique to their individual personhood. "Catechesis of the Good Shepherd divests itself of any strictly scholastic character, so as to become an experience of life, an education in faith, and a celebration of the encounter with the Father, in listening to Jesus, the one Teacher, and in obedience to the Holy Spirit."

I have suddenly found myself being called to build a joint Level I & Level II Atrium in my home, to be open to the children across my local community. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a profoundly beautiful and intentional work that by nature requires the skills and resources of a whole community in building it for the children it will serve. The materials are meant to be precious and handcrafted: gifts of deep value that communicate to the children their intrinsic worth.

This is not, and never will be, a work that I can accomplish on my own. Here, at what we are calling the Montpelier Atrium, we are in need of a great many materials and/or funds in order to build works for the children. If you would like to donate material, I have a list I would love to share with you! You can contact me directly. This GoFundMe is a place to donate funds if that is a way you feel led to join this work.

Thank you for your contribution, on behalf of the Montpelier Atrium and the children whose lives will be enriched by their time in this space. You can follow our ongoing adventures in this work here!