At St. Pius V School, we are blessed to be able to offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd to all students in Pre-K through Grade 3. Students meet in small groups in the “Atrium,” a classroom environment in the Church Hall specifically prepared for children to cultivate their relationship with God. 

The students learn about God’s love for them through Jesus’s parable of the Good Shepherd. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, calls each one of His sheep by name, and the sheep recognize His voice and follow Him. 

Students engage with the mystery of the Eucharist by learning the names of the articles used on the altar and the important gestures of the Mass. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Montessori-inspired program, so students are encouraged to directly engage with a small model altar and articles used in the Mass. 

Students also learn about Our Lord’s early life through excerpts from the Scriptures and explanations that describe the setting and important figures. As they move through the mysteries of the Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, the visit of the Shepherds and Kings, and the Presentation in the Temple, students use materials from the Atrium to set the scene and move the figures to follow the narration set forth in the Bible reading. 

Our teachers readily see a difference in the reverence and demeanor of students who have been formed by Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.