| dc.description.abstract | The following research study collected and examined the current practices of Catechesis
of the Good Shepherd catechists in Level I (ages 3-6) Atria throughout Wisconsin. Catechesis of
the Good Shepherd (CGS), founded by Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi, is the religious
formation experience of children using the principles of the Montessori method. Around the
question of religious formation, we explored literature regarding the Moral Development,
Spirituality, and Religious Education of young children. Finding little on the religious formation
of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, while also considering the cultural practices and societal
norms of local communities, we created a 22-question survey for CGS Level I catechists
examining the qualities of the Atrium, catechist, prayer in the Atrium, and community support
specific to Wisconsin. Using an online platform and distribution, we gathered surveys from 67
catechists from all five Roman Catholic dioceses in Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Madison, Green
Bay, La Crosse, and Superior). Results focused on laying a foundation of baseline data of
current practices. Results revealed that the current implementation of CGS is consistent with
catechist training recommendations. Also, most dramatically, 100% of catechists regarded the
catechesis as somewhat (31%) or strongly (69%) impacting the faith of the young child.
Likewise, 89% of catechists also considered the experience strongly impacting their own faith.
The mutual benefit reported for both adult catechists and children suggests that the effect of CGS
in religious formation settings is compelling and worthy of investment and further study. | en_US |
