Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Sage Ham in the atrium with Catechesis Director Alyson Perry At the heart of Saint Paul’s Cathedral is a space prepared for some of our Church’s youngest members so that they may celebrate the joy of falling in love with Jesus.  We call this special room an “atrium” and carefully prepare its environment according to the method developed by the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which is based on the work of Doctor Maria Montessori, Sofia Cavalletti, Gianna Gobbi and others.  Adults and children, ages three to six years old, gather in this beautiful space each Sunday to listen to our only Teacher: the holy Spirit. How can we be certain that the holy Spirit will speak to the children and adults gathered every Sunday?  We are certain because Jesus himself tells us that just as a good shepherd provides for his sheep, our God will take care of each one of us, calling us by name and speaking continuously to us in our hearts.  Each little child already has a relationship with God, who is already sharing with her the Good News of God’s Reign in a language that she can understand when she listens.  The adults, who prepare the environment and care for the children in their atrium, have the profound privilege of celebrating with each child Jesus’ words and life and the essentials of the sacraments and other liturgical celebrations.  We read from the Gospels (and sometimes from Psalms, Isaiah, and Acts).  Adult volunteers also craft developmentally appropriate materials to help the three-six year olds retell the lessons to themselves as they listen to God and learn from their real Teacher. The little ones in the atrium are just learning skills, which will lead to reading words, and, developmentally, are thinking in very concrete ways.  The Montessori-based materials in our atrium are lovely creations with the young child’s needs in mind.  We want everything from the prayer table to the globe to be a joy for each child to work with and a celebration of God’s love.  The little altar, beautifully set, the wooden Good Shepherd and Sheep, the tiny mustard seed, and the miniature baptismal font are all designed to lead each child into a deeper conversation with his God.  The adults do not pretend to know more than our Teacher does.  Our job is to proclaim Scripture, prepare the environment, demonstrate works, care for basic needs, and celebrate the Good News, which we often hear from the mouths of little ones as they listen to their Teacher.  Our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd community, located at the heart of Saint Paul’s Cathedral, welcomes your three-six-year-old child and your family into our joyful celebration.