Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
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The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a ministry that seeks to serve children by providing a space of prayer. Here the children, in community with each other and the program adults, seek a closer relationship with God. We call our space “the atrium,” and it is not meant to be a classroom. Rather, it is a place of to prepare for participation in the Holy Mass. The mission of the catechists is to humbly serve by proclaiming and listening to the Word of God alongside the child. With the help of others, the catechists prepare materials that invite the children to explore and deepen their experience of the presentation at their own rhythm.
If you are interested in reading more about CGS, please visit the National CGS website. Here a link to an Introduction to the CGS on their website. We will also have a parent Information evening on Thursday, September 19. Information sessions begin at 4:30 and 5:30.
At St. William we have an atrium for children ages 3-6 which we call Level I.
We also have a combined atrium for children ages 6-12 which we call Level II/III.
It is important for parents to note that at St. William, CGS is not interchangeable with our parish Religious Education Program. Children in 1st grade this year must be enrolled in our parish RE program or in Catholic school this year in order to be eligible for First Holy Communion next year in 2nd grade. Please refer to St. William Elementary Faith Formation webpage for more information or call the St. William office for more information. Children can be registered for CGS in addition to either the parish RE program or Catholic school religion classes.
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Times
Currently, we are coordinating volunteers to have CGS atrium for all three levels on Wednesdays.
We hope to have enough volunteers to serve in the following two sessions:
Wednesdays 12:30-2:30 October 1, 2019 - April 29, 2020
Wednesdays 3:45/4:00 - 5:30 October 1, 2019 - April 29, 2020.
*Both sessions exclude Thanksgiving week, Christmas Break (2 weeks), Spring Break and Holy Week.
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Registration and Tuition
Only St. William parishioners are eligible to register their children for CGS at St. William. The yearly fees are:
- $60 for 1 child
- $95 for 2 children
- $125 for 3 children
- $145 for four or more children.
Please note that the fees collected do not cover all the costs associated with our ministry the remainder is subsidized through the generous tithing of our parishioners.
Priority registration will be given to families that are registered St. William parishioners prior to July 31, 2019. Official registration will be done in person (there is no online registration at this time). We will be setting up a time when St. William staff can do this for us. In the meantime, we will reserve for volunteer families first, then other parishioner families. Only parents/legal guardians can register their own children for CGS.Children must be able to go the bathroom unattended or a parent/guardian must be present at all times to assist their child in the bathroom as needed.
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Want to volunteer?
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a volunteer ministry. We begin making our call for volunteers around May but usually we don’t get all of our responses until the beginning of school. If you are interested in serving as a volunteer in CGS, please email us at cgs@st-william.org