Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

This Montessori-inspired approach to religious formation of children that is based on the conviction that God and the Child are in relationship. The methodology starts with the spiritual impulse of the child, and that the child’s innate religious impulse is an expression of love.  The child’s desire for love seeks God who is Love.

The prepared environment of the Atrium respects the child’s spirituality and interior life, his openness to God’s love and the seriousness of his contemplative nature. The space is primarily arranged for the practice of the religious life, rather than the dispensing of religious instruction; its works and furnishings are liturgically-focused, and it has a prayer table dedicated to quiet prayer, reflection, and meditation. 

The lessons in the Atrium come from Scripture; they are the parables that Jesus himself used to teach.  The teacher uses Scripture, showing great respect for the text, without embellishing or altering the story.  The teacher highlights the key elements of the text and lets the child savor the deeper meaning of the story and the way in which the parable calls the child into a loving relationship with God. 

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Providence Montessori Christian School | 1900 Chamberlayne Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23222 | 804-643-0434