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Course Objectives

To explore the religious nature and the most vital needs of the 6-9 year old child.

  • To present the history, methodology, and guiding principles of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd including its foundation on Montessori principles. To meditate on biblical and liturgical themes appropriate for the 6-9 year old child.

  • To broaden the participant's ability to observe and learn from the child, to listen with the child to Scripture, and to assist the child's prayer.

  • To offer guidelines and assistance in preparing the atrium environment, making the catechetical materials, and writing the catechist's album pages.

  • To offer method of sacramental preparation based on the Rome atrium.

  • To deepen the participant's own enjoyment of God's gifts.

LEVEL I I for Clergy

Course # 2-00781

July 28-Aug 1, 2025 
July 20-24, 2026
July 26-27, 2027
 9:00 am to 5:30 pm 
 

Sacred Heart Catholic Church
311 South 5th
Colwich, Kansas

Tuition

$700

Formation Leader

Dan Teller

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Dan Teller earned a Masters in Montessori Education from Xavier University in 1984 and has been involved in Montessori education almost continually ever since.  After teaching at a public Montessori school for 11 years, Dan served as a parochial school principal for three years before founding Queen of Angels Montessori School in 1998.  Dan served as a principal, teacher, and catechist at the school (now named Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori, serving children ages 3-14) until retiring in 2022.

 

Dan began his formation in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 1998.  He is trained as a catechist at Level I, II, and III in CGS and has worked at all three levels of atria for 24 years.  He began work as a formation leader around 15 years ago and has enjoyed training future CGS catechists at all three levels.  Dan had the opportunity to serve as an American representative on the CGS International Consiglio for 10 years in the early 2000’s.

 

Dan is married to Maureen and they reside in Cincinnati, Ohio.  They have seven children and two grandchildren.

Formation
Leader

Mandie began her journey with CGS in 2004. She and her husband, Matt, who is also a trained CGS catechist, have six children who have all attended atrium from at least three years of age (some earlier!), four of whom have now completed Level I formation. She received national recognition as a Formation Leader in Level I in 2015. She is trained in all three levels of CGS, as well as receiving certification in Seminal Infant Toddler Formation in March of 2018 and has used this experience to serve families in both parish and hybrid school settings. In 2020, she earned a Masters in Theology with a certificate in Systematic Theology from St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology. In 2024, she began a new adventure in Washington, D.C. pursuing further the question of the human person and spiritual formation in a PhD program at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family.

Mandie DeVries

Course Requirements

To receive a certificate as a nationally-recognized CGS catechist in the Level II atrium, participants will be expected to:

  • Attend at least 80% of the 96 hours

  • Read the required texts

  • Participate in writing catechist album pages.

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Required books (provided as part of your tuition; you will receive instructions upon registration): 

  • Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old - 2nd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti

  • History of the Kingdom of God, Part 1: From Creation to Parousia by Sofia Cavalletti

  • History of the Kingdom of God, Part 2: Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom of God by Sofia Cavalletti

  • Life in the Vine by Rebekah Rojcewicz

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