Come and See….

• Come to an atrium with other catechists and learn what CGS is.

OR have a Come and See workshop that will help you in the work you do in a traditional setting.  “Come and See” workshops can help catechists of children from preschool through grade six.   Previous workshops to enrich catechetical work in various settings have focused on Mystagogical Catechesis and the Gestures of the Eucharist; Reading Scripture with Children.  Contact betsy@cgsvoice-phila.org  or barbara@cgsvoice-phila.org  if you want to set something up.

Check out our Upcoming Events page to see what is coming up.

Seed-Planting…

• Is there a serious interest in your parish or group of Catholic home-schoolers for opening an atrium?  Gather pastor, DRE, deacon, parents, potential catechists, material-makers (older friends, teens or young adults) to find out what to do next.  Contact us (see below)

We Come to You…

• Would you like to invite an experienced catechist to your PreK or K classroom (school or P.R.E.P.)?
  We Come to You: listening to God together- a presentation and response time with the children and the teacher(s). Possibility for parents to observe, according to wisdom of teacher and administration. Contact Ann@cgsvoice-phila.org

Observe…

• Contact us (see below).
  
  

See the Upcoming Events section of this website for info. or check it out at the www.cgsusa.org website.

Are you being called to this work?  Do you hear a call to become a catechist?

• The formation course includes experiencing the presentations for children and writing them up within your formation community, reading and listening to background theology for the adult, practicing the presentations, some material making, prayer together (usually lectio divina and Mass together when possible), and observation of ‘live’ atrium and Montessori school sessions. Ideally, a catechist-in-training can apprentice as an assistant with a CGS catechist.
  

• Since the formation has the flavor of a ‘retreat’, it is not grueling. Some adults take this formation course and begin work in an atrium.  Others integrate the training into their personal formation as catechist or parent.

• To become a catechist in this method requires formation.  The certification from the National Association requires 90 hours of formation.  The usual process in the Philadelphia Area Catholic formation for catechists is to take about one Saturday a month over a year or so.  Other formats are possible, according to group needs and desires.

We invite you to bring this mission to the foot of the altar when you go to Mass. Ask the blessings of the Good Shepherd on this work, please…

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Wonder: what is the next step? Take it!

Ann (ann@cgsvoice-phila.org)

• Ann Post is a happy homeschooling wife and mother of four children who lives in Oreland Pa. She received her BA from St. Joseph's University, and is a PA certified secondary school teacher
• Ann  has been a trained Level I catechist for four years and has served as a CGS catechist at Regina Coeli Academy and currently at her homeschool coop. Next year she will be CGS catechist at her parish of St. Genevieve’s in Flourtown, PA.
• Ann was invited to share a presentation with the PreK children at St. Andrew the Apostle Parish. That seed- gift has been growing and growing! Contact Ann about the “We Come to You” offering (see above).

Barbara (barbara@cgsvoice-phila.org)

• Barbara is a mother of six adult children, a grandmother, and wife of one of our best wood craftsmen. She has her B.A. in Elementary Ed. from Penn State and a certificate in Lay Ministry from St. Charles Seminary. She and her husband Jack are members of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Secane.
• She is in the process of discernment for becoming a formation leader, having finished all three levels of formation courses. Barbara began her CGS work assisting Betsy in 2000 in the Living Bridges Homeschool Coop at Bridgeport. After completing the formation course for Level I she was the Living Bridges’ Level I catechist for six years before opening the atrium at St. Philomena Parish. In the atrium she established at St. Philomena Parish she offers several level I and Level II classes, mostly for homeschoolers.
• Barbara has been for 9 years the Sacrament Coordinator at St. Philomena’s Parish and has enriched the work of Sacrament preparation immensely with the background she has in CGS. Barbara has done informal formation work with the Missionaries of Charity in Chester, PA, and assisted Betsy in the formation course in Norristown last spring for the MC’s. Both she and Betsy were invited in 2008 to give workshops at the Archdiocesan Catechetical Forum.

Betsy (betsy@cgsvoice-phila.org)

• Betsy is a wife, a mother of 6, grandmother of 4, and currently is atrium catechist at Our Mother of Consolation School in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, for grades Pre-K through 1, offering weekly enrichment with CGS presentations to grade 2. Betsy has embraced the work of CGS since 1988 and is an experienced catechist for all 3 levels, ages 3-12, in various atria in Catholic parishes and home-school groups. 
• She has formed Mother-child playgroups, storyhours and summer camps; taught CCD, assisted in establishing Liturgy of the Word programs for children; given CGS based workshops for catechists and parents. She has planned and offered children’s retreats, particularly at St. Catherine’s Infirmary/ Miraculous Medal Shrine in Germantown with Father Paul Murphy, C.M.
• She has written articles for P.A.C.E., The Living Light (USCC), a chapter in the book Beginning the Journey, From Infant Baptism to First Eucharist (Dept. of Ed., USCC, 1994), an article in a CGS Journal, and this website.
• She has been formation leader for courses in the Philadelphia Area at St. Colman’s/Ardmore, St. Mary’s/ Phoenixville, St. Denis/Havertown, St. Genevieve’s/Flourtown, Missionaries of Charity/Norristown (for missionary sisters working in four countries); in New Jersey at St. Lawrence/Chester and Our Lady of the Assumption/Morristown (Level I and II courses); and for MC’s in the Russian Region of the Missionaries of Charity.
• BA in Rel./Rel.Ed. from Catholic University and Credential from the AMS/MACTE Montessori certification for directing a Primary Montessori Environment, and is a certified formation leader for Levels I and II. Betsy’s husband is a high school religion teacher with his BA from CUA, a Master’s in Theology from St. Charles Seminary, and M.Ed. from La Salle University. Back in 1988 he made all the wooden materials but has since then taught Betsy to use the saws. They met on the Staten Island Ferry on a field trip to see Dorothy Day with Monsignor Schmidt and the CSC. They and their family are members of Our Mother of Consolation Parish, Philadelphia.

Cathy (cathy@cgsvoice-phila.org)

• Cathy has been an atrium catechist in her home atrium and at Regina Coeli Academy, as well as in her parish at St. Luke’s, Glenside. She interned as an assistant CGS catechist at St. Genevieve’s PREP as well as at Regina Coeli Academy.
• She is a wife and has assisted her husband in his business; a mother who has both homeschooled and encouraged her daughter in private and public school experiences; and a caregiver for her mother-in-law.
• She is Level I certified for CGS and is the Pre-K teacher at Regina Coeli Academy in Wyndmoor and CGS catechist for Pre-K and K there.

Nancy (nancy@cgsvoice-phila.org)

• 25 years working with older people: 10 years as Nursing Home Administrator; 15 years with Quaker not-for-profit organization which develops and operates Continuing Care Retirement Communities.
• Stopped working to be home with children; Became concerned with children’s inattentiveness at Mass; Looked around for help…found CGS…enrolled youngest…fell in love with it
• Signed up for and completed Level I formation course at St. Colman’s…Assisted Betsy for a year at St. Colman’s in atrium (2004-2005)
• Met weekly for two years with children at Mercy Child Care providing CGS presentations and materials (2004-2006); meeting monthly with children at her parish of St. Margaret’s, Narberth, providing CGS presentations and materials (2006-7)
• Two years assistant in Montessori environment at Waldron Mercy Academy
• Assisted in development of atrium program at St. Denis in Havertown (Contact: ksacchetti@stdenishavertown.org) where she has been a CGS catechist for three years