As we are nearing the month of September, the staffs and priests within our Family of Parishes pray that you have enjoyed a wonderful summer with your family! It is hard to believe that it is that time of year to plan for our children’s catechesis in the faith once again.
After much fruitful discussion amongst the leadership and priests of the family, we have come to what we believe is a wonderful and exciting decision regarding the faith formation of your children! We are implementing a Family of Parishes catechesis program, to be held at the Church of the Transfiguration each Sunday between the 8:30 and the 11:00 Mass. This wonderful program is called “The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd” and has been in place at Transfiguration for several years.
Because we feel this Montessori-based method is the best we can offer your children, and because the core catechists, materials and space for this method are all in place already at Transfiguration, we would like all the parishes of our family to take advantage of these sessions. You are encouraged to learn more about the Montessori method and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in what I have provided below.
From the CGSUSA website:
“We believe that God and the child have a unique relationship with one another, particularly before the age of six; that growth of this relationship should be assisted by the adult, but is directed by the Spirit of God; that children need their own place to foster the growth of that relationship; and that the child’s spiritual growth is best served through tangible but indirect means.
Our mission is to support catechists, parents, and others in the Church and beyond, as they grow in their understanding of the religious potential of children”.
What is the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a religious formation approach based on scripture and liturgy that uses the educational and pedagogical principles of Dr. Maria Montessori. The CGS roots are in the Roman Catholic tradition. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is framed to where children are encouraged to ask the questions and to discover the answers through work with specially crafted presentations and materials. The content corresponds to the liturgical seasons and the life of the Church.
Learning takes place in what is called the atrium, which is an environment prepared to nurture the already present spirituality of children. Dr. Montessori borrowed the term atrium from the early church, as it was the space where the catechumens were prepared for Baptism. The atrium contains a variety of hands-on materials that are developmentally appropriate for the age range of children that they serve.
The CGS catechist is the adult who has undergone a personal formational experience with preparation in the Biblical and liturgical themes that correspond with the developmental stages of the children. The adults who work with children are called, not recruited. They take on a servant leadership role, using facilitation instead of direct instruction techniques. In addition to their formation and training, the catechists are vetted with background and security checks.
What are the ages of the children served by the CGS?
Traditionally, children begin the CGS at or around age three. As with the Montessori model, each atrium serves a three-year age span of children up to age 12. Level I includes ages 3-6; Level II includes ages 6-9; and Level III includes ages 9-12.
When is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd offered?
CGS meets each Sunday during the program year at the Church of the Transfiguration, 9:30 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. Each session includes song, prayer, a presentation, and a work. Moreover, the atrium is a place of prayer; simply put, the children’s work is their prayer.
We will be hosting a CGS Open House for our parents and children at the Church of the Transfiguration on Sunday, September 17th after the 11:00 a.m. Mass. Please come to learn more about this beautiful method of catechesis! You’ll witness the catechists demonstrating a few of the presentations within the CGS atrium, they will answer any questions you may have, and you will also receive more information to bring home and review.
Please contact me at [email protected], or by phone at Our Lady of La Salette’s parish office at (248) 541-3762, ext. 13.
We look forward to beginning this wonderful journey with you and your children!
Our Family of Parishes is highlighting the Saturday mass - one of our parishes will be highlighted. All members of the Family are invited to come to that mass, where there will also be a tour, a sharing of the parish’s history and a social. Please consider attending. Join us at Church of the Transfiguration on Saturday, October 28 at 4:30pm
The Divine Providence Lithuanian Catholic Church Annual Rummage Sale
25335 West Nine Mile Road, Southfield, Michigan 48033
We happy to announce that the annual Rummage Sale of the Divine Providence Lithuanian Catholic Church is planned to be held on September 28th – 30th of this year. Proceeds from this year's Rummage Sale will go towards the maintenance and projects of Divine Providence Lithuanian Catholic Church.
Sep. 28th Thursday – open 10:00am – 5:00pm
Sep. 29th Friday - open 10:00am – 5:00pm
Sep. 30th Saturday - open 10:00am – 2:00pm (bag day)
We hope that the Rummage Sale of the Divine Providence Lithuanian Catholic Church will be successful this year, as in previous times. We look forward to everyone’s' enthusiasm and support of this sale.
SERVICE OPPORTUNITY
FRANCISCAN OUTREACH PROGRAM
CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
The Franciscan Outreach Program is a non-profit food distribution organization operating out of Transfiguration Church that services needy families throughout Southeast Michigan. It is open to the public on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00AM- 11:30AM. Those who receive the food, the (Guests), are screened by volunteers, and each guest receives about 110 pounds of food per visit. Carts and volunteers are available to assist guests with the food and loading their cars.
In 2022, the Outreach Program assisted an average of 460 families per month. In the first quarter of 2023 that number has grown to over 560 families per month. The food handling, both incoming and outgoing, is a complete manual operation, so volunteers are the key to the program’s success.
With this huge undertaking to give a helping hand to those in need, we are always looking for volunteers to help service our guests during the distribution days. If you have a morning that you could volunteer some time to help service our guests, I would love to meet with you. I can be reached by phone during business hours at 248-356-6350.
Please help support this Outreach Program by living your faith. In the end, it will not matter what you get, but what you gave.
John Grden,
FOP Director
Weekday Mass Schedule for Our Family of Parishes Sent On Mission
Transfiguration: Noon Monday through Friday
Divine Providence: 9am Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 12:30pm Friday - all weekday Masses are in Lithuanian (unless requested in English)
