“Jesus said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’ Then He embraced them and blessed them, placing His hands on them.”     Mark 10:14,16

The faith formation program of The Cathedral of St Raphael, St. Patrick’s, and Holy Spirit is blessed to offer level one Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for children ages 3-6.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was founded by Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi in 1954 in Rome, Italy. The method is based on principles of Dr. Maria Montessori, sacred scripture, and church liturgy. In this experience, the catechist invites young children into the prepared environment of the Atrium, a sacred space in which the child can encounter God and enter into prayer.

To learn more about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, please visit the CGS USA website.

Our Faith Formation Program offers this experience for preschoolers and kindergarteners ages 3 to 6. Atrium Sessions will be held from September 19^th to May 7^th during the 2023-2024 school year on Tuesday evenings from 4:00 to 5:00 in the basement of the Cathedral.

Registration is currently open, to regiter please click here.

Our Atrium can accommodate ten children. Priority registration will be given to Cathedral, St. Patrick’s, and Holy Spirit Parish parishioners.

The cost to attend is $75 for parishioners with one child, and $125 for parishioners with two children. If you need financial assistance please fill out the financial aid application and consider supporting our program with your time and talents.

Rachael Bennett is our Parishes’ Catechist. Rachael has received her Catechesis of The Good Shepherd Level Once Certificate through the Archdiocese of Madison. For further questions, please email

Rachael Bennett  dbq054cgs1@dbqarch.org 

Register Here