Why are all the
“works” in our atria handmade by our catechists?
Gianna Gobbi, co-creator of the Catechesis of the Good
Shepherd method of faith formation, wrote that the materials (or “works”) in
the atrium are “...indications of the hidden reality of God. They are concrete
helps to know the language, times and places of the mystery of God. It is
important that, as much as possible, the catechist makes his or her own
catechetical materials. Making the materials by hand is an essential way of
entering more deeply into the theme we will present to the children. It
helps us to slow down and to pace ourselves more to the rhythm of the child, as
well as to be more attentive to the Holy Spirit. Furthermore,
material-making is an invaluable opportunity for us as adults to experience the
integration of hand, mind and heart.”
Not unlike our celebration of the sacraments, in which use
simple, everyday items such as bread, wine, oil, & water to help us ponder
the mystery of God in our ordinary living – so too the materials in the atrium
help the child to enter more deeply into the mystery and truth of God’s
presence. Like our liturgy (our Mass), the CGS method “recognizes that our relationship
with God is established through sensible objects, respecting a fundamental
human exigency.” People sometimes make fun of our Catholic “smells & bells”
but there is a deep wisdom to our “sensory dense” way of communicating divine
truths; so too in our atrium. Each atrium "work" becomes a conversation
with God. Sophia Cavalletti, the other co-creator with Gobbi of CGS, states it
this way: "All works in the atrium
are either a passage to prayer or prayer itself."
Sincere
gratitude to all our parishioners who contributed in the building
the works featured in Atrium II!
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