Podcasts about united states association

“For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1    "Every useless help is an obstacle to the child's development." Maria Montessori    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Podcasts by Series  Level One Book Study  Level Two Book Study    Cecilia joins us on the podcast again to help us explore how to foster Independence in the 0-3 year-old. How we as the adult can help this growth in the child rather than be an obstacle.   Cecilia Drabbant holds an Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) diploma in Assistant to Infancy (0-3), as well as an AMI certificate in Montessori Core Principles. She also holds an Architecture Engineering degree from Universitas Katolik Parahyangan, Bandung, Indonesia, and completed her formation in evangelization from Emmanuel School of Mission in Rome, Italy. Her work includes serving both as a Toddler Directress and a Toddler Catechist for the weekly sessions at Renaissance Montessori School.  Since being introduced to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 2012, she has received CGS formation in Levels I, II, III, and Infant-Toddler, and has the opportunity to work with children at all levels. Additionally, she is recognized as a Level 1 Formation Leader.  A particularly meaningful moment in her ministry was when she and her team brought the first CGS Formation Course to Indonesia in its native language.   Currently, Cecilia serves as a Catechist and Atrium Program Director at Renaissance Montessori School in Nokesville, VA, also a Level II Catechist at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish Church in Colonial Beach, VA.      Episodes to help you further explore Freedom and Discipline:  Episode 30 – Freedom and Discipline with Claire Paglia  Episode 133 – Freedom and Responsibility with Sr Mary Teresita  Episode 134 – Freedom and Responsibility for the First Plane Child  Episode 135 – Freedom and Responsibility for the Second Plane Child  Episode 139 – What to Try When it Seems to be Failing? With Cathy Johanni  Episode 141 – Normalization with Claire Paglia and Sr Maria Teresita  Episode 142 – Adults as Potential Obstacles in Development with Pilar Bewley      Purchase the book Discovery of the Child to learn more.     The Prepared Environment: Making Materials  with Don Martin (The Catechist's Husband) and Lynda Catalano  Tuesday, August 26, 2025  7:00 - 8:30 pm EDT  Join Don Martin, CGSUSA Vendor, The Catechist's Husband, and Lynda Catalano, CGSUSA Formation Leader, who will share her wisdom and passion for making the materials by hand. Don and Lynda's sessions will be followed by time for questions. All those present will be registered for a drawing for an atrium material from the Catechist's Husband.    Mark your calendars for this SPECIAL EVENT.  Registration information will come in July.  This is a free Zoom Session    BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:  Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“For you are a people sacred to the Lord, your God, who has chosen you from al the nations on the face of the earth to be a people peculiarly his own.” Deuteronomy 14:2      Characteristic #31 “Every atrium avails itself of the help of a priest who is attentive to the children, particularly to their religious capacities, celebrates Eucharist and sacrament of reconciliation with them, and works in harmony with the spirit of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. “32 Points of Reflection of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Fr Joseph joins us on the podcast to share about how he became involved in CGS and how it has affected his view of children's spirituality and his vocation as a priest. He also shares a few tips on how to get your own priests and deacons involved in CGS.   Fr. Joseph Lustig is a priest of the Diocese of Boise, Idaho and a native of Cottonwood, Idaho. He has completed formation in and assisted with CGS levels one and two. He has been a parish priest for six years and currently is completing a Licentiate in Canon Law from Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada, where he also serves a local parish in its atrium. If you have any questions or want to reach out, you can contact him at fr.lustig@icloud.com.    Books You May Be Interested In:  Preaching With Children  The Religious Potential of the Child    Episodes from other Priests:    Episode 29 – CGS and Christian Unity with Bishop Talley  Episode 32 – A Priest in the Atrium   Episode 85 – CGS and Accompaniment with Fr Boniface Hicks  Episode 125 – A Priest in CGS with Fr Kevin Douglas  Episode 138 – CGS and Ignatius Spirituality with Fr Joseph Hicks      BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3-5    "Every useless help is an obstacle to the child's development." Maria Montessori    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Pilar joins us back on the podcast to explore way that adults unintentionally can become obstacles in a child's development, what this does to a child, and how we can avoid offering useless help.   Pilar Bewley is an AMI-certified guide for Primary and Elementary levels and a Positive Discipline facilitator. After spending over a decade teaching in Montessori classrooms, Pilar began homeschooling her children in 2019.  Her passion for making Montessori education accessible inspired her to create Mainly Montessori, where she mentors parents who choose to homeschool using Montessori principles. Connect with Pilar on Instagram at @mainly.montessori.homeschool or visit her website at www.mainlymontessori.com.    Episodes to help you further explore Freedom and Discipline:  Episode 30 – Freedom and Discipline with Claire Paglia  Episode 133 – Freedom and Responsibility with Sr Mary Teresita  Episode 134 – Freedom and Responsibility for the First Plane Child  Episode 135 – Freedom and Responsibility for the Second Plane Child  Episode 139 – What to Try When it Seems to be Failing? With Cathy Johanni  Episode 141 – Normalization with Claire Paglia and Sr Maria Teresita      Purchase the book Discovery of the Child to learn more.       BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“A tranquil mind gives life to the body” Proverbs 14:30a NAB    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Sister Maria Teresita and Claire Paglia join us back on the podcast to continue to explore tools to help us in the atrium and in our lives establish freedom and discipline.  We explore the Montessori concept of Normalization so that we can be further equip to have true freedom and responsibility with children.   Sister Maria Teresita is a Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia. She currently serves as an upper-elementary guide at St. Philip Learning Center, a Catholic Montessori homeschool enrichment program in Franklin, TN, a catechist for Levels 2 and 3 in a parish setting, and a formation leader for CGS Levels 1 and 2. Sister holds an AMI diploma at the Elementary level, a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Aquinas College, Nashville), and a M.A. in Montessori Education (Loyola University, Maryland). She has enjoyed nearly 20 years serving children as a classroom teacher in both conventional and Montessori settings and 14 years as a catechist of the Good Shepherd in all three atria levels. Sister began her Montessori journey as a child in a Montessori school where she developed a deep love for learning. She is a convert to the Catholic faith and delights in every opportunity to “listen to God with children.”    Claire Paglia is a child of the atrium. As an adult, she is an AMI-trained guide who has been in the primary environment for 12 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's degree in education with a concentration in Montessori from Loyola University, Maryland. She worked for a year as a course assistant for the primary training center. In 2012, she received her Level I formation and has been a catechist at her church in varying capacities since then. She enjoys spending time with her family and particularly enjoys preparing Montessori-friendly spaces at home for her three children.    Episodes to help you further explore Freedom and Discipline:  Episode 4 – Normalization with Gabriela Perez  Episode 30 – Freedom and Discipline with Claire Paglia  Episode 133 – Freedom and Responsibility with Sr Mary Teresita  Episode 134 – Freedom and Responsibility for the First Plane Child  Episode 135 – Freedom and Responsibility for the Second Plane Child        BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

Tuesday Topics will once more take to the digital radiosphere and a bunch of other places for our last program about recreation. We expect to have 4 folks with us who can talk about a range of outdoor activities open to people who are blind. Actually at least two of the "sports" are indoor activities. We have looked at phone games, Lady a games, games that are not electronic and stand alone games that are. Now it's time to look at other games and sports that don't fit into these categories. Do you know what goalball is? Did you know there is a special game of Darts made for people who are blind or have low vision? How much do you know about the United States Association of Blind Athletes? Did you know there is such a thing as "blind tennis". We will talk about all of these activities and may well also have some folks who can tell us about skiing opportunities and other sports that are open to people who are blind. I forgot about Beep Baseball which we will certainly discuss. As Summer approaches it will be good to look at some activities that will get us outside and that can get us some of the exercise we perhaps did not get during the Winter. Special Note: You are cordially invited to join the new Tuesday Topics Discussion list. Simply send an email to Tuesday-Topics+subscribe@groups.io and reply to the confirmation email you will receive to activate your subscription. Please join us! Find out more at https://acb-tuesday-topics.pinecast.co

"When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?' He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord you know that I love you.' He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.' ” John 21:15    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Mary Mirrione joins us on the podcast to ponder the scripture from John 21 with Peter and Jesus. We sit with this scripture in light of the Easter season we have just entered and the many gifts it has to offer us.  Mary Mirrione began working with CGS in 1992. She and a team of catechists and parents built atria at St Anne's in Gilbert, Arizona for their 1800 children. She has been a formation leader since 1997 serving as such at home and abroad. She also works with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity throughout the United States and around the world. Mary served on the Board for CGSUSA and is a graduate of the first cohort at Aquinas Institute of Theology to receive a Masters in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She is a faculty member of Kino Catechetical Institute in the Diocese of Phoenix. Since 2010, she serves as the National Director for the United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.    Growing Seeds     Become a Growing Seed Donor HERE      Items from the Store You May be Interested In:    Purchase the Religious Potential of the Child HERE    Nurturing the Whole Child      Podcast Episodes about Easter:    Episode 11 – Were Not Our Hearts Burning Within Us  Episode 61 – The Roots of the Easter Season and the Eucharist  Episode 84 – The Family in Easter         BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"I can do anything through Him that strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Cathy Johanni joins us back on the podcast to share her experience, wisdom and strategies about what you can try when you feel like you are failing.  Cathy Johanni lives in Columbus, Ohio where she has enjoyed accompanying children on their spiritual journeys for more than two decades. She is recognized as a formation leader in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at levels I, II, and III.  She has been involved in Montessori education for a decade, working with children ages 5-14.   A member of the editorial committee for the United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Annual Journal. Cathy has authored articles and contributed to The Roman Missal Third Edition and the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: Changes to Materials . She holds a Bachelor's degree in cultural anthropology from Princeton University, a Master's degree from The Ohio State University and Montessori Elementary certificates. Married for 31 years, she is the mother of five.    Growing Seeds     Become a Growing Seed Donor HERE    32 Characteristics of CGS otherwise called the 32 Points of Reflection    Items from the Store You May be Interested In:    Purchase the Religious Potential of the Child HERE    Nurturing the Whole Child      Podcast Episodes With Cathy:    Episode 54 – Human Needs and Tendencies  Episode 67 - Anthropological Catechesis  Episode 124 - The Work of the Second Plane Child    Podcast Episodes about Freedom and Responsibility    Episode 30 – Freedom and Discipline  Episode 133 – Freedom and Responsibility  Episode 134 – Freedom and Responsibility for the First Plane Child  Episode 135 – Freedom and Responsibility for the Second Plane Child        BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Fr Joseph shares with us about how he got involved in The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and a few of the parallels he sees between CGS and Ignatian Spirituality.  Fr. Joseph Hill, SJ was born in Phoenix, AZ, raised in a Catholic family with his three brothers. At nine years old his family moved to England, where he attended Catholic schools and then the University of Oxford, earning a BA in theology in 2003. In 2004 he entered the Jesuit seminary in south Louisiana. Taking religious vows after two years, he was sent to study philosophy at Fordham University in New York, graduating with an MA in 2009. He then spent three years teaching theology at Jesuit High School, New Orleans. In 2012 he was sent to study theology at FAJE in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, earning a MA in 2014. Then he returned to Boston, earning a MEd at Boston College in 2015. He was ordained a Catholic priest on June 13th, 2015. For one year he worked at Parroquia San Ignacio in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and served as chaplain of Academia San Ignacio parish elementary school. It was in Puerto Rico that he became familiar with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. With the help of two excellent catechists and the school leaders, they implemented CGS Level I in the school. In August 2016 he moved to St. Louis, where he taught and worked in campus ministry at St. Louis University High School. During this time Fr. Hill, SJ completed a Doctor of Education degree from Vanderbilt University. Since July, 2021 he has lived in Tampa, FL, working as a Province vocation promoter.    Growing Seeds     Become a Growing Seed Donor HERE    Growing Seed Donor Form.  Access will also be granted to all existing recurring donors as of January 15, 2025. The recordings will be available through June 30, 2026.  Be sure to click the checkbox: “Show my support by making this a monthly donation.”       In 2024, The United States Association of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd began celebrating 40 years of being an association of catechists who listen to God with children in the United States and around the world.     In honor of our 40 years of remaining with children, we are launching a new sustainable giving program at CGSUSA: Growing Seeds.     As part of Growing Seeds, your regular, automatic gift is simple and convenient, allowing you to spread your philanthropy over time.  It also provides CGSUSA with a more predictable source of income so we can focus on sustaining and supporting the religious life of children and those who serve them.     For a minimum gift amount of $15 per month ($180 per year), you will automatically be recognized as a CGSUSA Growing Seeds donor, giving you one year of access to the recordings from Between Memory and Hope: 40th Anniversary Celebration as our way of thanking you for your generosity. Please be sure you are logged in to your CGSUSA Membership account and complete the online giving form.     Access to the video recordings is available to Growing Seeds donors until June 2026, at which point we'll have a new gift for you. For less than $5 per week, you will be able to access all the video and audio recordings from the Between Memory and Hope plenary sessions and workshops, including the full recording of Fr. Joseph Hill's presentation, “CGS and Ignatian Spirituality,” as well as “The Metaphysical Child: To Live and Move and Have Their Being,” “Observations Serving Toddlers in the Atrium,” and “Memories of Sofia and Gianna with the Children.” These presentations would make wonderful topics for catechist retreat days, parent education sessions, and other continuing education for those who serve children.     Thank you for joining us in sustaining CGSUSA with a recurring gift.      Items from the Store You May be Interested In:    Purchase the Religious Potential of the Child HERE    Preaching with Children      Podcast Episodes With Priests:    Episode 29 – CGS and Christian Unity with Bishop Talley  Episode 32 – A Priest in the Atrium  Episode 125. A Priest in CGS with Fr Kevin Douglas    BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” John 12:24    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Jo joins us on the podcast to ponder Lent as gift which is a different way of looking at Lent for most of us.  Through the lens of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd she helps us look at Lent with new eyes.   Jo Thornley Cox has been in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd since 2001. She is certified in all three levels and is a formation leader recognized by the U.S. Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in Levels I and II. She is grateful to have worked on formation teams in Missouri, Kansas, North Dakota, Texas, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Ottawa, Canada. A graduate of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College near Terre Haute, Ind., she also earned a primary certificate from the American Montessori Society. Among other positions, she worked as a Montessori directress in a Catholic school in Duluth, Minn., and a parish director of traditional religious education in Kansas City, Mo., before discovering CGS. As a charter member of the SonFlower Region of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, she served on its board many years. She is co-director of CGS at St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish/School in Kansas City, offering CGS in all three levels. This is the sixth iteration of her atria and hopefully the last! Jo and her husband, Jody, have three children and a granddaughter.    CGS Lent Resources for Families  San Damiano Crucifix Parent Page    Items from the Store You May be Interested In:    To Dance with God  Paschal Candle Set      Podcast Episodes About Lent:  Episode 31- Even Now- a Lenten Reflection  Episode 58- Examination of Conscience   Episode 83- Merciful Parenting  Episode 83- The Family in Lent  Episode 110- Learning to Love  Episode 136- CGS Lent in the Home    BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

While participating at the National Federation of the Blind National convention this year with my colleague and friend, Sheldon Lewis who also is a former guest here on Unstoppable Mindset, we had the opportunity to meet Amy SP Wilson. Amy is the founder and leader of the Safety Positive Foundation. Amy began losing her eyesight at the age of ten years old due to a condition known as Stargardt's. this disease can best be described as macular Degeneration in juveniles. If you want to know more about Stargardt's just listen into my conversation with Amy. Amy has always been quite interested in personal safety. She also has been quite a physical person starting with wrestling with her cousins to later becoming the first female wrestler at the Missouri School for the Blind to later becoming part of the inaugural women's Judo team of the United States Association of Blind Athletes. Amy went on to college where she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. After a time and some life challenges Amy will tell us about she decided to go back to college to obtain a second Bachelor's degree in Social Work. She decided to get this second degree because she wanted to help persons with disabilities in the United States. In 2023 Amy founded Safety Positive Foundation to teach blind persons about self defense. Her approach is by no means all about being physical. She will talk with us about self awareness and self advocacy, two aspects she feels must be part of the psyche of everyone who wishes to take charge of their own life. About the Guest: ael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Well, hi everyone. I am your host, Mike hingson, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. And the reason it's worded that way people still ask me why I say that. The reason it's worded that way is that when we talk to diversity people, they'll talk about race, gender, sexual orientation and so on, and they never talk about disabilities. So unfortunately, the ship has mostly sailed when it comes to including disabilities in diversity, no matter what they say. So we won't let them do that with inclusion, which means it's inclusion diversity and the unexpected. And today we get to deal with a lot of all of that. The unexpected is anything that doesn't have anything to do with inclusion or diversity. But today, we do get to talk about inclusion a lot in some esoteric and maybe not so esoteric ways. Our guest today is Amy SP Wilson, and I just discovered, as Amy showed me, if you were to ask your smart speaker, like my Amazon Echo, who is Amy SP Wilson, it will tell you that she is the CEO of the positive safety positive foundation. We're going to talk more about that, so we'll get there anyway. Amy, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here. Wonderful.   Amy SP Wilson ** 02:45 Thank you for having me. It's an honor and a privilege, and   Michael Hingson ** 02:49 it's nice to know that the echo knows your name.   Amy SP Wilson ** 02:53 Yeah, I'm still kind of flabbergasted that that's a thing, but definitely gives you some street cred, I guess.   Michael Hingson ** 03:02 Yeah, it probably means that there, there aren't, well, there certainly aren't very many. Amy SP Wilson, so that works, yes, well, why don't we start the way I kind of really love to. Why don't you tell us, sort of about the early Amy growing up and some of that sort of stuff.   Amy SP Wilson ** 03:21 So in my younger years, I was born and raised in the state of Missouri, and have what I consider a biker family. We did a lot of traveling on motorcycles. I was riding my own dirt bike at the age of four, and so really tomboy at at heart, but loved, you know, wrestling and fighting with the cousins. And at the age of 10 is when I was diagnosed with star guards, and that put me on a different path, because at the age of 10, my dream was to be a motorcycle mechanic and join the Navy. And at the time, I did not have any expectations that a blind person could do either. So it really put me on a different trajectory of what I thought my life was going to going to be like, and I, of course, went on with school and and that sort of business, but I loved wrestling so much that I became the Missouri School for the blinds First Lady wrestler. And that led me into being part of the United States Association of Blind Athletes, where I was on the first women's judo team that they had, and so just got real passionate about personal safety and different ways. But due to my eye condition, I couldn't take hits to the head, and so there went my martial arts career this. I'll just say, or so I thought, and led me into going to college and get my my first bachelor's degree in psychology and and so on. But I I have people tell me that apparently I have been pioneering new things my whole life. And when I have to talk about myself and talk about I was the first to do this and first to do that, yeah, it's a very sobering reminder of those steps that I've make it in my life. Right?   Michael Hingson ** 05:35 Reading your bio, it says that because of star guard, you weren't at some at one point, able to continue kind of dealing with martial arts. What did star guard specifically have to do with that?   Amy SP Wilson ** 05:47 So it it affects my retina, and I noticed the more hits that I was taking to the head and, you know, being thrown I was having more cloudy spots in my vision, and when I stopped doing those things, it, it, you know, significantly reduced the amount of things I wasn't able to to see. And so that's, that's how that played into that well,   Michael Hingson ** 06:19 tell me a little bit about what star guards is. I'm not sure that everyone listening or watching will be familiar with   Amy SP Wilson ** 06:26 it, correct? Yes. So star guards is a juvenile form of macular degeneration. So you hear of, you know, your grandparents, or you know, maybe you're a person of experience, as I like to say, in your in your later years. And you know, hear about people getting macular degeneration. I essentially just got macular degeneration at the the age of 10. So little bit of a flip. And of course, again, being a first, I was the first person in my family to have any kind of blindness, low vision, and so it was. It really shook everything   Michael Hingson ** 07:06 is star guards, a genetic kind of situation.   Amy SP Wilson ** 07:12 So I learned that the only way that a person can get star guards is essentially by your parents getting together. It's not a medication defect, which is what they originally told my mother. So she carried a lot of guilt with that. And when I went to get seek a different doctor, he had me do some I guess genetic counseling is what they called it, because I had concerns of my son having it. And they were like, no, no, it doesn't work. And they explained it. I was like, well, that had been helpful in my younger   Michael Hingson ** 07:50 just sort of the right combination of things getting together that brings it on. Exactly. Yeah. Now, where do you live today? I live in the great Show Me State. Ah, so you're still in Missouri? Yes, I've   Amy SP Wilson ** 08:05 moved to a couple other states. I spent a year in Alaska, where my son was born. I lived in Indiana for a little bit. I pass on that, and fortunately, I was able to come back to to Missouri.   Michael Hingson ** 08:20 So we're in Missouri. Are you, uh, close   Amy SP Wilson ** 08:23 to Kansas City area? Okay, about about in that area, but I like to, I like it because I can take the train back and forth between Kansas City and St Louis. So, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 08:34 well, trains are very useful things to have around. I when I lived on the East Coast, would use the train a lot. And of course, going from New Jersey into New York, we had New Jersey Transit and other things that we had a lot of train stuff. But out here, where I live now, there is a train that stops here once, at 430 in the morning. If I want to go to San Francisco, I'm not going to do that on the train, I don't think, because you actually have to go to Los Angeles and then get another train to go to San Francisco, because the train that comes from Los Angeles stops here, and then, I guess, goes east. So, oh, well, one of these days, maybe there'll be more trains and more mass transit, and that'll be a good thing. Exactly.   Amy SP Wilson ** 09:19 I know in Europe, trains are used very heavily, and people that come over here are constantly surprised that we don't have more sufficient trains. And so hopefully, like you said, with time we'll we'll get some more transportation going. There's   Michael Hingson ** 09:36 a big argument and a brouhaha going on out here right now because Los Angeles wants to create a gondola system to go from downtown LA the train station to Dodger Stadium and stop along the way. And there are people who are saying, no, no. Because you're not going to get that many people on it, it's just not going to be worth the cost. So it'll be interesting to see how that all shakes out. I do agree that if you're going to do that, you have to have a lot of people using it, and you have to be able to transport a lot of people. So it will be interesting to see how that works out.   Amy SP Wilson ** 10:22 I can very much agree with that.   Michael Hingson ** 10:25 Oh, life goes on, right? That it does. So you went to, yeah, go ahead. I   Amy SP Wilson ** 10:32 said. We've heard the same debate here in Missouri about different, you know, options for trains. So, yeah, it's always an ongoing conversation.   Michael Hingson ** 10:39 When we first moved to New Jersey, we learned that with the Americans with Disabilities Act, they were finally catching up, if you will, to doing something. And the something where we lived in Westfield was to make the train station accessible and access to the train to be accessible. And what that meant was that they actually had to build a platform and ramps up to the platform so that a person in a chair, for example, like my wife, could transfer straight across and roll onto the train. Because before the platform was raised, the trains have these big, huge, high steps built into them. Each step is like 18 inches tall and you've got three steps to go into the train. Well, you're not going to really do that in a wheelchair. And there was major opposition from people in Westfield to putting in the ramps, putting in the platforms, because they said, well, but this is going to slow us down if we have to go up the ramps and can't just run to the train and jump on the train. Why don't you just have somebody at every station who will lift people in wheelchairs onto trains? Yeah, that's gonna really work, right?   Amy SP Wilson ** 11:50 Yeah, that's not, not feasible,   Michael Hingson ** 11:54 no. And it didn't, and the argument didn't hold, fortunately, and the the platforms were built and, and, and the reality is it didn't jeopardize anybody, other than maybe make them arrive 30 seconds earlier, rather than being so lazy. But, ah, the arguments that people have. But it'll be interesting to see how the train thing works out, because they do need to have more mass transit out   Amy SP Wilson ** 12:18 here. Absolutely, 100%   Michael Hingson ** 12:21 so you went off to college, and what did you do in college,   Amy SP Wilson ** 12:27 college stuff, but because I was unfamiliar with how to really maximize your college experience. I didn't really, you know, have a plan. Once I got done with college, all I knew was I needed to go to college. Go to college, yeah, and, you know, because that's, that's what's going to make your life better. Okay, I can, I can follow that plan. But what's the plan after, like, nobody, nobody had that. They just knew, you know, go to college. Oh, okay. And so I tried to get some, some different jobs, unsuccessfully. And then I ended up getting married and moving to Alaska, and so did some some different jobs up there. And through my experience of being married during that time, I also shared with people that I'm a domestic violence survivor, and it's one of the things that I really wish the disabled community was having more conversations about this, because there I know that I'm I'm not alone, and when I share it, I always have people come forward and Me too, me too. And I'm like, Yes, like, we, can we, you know, support one another. And fortunately, I was only in that marriage for for three years and and got out of it. Spent a couple more years in Indiana, but then when I moved back to Missouri, I learned about some blindness consumer organizations and and started getting involved with those. I also, at the same time, heard, heard about a self defense program for the blind. And I'm like, wait a minute, there's something you know that that works for us. So I jumped on it, became an instructor, became very involved in the that particular organization. And due to some some different circumstances, realized that that was not a healthy environment, and spent probably a year not doing that. But then had some people contact me to get another self defense program going, and I'm like, All right, let's do it. So yeah, that's a. Um, but I've, I've taken in that time of me teaching self defense, I also worked with my local dojo and would help with my son's classes. So I've definitely got the personal safety self defense experience down at this point, I feel like   Michael Hingson ** 15:24 so. So in other words, maybe if there were violent situation today, you could turn the tables and and be the one to beat up the other guy.   Amy SP Wilson ** 15:33 So that's you know, because I will share that, that that is you. That is a common thought.   Michael Hingson ** 15:43 I understand, yes,   Amy SP Wilson ** 15:46 however, in june 2019 I experienced sexual assault by somebody. And it's really what got me to tell people that personal safety you need to be proactive about it, especially in the disabled space. It is so very vital in that realm, yeah, but   Michael Hingson ** 16:11 yeah, there's only so much you can do. And you're right. It's, it's a matter of being, as you say, personally safe. And you know, it's, it is so important, and I think so many people, especially I think a lot of blind people I know about aren't as aware of their surroundings as they need to be, even just in in walking, even if it's not a a safety issue, that is where you're endangered from another person, but just being aware of your surroundings and being able to travel. I remember living in Boston and at the time, and I don't know if it's still the same or not today, but Boston or Massachusetts, had the highest accident rate per capita in the country, and this was back in the late 1970s into the early 1980s and I knew it, and it, it was just one of those factoids, if you will, that helped me stay really aware. So whenever I cross the street, I really made sure that the traffic was going the way I wanted to go, and I listened extremely carefully to what the traffic was doing around me, because any moment a car could come whizzing around a corner, nobody else would have seen it, and if I weren't listening for it, I might not have been able to judge appropriately whether it was safe to go or how fast I had to go to get across the street. So the reality is that we really do need to be situationally aware. And I think it's not just true for people who happen to be blind, but but it is especially true that we need to work on that and be aware of our surroundings   Amy SP Wilson ** 18:01 100% 100% that that is like, one of the first things we started offering right out the gate when it came to safety positive, is having discussions about personal safety topics, because it makes you more situationally aware. I know that. You know now that I have the mindset of being proactive about my personal safety, I am so keyed up on situational awareness that I sometimes freak out people, because I'm like, pay attention. Over there, pay attention. They're like, how? And I'm like, well, the more you learn about safety education, anything in the personal safety realm, it just helps you to become more situationally where, so you respond faster. You don't have to sit there and go, Well, what was that that I learned? No, no, that's not what we we want you to have. We want you to be, you know, kind of studying up on it so much that it becomes second nature for you?   Michael Hingson ** 19:00 Yeah, all too often we we learn something, and then we just have we, we sort of memorize the lesson. And we don't memorize what it is we really need to do. It isn't what, what did I learn? You need to get to the point where it's second nature, where it's just part of you, whether it's situational awareness or or a lot of things, even good musicians,   19:24 yes, you know,   Michael Hingson ** 19:26 do what they do because they've it's become second nature, yes.   Amy SP Wilson ** 19:30 And we, we talk about that, you know, it's, it's a journey you're not going to jump from, you know, being a beginner, you know, car guitar player, kind of like your manual musician, to being able to play on a, you know, stage with 5000 people overnight, it does not, you know, it is a process. And so, you know, giving, tell, you know, reminding people to give themselves grace. And it is a work in progress. So you know, you there's going to be deja mess. Up, but that's okay, you know, be do better tomorrow, on, on all those different situations. The   Michael Hingson ** 20:07 more you practice it, though, and the more you work on looking at lessons and looking at the things that you do and practice making them second nature, the easier it becomes. But it is a muscle the mind that you have to develop.   Amy SP Wilson ** 20:25 Yes, we, we basically tell people your, you know, your most important tool is your mind. So many people want that quick fix of having the pepper spray or, you know, this side of the other, and it's like, no, no, your mind is your most important, you know, tool in your arsenal, so take, take care of it. It's your, it's your biggest investment in life, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 20:48 and it's and it's the most important one, and it will do so much more for you. But the more you truly use it, the easier it becomes to use. But you've got to make that effort to make that happen, yes, so you got through college, you got, I think, what a degree in psychology, as I recall. And you said you went and worked on various jobs, and I gather nothing really struck a nerve.   Amy SP Wilson ** 21:15 No, you know, I, I actually went back to school and got a second bachelor's degree in social work because I knew I wanted to work with the disabled community, and so I of course, was advocating in my own classes for disability rights and driving my fellow students crazy. But I'm like, we're in social work, and we're not learning about disabilities. This is madness. You're going to be, you know, working with at least, you know, half the people have some sort of disability in some fashion, and we're not even having a conversation about it. So, but I guess I actually, before I got real involved with personal safety here, more recently, in the last couple years, I actually was a Mary Kay consultant for a while, and had had some fun with that. And it's a great, great company. They're they're real supportive. They call it kind of the pink bubble. But I learned a lot about marketing and sales through that. So I constantly am telling my team, I'm like, Yeah, that's a Mary Kay thing. That's America. But they've been around for so many years. There's obviously, like, I said, a method to their madness.   Michael Hingson ** 22:31 They kind of know what they're doing, yeah,   Amy SP Wilson ** 22:34 yeah, yeah. They've, they've got systems down. So yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 22:37 So when did you get your social work, bachelor's degree. When did you graduate with that 2016 Okay, so that was eight years ago, and then you you did other things and so on. But eventually, what, what caused you finally to form safety positive foundation.   Amy SP Wilson ** 22:58 I I essentially got madder than a hatter because we weren't offering choices. It was just this one self defense program, this one self defense program. And I'm like, Well, what about teaching people to advocate for themselves, or having discussions or this or that? Like and I kept getting shot down time and time again from from the leadership in those organizations, and I and I actually had a couple people who pulled me aside and really strongly encouraged me to start my own non for profit. And I was like, Excuse me. Like me be the leader. Uh, I don't, I don't. I don't know how I feel about this, um, but luckily they, you know, they convinced me. Had other people convinced me. And I just, it really is a big passion of mine to just make sure that the blind community has as many personal safety choices as everybody else does, because historically, we have not. So   Michael Hingson ** 24:05 you're saying some of the major consumer organizations kind of discouraged it at first. I   Amy SP Wilson ** 24:14 they were from elsewhere. Was from elsewhere. I wouldn't say some of them, you know, I'm not going to throw no shade on the major groups,   24:21 no, no, no.   Amy SP Wilson ** 24:22 But it was the companies that were teaching self defense got really only focused on just, you know, hands on self defense. And I'm like, and it was either, you know, release or break body parts. And I'm like, not everybody's comfortable breaking body parts like we need some choices. We need to teach people to advocate for themselves, to speak up. That is the like. The bigger thing that I have found is people not understanding the power of of their words and their language to, you know, get themselves out of situation. And it's usually a freeze response, and I know because I was personally guilty of that for many years. And so yeah, I'm I'm thrilled that I don't struggle with that nowhere near as much as I used to, but I can recognize that it is a huge need within our community.   Michael Hingson ** 25:20 So when did you actually form the foundation?   Amy SP Wilson ** 25:25 March 3, 2023 was when we officially launched safety positive foundation.   Michael Hingson ** 25:31 So it's fairly new. Yes, well, a year and about a year and a half old.   Amy SP Wilson ** 25:39 Yep, yep, we're still baby.   Michael Hingson ** 25:43 That's okay. Do you find that that men and women are interested in personal safety and so on, or is it just women or just men? Or what we   Amy SP Wilson ** 25:54 have both? I'd say at our events, it's half and half, I get more men volunteering to to work behind the scenes on stuff, because personal safety is primarily a male dominated profession, which makes me kind of a odd woman out. But you know, we are not for profits. I'll take the help wherever I can get.   Michael Hingson ** 26:17 Sure, well, even if you were for profit, it would make sense to do that. But yeah, I hear you, yes, yeah. So exactly, what does the safety positive foundation do?   Amy SP Wilson ** 26:32 So we offer, again, a variety of choices for personal safety. We have what we call our safety positive guide that gives our blind community, 24/7, access to training and resources. And so that's a resource all by itself, because we put in there motivational information resources, asking discussion questions. But then we also have chapters in our guide to where people can take our courses, where they can go from ProAct or from reactive to proactive on their personal safety. We also have in that guide links to what we call our weekly tea times, and that's probably one of our most popular services, and that's where we're having the space for discussions on personal safety. Each month we do a different topic, and we have also added verbal craft, which is a self advocacy and assertiveness communication training. And we've actually had that training from the very beginning, because, again, I knew, in my experience, that people really needed to learn that that advocating piece, like we're told to advocate, but never given a formula. And we finally have a formula with with verbal craft. So it makes me very excited. And then in just this year, when we started getting into our second year, we shifted away from focusing on the psychological safety to that physical safety aspect, and I became the first blind woman pepper spray instructor with saber so that was exciting. And then we created our own hands on self defense program that focuses on the fundamentals of self defense. We created this course because we knew people needed some pieces. So if they wanted to go take a, you know, martial arts class on a consistent basis, or if they wanted to go take that self defense class, they would have some language to talk with the instructors. And this is how you can assist me. And so, yeah, those, those are pretty much what we offer, but, and we're partnering with with other companies organizations to bring in more resources and training for our community. So like I said, it's only been a year and a half, but yeah, we're bringing it when it comes to the choices. Tell   Michael Hingson ** 29:13 me more about verbal craft, what, what that is all about, or how does that work? So   Amy SP Wilson ** 29:19 at the core, verbal craft was developed as a crisis de escalation communication training, and of course, for the purposes of the blind community, we realized that it also helps with teaching you self advocacy and assertiveness in your communication. So you know, say, somebody comes up and, you know, grabs your arm trying to assist you. Verbal craft has a, you know, we we work with you to develop to personalize your own formula. We also have a verbal craft club where people can come in and practice. This maybe a scenario and and get better at at their skills. I know for me when I first, because I did not even know a verbal craft again, I went to hearing about all the you know, need to advocate for yourself, and I'm like, How do I do that. But it was in November of 2022, that I I finally was able to take verbal craft. And since then, I have, I've discovered that I am even you know better at it. I don't, I don't freeze or fawn as much. And when people are trying to help me, or when people are trying to cross my my boundaries in those different ways.   Michael Hingson ** 30:48 I remember many times being in New York City or in other large cities, but New York especially, wanting to cross the street and go a particular way, waiting for the traffic flow to be going the way I wanted, and making sure that it's going the way I wanted, somebody will come up and grab me. Oh, let me. Let me help you. And of course, the problem is they don't even know for sure which way I want to go correct, which really makes life fun. And so they'll grab me and I go, No, hold on a minute. First of all, I'm really good. Do you know why I'm just standing here? No, you're, you're, obviously, you need help. No, let me explain Ricky, you know, but it is so unfortunate that people make these assumptions. And it happens all too often. It goes back to the basic view of of blindness that that people have, which is that we really don't know what we're doing and we can't really do it ourselves, that you need to have eyesight to do it, which is why earlier this year, at the National Federation of the Blind convention, I crafted the resolution that was adopted that says we need to stop using the term visually impaired and go to blind and low vision. And I mean, there are other terms, but the real issue is to get rid of the concept of impaired, which is what the professionals brought to the field many years ago, which was such a disservice.   Amy SP Wilson ** 32:18 Yeah, I can, I can agree, the word impaired is not the greatest term we want to be be using in that realm. And yeah, in in all my teaching of of self defense, the people coming up and grabbing is the number one frustration that that we deal with as a as a blind community, and it's the reason that people want to learn self defense, because they want to be able to figure out, how do I get myself out of this situation? And that's where you know verbal craft is that that first step of, if you can talk them down, that's that's the ideal situation. And then, of course, we're going to be bringing more choices of they don't want to do that. That's okay. We got some other skills. Yeah, yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 33:05 Well, and it's important to really learn to use all the skills that we have available, which is, of course, something that gets back to the whole issue of using your mind. And that's just something that all too often, well, if I were really abusive, I'd say that's something that every politician should learn to do, is use their mind, but they haven't learned that yet. So that's another story. But, oh, that was That was mean, but, but the reality is that that we need to learn to listen better than we do.   Amy SP Wilson ** 33:40 Well, I mean, the common thing is you have two ears and one mouth, because you're supposed to do twice as much listening, and that also plays a lot into the situational awareness is, you know, sometimes you have to just stop talking so you can pay attention to what, what is going on on around you, right? I know, like with my friends and my team. They know if I'm stopped talking, they need to start paying attention themselves, because I don't usually stop mid sentence. I'm like, wait a minute, what? You know, I start kind of perking my ears and, yeah, yeah, yeah. And we've got, we've created different code words and stuff like that to help, you know, everybody be on the same page, to support people in that, that journey too   Michael Hingson ** 34:21 cool. Well, it's important. So what are the basic core values, the the core things that go into safety, positive foundation and that kind of guide what you do.   Amy SP Wilson ** 34:33 So we have five core values. One is safety, of course, um, innovation, because we are, I've been told numerous times we are pioneering new paths with what we're we're bringing in, so that's and we're always looking for other other things that the community needs to bring in as well. We also have potential as one of them, because. Do believe in the potential of of people in general, and then we also have agency because we want we strongly believe in people having choices when it comes to their personal safety and authenticity. Is our last one, and this one, it it took a little bit to get everybody on board, because I am very authentic myself. And so they were like, we're not talking about you. And I'm like, I know that like but you know, people feel safer when they can be them, their authentic selves, and that's what we want to support, is you know you getting comfortable with you and knowing that you have those you know, choices, potential and and those things. So we, we strongly believe in our core values   Michael Hingson ** 35:55 and and having the ability, or learning to have the ability to analyze who you are, what you do, what you're doing, and when necessary, make changes or to reaffirm that what you do is a good thing, whatever it is.   Amy SP Wilson ** 36:11 Yes, yeah. So, you know, sometimes people need that permission to, you know, change their mind or be on the path that they're they're being on on our on our tea times. I am very well known for telling people, does anybody have questions, comments, concerns or emotional outburst? And because I want to give people that space to you know they need to just yell it out. Yell it out. We're here to support you. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 36:40 sometimes that's important and necessary to do absolutely. Why is the foundation called safety positive Foundation?   Amy SP Wilson ** 36:50 We created that name. And actually I created that name because I got tired of the fear mongering that was going on with the self defense organizations and programs that already existed in the blind community. In fact, I had been told one time that I needed to be more negative and in pitching, you know, and trying to scare people. And I'm like, I refuse. I will not do that. Our community is already scared enough. And No way am I, you know, going to hammer home all the the statistics and stuff like that, people, people already have fear. And so in that I played around with words, of course, I have SP in the middle of my my name. And so I was like, Well, you know, safety positive, like, we're all about safety. We want to be positive. And then one of my board members was like, well, we need to add, you know, foundation, because, you know, we're building a foundation here. And I'm like, there it is, safety, positive Foundation was born just based off of the collection of all that. There   Michael Hingson ** 38:14 you go. And and it works. How is it different from mother, self defense and similar kinds of organizations. Because I'm I'm sure that you feel that it is definitely different. Yes,   Amy SP Wilson ** 38:29 yes, we have created it different from the beginning. Because when we launched, we focused on psychological safety, it people would ask me, well, where's the hands on? I'm like, Nope, we're not, we're not doing it yet, because psychological safety needs to be that first step on your on your journey, especially if you have a lot of fear when it when it comes to personal safety. So that was the the mindset that we intentionally chose. The other thing that I would say that probably differentiates us is, of course, the choices and that as of right now, we don't have it to where you can sign up, pay a bunch of money and become an instructor in our program we're not interested in making making money off of that. We are interested in bringing people in as instructors at some point, and we've talked about doing that next year, but we want to be very mindful of how that approach works, because people have gotten trained in other programs, and then they go off and do their own thing, and we're like no, because we want to make sure that the curriculum you were teaching is safety, positive focus. We don't want people running off and trying to fear monger like they had been taught. Before. So that's that's our method to our madness.   Michael Hingson ** 40:05 Well, I may not know that the whole idea of fear is a subject that is near and dear to me, because recently, I published a new book called Live like a guide dog, true stories from a blind man and his dogs about being brave while becoming adversity and moving forward in faith. And the whole idea behind the book is to get people to understand that they can learn to control fear and that you don't need to have fear forced on you. And the reality is that all the negative aspects of fear that you've been talking about is what promotes fear. And I picked on politicians before, but that's what they do. They promote fear to a very large degree themselves, and promoting all this fear just makes people negative. They make it makes people be mistrustful. And the fact of the matter is that if we really learn to understand fear, which also is involved in developing the mind, as we've been talking about. But if we really focus on understanding fear, what we learn is that we can control fear, and that fear can be a very powerful tool to help us. So it isn't about not being afraid, it's about using that fear to focus and not let it, as I would say, blind or overwhelm you.   Amy SP Wilson ** 41:24 Yes, again, 100% agreeing with you on that, the more that you can. I'd say they're, they're, say, lean into the fear and make it your friend that you know that that helps so much. It's also part of that muscle memory of going, Okay, I don't need to be fearful in this situation. And we actually talk about that in our verbal craft training, how the brain, your brain state works when you know something happens to you, and how you can move through that   Michael Hingson ** 42:04 well, and that's exactly right. The issue is moving through it. I mean, just something happens. I mean, I was in the World Trade Center on September 11, and something happened. Right? So there's a lot to be afraid of, but if you prepare and learn to control your own mind, then that fear becomes a very powerful tool to help you focus and learning to listen to that inner voice is one of the most important things that we can ever do in our lives.   Amy SP Wilson ** 42:38 Yes, I I've actually used my personal safety training to help me to heal from some of my past traumas. And, you know, even to the point where practicing certain techniques that had been, you know, done on me to how do I get out of this? And that really, you know, at the, you know, the first few times, oh, yeah, anxiety was real high. And sure, the more you lean into it, the more you work through it, it can be helpful. The unfortunate part is, for some situations, like what you went through in 911 Ain't nobody preparing you for that   Michael Hingson ** 43:17 well, but not directly, but what you learn? But what what you learn? So like with me in September 11, I learned all about emergency evacuations. I learned all about where things were in the World Trade Center. And I learned just and I mentioned being in Boston and dealing with unexpected street crossings with cars coming, and all that you learn how to deal with surprise, yeah, and so it wasn't like there was anything magically brand new at the World Trade Center. So all of the skills, all of the life preparation for for me over the previous 51 years. Ooh, that gives away my age, but all that life preparation made it possible to learn to and actually control fear, so that I was able to use it in a constructive way, which is what the whole point is.   Amy SP Wilson ** 44:17 Yes, and that's why we, I think we've mentioned, like, the more you can learn, the more those things won't surprise you, and you're going to be ready to handle when life's throwing you curve balls,   Michael Hingson ** 44:30 right? And life tends to have a habit of doing that.   Amy SP Wilson ** 44:34 Yeah, universe has since humor that's pretty it does have a sense   Michael Hingson ** 44:39 of humor, but when it's throwing the curve balls, you can learn to hit those curve balls. So it's okay, yes, it's not a it's not a bad thing. How is the community reacting to safety, positive foundation and what you're doing and so on?   Amy SP Wilson ** 44:56 Overwhelming happiness in. Anytime I tell people we are here to offer choices, I've heard statements like, Finally, thank goodness. And I know from our trainings that that we offer it's been completely game changing for for people who went through our trainings, they they feel way more safe. We actually had one of our community people that flat out told me, if it was not for safety positive foundation, I would not have went to the National Federation of the Blind convention, because they just didn't feel like they were prepared. And I think it was a combination of learning things, and then, of course, us being there to help support them if something happened. But yeah, that was, I was floored when I heard that statement. I was like, do what that was. That was us. So we're bringing people out of their houses.   Michael Hingson ** 45:55 Well, things happen at conventions, and unfortunately, I don't know of any convention where things of one sort or another don't happen to one degree or another. So it is a matter of being prepared, but it's also a matter of monitoring yourself and knowing what you're going to allow yourself to get into and not get into to a degree as well. Yes,   Amy SP Wilson ** 46:17 absolutely. And like before we went, we had a safety briefing for our community to give them the rundown, and it was so overwhelming. I'm like, okay, apparently we're going to keep doing this because they they just they felt more prepared and safe for for those different things, and knew if something did happen, what policies procedures to follow, or who to who to be able to contact? Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 46:44 and the National Federation has become a little bit more aware, and yes, they have, has helped in that process, which is, which is also a good thing.   Amy SP Wilson ** 46:56 Yes, I would very much agree with that as well. But,   Michael Hingson ** 47:00 but people do need to really take responsibility for themselves and their own actions, and so doing what you do clearly helps, I would think so. So, what role do partnerships play in what you do, and how is that affecting everything?   Amy SP Wilson ** 47:20 So when we with our partners, we bring in different people for different reasons, but essentially, it's to make sure our community has more resources for their personal safety. For example, we have partnered with Ali slaughter, who teaches yoga that you know, yoga can be very beneficial in so many ways. We also have partnered with NaVi lens to start, start working with them, because they are a company that offers these special cute like their specialized QR codes, but it can help you to navigate different areas. But not only that, you can create your own it's not like you got to wait for the company to do it. So you can label things around your house, where it'll be able to you know which remote or which seasoning. And the part I really like is it does it in multiple different languages, so it's not just a one and done deal. And then we've also partnered. Our most recent partner is Penny forward, and they teach financial literacy for the blind. And I'm like, financial safety, it is a thing like we seems like a very natural partnership here. So, yeah, yeah, we're, again, we partner with with people that are interested and helping the blind community become more safe.   Michael Hingson ** 48:47 Do you just work with the blind community, or do sighted or any persons without traditional disabilities ever become involved and become students and so on?   Amy SP Wilson ** 48:58 So we actually, we've had some sighted people attend our trainings and and events, and we are working behind the scenes to develop some different trainings for sighted individuals so they can communicate and interact with the blind community in a safe fashion, or just the disabled community, but there's, there's so much information, you know, out there, I feel like a lot of sighted people kind of don't know where to go, how to how to do stuff, and so we wanted to build that bridge of communication between the sighted or the non disabled world and the disabled community. I'd also like to note that, you know blind people typically, blindness is not their only concern. You know, sometimes people have mental health struggles. You. People or other types of disabilities. So we do work with other disabilities as as a result, we're not we, because we're a not for profit and we're new. We got to sort of niche down to the blind community, but we are happy to serve the disabled community as well, because from what I'm learning all disabilities lack personal safety choices.   Michael Hingson ** 50:27 They do or think they do, or probably both, which is, which is, it amounts to the same thing. Yes, we met, certainly through the NFB convention. Then also, I know that Sheldon Lewis from accessibe has reached out to you guys and, and I don't know   Amy SP Wilson ** 50:45 that's you know, you made me forget about the I've my apologies to accessibe, but yes, they are also one of our newest partners, making, yeah, making our website accessible we're happy to share With our other friends and stuff like, yeah, I, I love Sheldon from from access to be. He's one of my new friends, whether he wants it or not, but yeah, it's, it's pleasure that we're, we're also working with access to be as well.   Michael Hingson ** 51:18 That's pretty cool. I haven't been to the site and looked at it yet. I should really go visit the website. But because I've been now with accessibe for, oh, three and a half years, it'll be four years in January. So having a lot of fun, and again, I like the philosophy that it deals with a variety of different kinds of disabilities. And you're right. The fact is that whether whether we bring it upon ourselves or it's real, and it's probably both, we end up not having a lot of choices that we should have. But I think that that's what we need to do, as you point out, is to learn to advocate for ourselves, to bring those choices back into our lives.   Amy SP Wilson ** 52:06 Yes, you know, when I was talking with Sheldon from accessibe about us partnering with them, I said, Absolutely, because not only will it ensure our website's accessible, but I'm happy to tell people about it, because when blind people cannot navigate a website, it, it plays a big role into their psychological safety. And I mean, I, I'm a Mental Health First Aid person, you know, certified person, and I my joke was I needed Mental Health First Aid training to go through the training like it stressed me out, because it was so inaccessible, and I had to have people continuously helping me. And I actually had to take the course twice because of the lack of accessibility that that first go around and had to have people help me and stuff. And I'm like, This is crazy, like, we definitely need to to promote that more. And I'm so glad that they're just, you know, willing to work with with non for profits that are serving the disabled space like that, that that is going to be game changing for so many people and help them to feel more psychologically safe in going to those websites, they're not going to get stressed out and figuring out, how do I navigate this? Nope. Accessibe has got you so,   Michael Hingson ** 53:31 you know, here's a question, and I've asked a number of people this, but I'm curious to hear your answer. You mentioned earlier that we're not really involved in a lot of the conversations, whether it be about self defense, whether it be about personal safety and so on. Why is it that that blind or in general, persons with disabilities aren't involved in the conversations?   Amy SP Wilson ** 53:55 That is a great question. And I think that for some topics, it goes back to fear of being vulnerable in sharing what, what you're afraid of, at least for for personal safety. For some topics, they're they're hot topics, we discuss weapons and safety positive foundation and tell people, if that's a choice you want, we're happy to have the conversation. But people think that talking about weapons means that people are going to start buying firearms and getting involved with it, or bad things can happen, and that's where I go back to the if we're having a conversation about it, you can ask your questions and not have that fear wrapped around those particular topics, but that would be my personal answer,   Michael Hingson ** 54:56 yeah, I think all too often, suddenly. Weapons are the easy answer, yes, but they're not, no, they're not at all. But that's what people think. And they think that's going to take care of all of their fears. And it just doesn't work that way,   Amy SP Wilson ** 55:11 because often and it's statistically backed up, you know, oftentimes, those things will get turned on you, especially if you're not doing ongoing practice, and that's part of that proactive philosophy we talk about in safety positive is if you're choosing to use any kind of tool or device, you better be practicing with it at least once a month, minimum. And depending on the tool we're recommending even stronger practicing. But you you know, you can't just buy a pepper spray, drop it in your purse and you're good. It's like, no, because what happens when they do come to grab you? You're going to be finagling and but yeah, and then   Michael Hingson ** 55:59 you aim it the wrong way because you're not used to it. Yep, exactly. And it's and it's so important that, well, again, it goes back to like what we talked about before, with the mind, which is the most important tool that we have. And if we don't develop that tool by constant, and I believe it has to be constant use and constant us teaching ourselves we're not going to improve with it.   Amy SP Wilson ** 56:28 Exactly you. I mean, we are blessed right now that we have as much technology at at our fingertips to be able to phone a friend or use that app to help us cross the street, whatever the case might be, but technology fails, and so you can't say that this is going to be my, my backup for for everything, or for one of the things that I've learned is you Can't take your pepper spray through, you know, TSA. And there's certain things that, no, no, no, TSA, don't like it. So if you get too used to one kind of tool, it gets taken well, then what do you do? You have to have your own, your own mind to go, okay, I can handle this without all the fancy gizmos and gadgets.   Michael Hingson ** 57:18 Yeah. And, and TSA does what it does generally, for pretty good reasons. Yes,   Amy SP Wilson ** 57:25 yes, yeah, I understand their method to the madness. Yeah, it's still frustrating. Oh,   Michael Hingson ** 57:30 I know it is. You come all prepared, and then they take it away from you when, yeah, yeah. So of course, the the answer to that is you've got to put it somewhere in a bag where it's not reachable while you're on the flight. But that's another story   Amy SP Wilson ** 57:48 conversation for another day. Not that I'm talking about a short list that they will things that will get through TSA, but   Michael Hingson ** 57:55 well, how? Let me ask this. Then I think a relevant question, what are the future goals for safety positive Foundation?   Amy SP Wilson ** 58:05 We want to be the safety institution for the mind community, and so that's why we're we're very interested in bringing on more choices for trainings and working with different partners. So you know, when people think of personal safety in the blind community, their first thought is safety positive Foundation,   Michael Hingson ** 58:35 and that's pretty important to be able to do for you what's been the most rewarding experience you've had with safety positive foundation,   Amy SP Wilson ** 58:46 I would have to say it's watching the community grow as individuals like I said, you know, the one person that said, you know, if It wasn't for safety positive, I and I've heard, you know, other people telling me that they they feel safer and just learning different stuff, and that that is the the paycheck for me when I know we're we're making a difference in in people's lives, sometimes it makes me want to cry. I get, you know, so overwhelmed, but I I essentially do not want people to go through what I've went through in my life. And so the more that we can reach people and offer those resources and trainings that again, that that's what's going to do it for me,   Michael Hingson ** 59:46 so especially for blind people. But in general, what would be the message that you would most like for the community to hear from you regarding safety and safety positive foundation? Yeah.   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:00:00 When it comes to, I guess, sharing with the sighted community, be aware I'm teaching them that no is a complete sentence, and they don't gotta give you their backstory of why they don't want to accept your help, and if somebody doesn't want to take your assistance. Don't take it personal. That you know, there's so many people who do take it personal. When you tell them, No, I've got this. It's not about you. It's about people having the dignity and respect for themselves to sometimes do things on their own, or talk to you about how maybe you can assist them in a in a in a different manner, but yeah, just just don't take it personal. And no, you're also probably going to mess up a time or two. You're not You're not always going to get it perfect, because I know me as a person in the community, I mess it up sometimes.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:01 You know, there's a lot of value in getting lost. And I, I worked in the World Trade Center a lot to get lost, because when you get lost, then you gotta figure out, how did you get lost, and how do you get out of being lost, and people helping isn't going to give you that learning experience of recovering, or, you know, using what we call whole structured discovery. The bottom line is, yeah, yeah, go ahead. I   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:01:30 say. I love the structured discovery. My whole organization, my board, yeah, when, when they like. I've got a couple of sighted board members, and they were new to the blind community, but knew it needed, you know, they were the ones who convinced me to start this. But once they learned about structured discovery, they were like, This is awesome, like, because I tell them, you know, don't help people, let them figure it out. And they watch, and they learned real fast that, okay, yeah, there is a method to the madness here.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:04 Yeah, it's, it's important to be able to deal with, deal with, with variety of things. And you're going to be best if you teach yourself how to recover from being lost very quickly. What is structured discovery?   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:02:24 So my understanding, because I've not been given the quote, unquote definition, is where you you have an environment to where you are, um, walking through it yourself and and discovering your your environment on your own with your your white cane, your your guide dog, but you're essentially like, yeah, discovering the the environment on your own accord. Michael, you might have a different answer, but that's that's my, my understanding well,   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:00 and the other part of it is you're walking along, you expect to be going somewhere, and suddenly you discover you're not where you thought you were, or you walk on grass and you didn't expect to be there. Structured discovery also teaches you how what you do is you step back, mentally and then physically. But you step back, you go back and retrace what you did to figure out where it is that you deviated from the path that you were expecting to be on. And it works very well.   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:03:33 I've used it and all the traveling I do, yes, I've gotten lost and had to backtrack. And how did we do this? Where did we go wrong? And believe me, I'll never forget those routes.   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:48 Tell me how. So how do people get involved in the safety positive foundation? If they would like to.   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:03:57 So there's a couple different options. You can go to our website, at safety positive fdn.org, you can also we have a YouTube channel with lots of videos on on different information, and we have our Facebook page, the Facebook page and our website has links where you can come In and be part of our safety positive guide community, or you can also email us, phone call, just don't say send smoke signals. We're not going   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:31 to get those. Yeah, don't raise your hand. Don't raise your hand. That doesn't work. No,   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:04:35 no, no. It's lost on us.   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:39 Yeah, it is on all of us, which is what's okay, it's always something to be learned. Well, I want to thank you for taking the time to be here with us for more than the last hour. It's been fun, and I hope that that people have learned something from it. We'll definitely get to see you next. At the NFB convention, I assume, and that'll be kind of fun too.   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:05:02 Yes, we're going to be there with bells on. There you   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:05 go. Well, we'll, we'll be there. Yeah, and, and I'll, I'll bring my dog over, and either he'll teach self defense or he'll learn self defense. I'm not, there we go. He'll probably be looking for ear scratches and nothing else. So it's okay. We all,   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:05:24 we all need a little love from time to time. Yeah, yeah, and he's   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:27 good at that. Well, well, thank you again for being here. This has been absolutely enjoyable, and if you've enjoyed listening to us, please let us know you can email me at Michael H I M, I C, H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I, B, e.com, you can also go to our podcast page, where there's a contact form, and that's w, w, w, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, that's m, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, S o, n.com/podcast. We'd love to hear from you, and wherever you're listening or monitoring our podcast today, I hope that you'll give us a five star review. We really value your reviews. We appreciate it if you know of anyone and Amy you as well. If you know of anyone who you think might be a good guest for the podcast, we'd like to hear from you. We'd like you to provide an introduction. We're always looking for people who want to come on and tell their stories and help all of us see why we're all more unstoppable than we think we are. So I want to thank you all for for that as well. And Amy, once again, really appreciate you being here today. This has been a lot of fun. I   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:06:38 appreciate it, and I will end with my two cents of keep it safe, keep it positive and keep it safe and positive.   **Michael Hingson ** 1:06:50 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week. Amy SP Wilson, the trailblazer behind the Safety Positive Foundation, is revolutionizing personal safety for the blind and visually impaired community. Her journey began in March of 2023, but her path has been shaped by a diverse range of experiences. Some have been uplifting, while others have been challenging, but each one has served as a valuable lesson that propelled her towards the creation of the Safety Positive Foundation. Amy's commitment to personal safety has been a lifelong pursuit. From playfully wrestling with her cousins during her early years to becoming the first female wrestler at the Missouri School for the Blind in 1996, her passion for wrestling led her to the United States Association of Blind Athletes nationals in 1997, where she discovered Judo. In 1998, Amy proudly represented her country in the World Championships for the Blind in Judo, as a member of the inaugural women's Judo team of the USABA, all before graduating from high school. Unfortunately, Amy's eye condition, Stargardt's, prevented her from continuing her martial arts journey. Diagnosed at the age of 10 in 1992, she faced initial struggles. However, connecting with others who were also blind or visually impaired raised her expectations and inspired her to persevere. As life progressed, Amy earned her first bachelor's degree in psychology, only to become a survivor of domestic violence shortly thereafter. This was not her first experience as a survivor, and it is one of the primary reasons why she advocates for self-empowerment. Amy is deeply passionate about addressing the alarming rates of mental and emotional abuse within relationships involving individuals with disabilities. Amy's pursuit of knowledge led her to earn a second bachelor's degree in social work, providing her with valuable insights into developing systems within the Safety Positive Foundation. She consistently puts her education into practice, utilizing her expertise to make a difference. For the past decade, Amy has been involved in instructing and developing self-defense programs specifically designed for the blind and visually impaired. However, she found that these programs and organizations often had limited expectations for the BVI community, which did not align with her mission. Amy firmly believes that low expectations act as barriers, and she advocates for the BVI community to have unlimited choices when it comes to personal safety. Amy has dedicated her life to making this mission a reality for her community. She actively engages with the BVI community in various capacities, striving to enhance their lives as much as possible. Through the establishment of the Safety Positive Foundation, Amy shares her skills and empowers her community to embrace a safety-positive lifestyle. Ways to connect with Amy: Amy's digital business card link https://linqapp.com/ Book a meeting with me https://bit.ly/3LOviXT Website www.safetypositivefdn.org Facebook https://bit.ly/4fvKMO4 YouTube https://bit.ly/4d5FQy2 TikTok https://bit.ly/3LO9Ja1 LinkedIn https://bit.ly/4fvRbsE Instagram https://bit.ly/4duJq4B Contact info amyspwilson@safetypositivefdn.org 660-441-1907 About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes:

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” John 12:24    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Mary Heinrich joins us on the podcast to discuss how we live into the Lent season in the atrium and how that can be extended into the spiritual life of the domestic church in the home.  Mary Heinrich is the Membership Coordinator for The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Prior to joining the staff, Mary served on the CGSUSA Board of Trustees for seven years. Mary has also served as a Director of Faith Formation in the Catholic Church for twenty-nine years, as well as a consultant and editor for religious education publishers.  She earned a bachelor's degree in religious studies from Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and a master's degree in Pastoral Studies in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. Her husband, Kurt is a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Des Moines and teaches theology at the local Catholic high school, is a Level One catechist, and enjoys making materials for the atrium.  Their daughter, Clare, is the elementary faith formation coordinator at her Church, working in the Level One and Level Two atria. When not immersed in CGS, Mary enjoys reading, art and spending time with her family.    CGS Lent Resources for Families  San Damiano Crucifix Parent Page    Items from the Store You May be Interested In:    To Dance with God  Paschal Candle Set    Podcast Episodes with Mary Heinrich:   Episode 31- Even Now- a Lenten Reflection   Episode 103- Friendship of Catechists  Episode 128- CGS Advent in the Home    Podcast Episodes About Lent:  Episode 83- The Family in Lent    BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. II Timothy 1:7    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Today we continue season 5 of the podcast with our series on Freedom and Responsibility.  Pilar and Anna help us dive into what freedom and responsibility look like for the second plane child, the 6 to 12 year old and how our work specifically in CGS can aid a child's development in freedom and responsibility.   Pilar Bewley is an AMI-certified guide for Primary and Elementary levels and a Positive Discipline facilitator. After spending over a decade teaching in Montessori classrooms, Pilar began homeschooling her children in 2019.  Her passion for making Montessori education accessible inspired her to create Mainly Montessori, where she mentors parents who choose to homeschool using Montessori principles. Connect with Pilar on Instagram at @mainly.montessori.homeschool or visit her website at www.mainlymontessori.com.    Anna Hurdle is a catechist and formation leader at levels I, II and III. She is a retired elementary Montessori guide and coordinator of CGS at her parish in Charlotte, NC. Anna serves the National Association through the Episcopal Committee and the Formation Advisory Council.      Books you may be interested in:    Nurturing the Whole Child by Gianna Gobbi    Positive Discipline in the Montessori Classroom  The Discovery of the Child    Carolyn Kohlhaas's blog The Wanderings of Sheep in the Atrium:  Freedom and Limits Series:  Freedom within Limits  "Can" and "May"  Belonging  Staying on the Path  The Collective Interest  A Place of Work  Additional Limits  True Freedom    Podcast Episodes you might be interested in:  Episode 30 – Freedom and Discipline with Claire Paglia  Episode 41 – The Elementary Aged Child with Anna Hurdle  Episode 49 – Four Planes of Development with Claire Paglia  Episode 115 – CGS in the Episcopal Church with Anna Hurdle and Donna Turner  Episode 122- Welcoming the Level 2 and 3 Child with Lynne Worthington and Anna Hurdle  Episode 123- Welcoming the Level 2 and 3 Child PART TWO with Lynne Worthinton and Anna Hurdle  Episode 124- The Work of the Second Plane Child with Cathy Johanni and Anna Hurdle    BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Today we continue season 5 of the podcast with our series on Freedom and Responsibility.  Cecilia and Claire help us dive into what freedom and responsibility look like for the first plane child, the 0-6 year old.   Cecilia Drabbant holds an Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) diploma in Assistant to Infancy (0-3), as well as an AMI certificate in Montessori Core Principles. She also holds an Architecture Engineering degree from Universitas Katolik Parahyangan, Bandung, Indonesia, and completed her formation in evangelization from Emmanuel School of Mission in Rome, Italy. Her work includes serving both as a Toddler Directress and a Toddler Catechist for the weekly sessions at Renaissance Montessori School.  Since being introduced to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 2012, she has received CGS formation in Levels I, II, III, and Infant-Toddler, and has the opportunity to work with children at all levels. Additionally, she is recognized as a Level 1 Formation Leader.  A particularly meaningful moment in her ministry was when she and her team brought the first CGS Formation Course to Indonesia in its native language.  Currently, Cecilia serves as a Catechist and Atrium Program Director at Renaissance Montessori School in Nokesville, VA, also a Level II Catechist at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish Church in Colonial Beach, VA.      Claire Paglia is a child of the atrium. As an adult, she is an AMI-trained guide who has been in the primary environment for 12 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's degree in education with a concentration in Montessori from Loyola University, Maryland. She worked for a year as a course assistant for the primary training center. In 2012, she received her Level I formation and has been a catechist at her church in varying capacities since then. She enjoys spending time with her family and particularly enjoys preparing Montessori-friendly spaces at home for her three children.      Books you may be interested in:    Nurturing the Whole Child by Gianna Gobbi    Positive Discipline in the Montessori Classroom  The Discovery of the Child    Carolyn Kohlhaas's blog The Wanderings of Sheep in the Atrium:  Freedom and Limits Series:  Freedom within Limits  "Can" and "May"  Belonging  Staying on the Path  The Collective Interest  A Place of Work  Additional Limits  True Freedom    Podcast Episodes you might be interested in:  Episode 30 – Freedom and Discipline with Claire Paglia  Episode 49 – Four Planes of Development with Claire Paglia    BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Today we begin SEASON FIVE of the podcast!  We are excited to kick off season five with a series on Freedom and Responsibility with Sister Maria Terestia Rodkey talking to us about what this means and how we as adults can live into it better with the children among us.  Sister Maria Teresita is a Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia. She currently serves as an upper-elementary guide at St. Philip Learning Center, a Catholic Montessori homeschool enrichment program in Franklin, TN, a catechist for Levels 2 and 3 in a parish setting, and a formation leader for CGS Levels 1 and 2. Sister holds an AMI diploma at the Elementary level, a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Aquinas College, Nashville), and a M.A. in Montessori Education (Loyola University, Maryland). She has enjoyed nearly 20 years serving children as a classroom teacher in both conventional and Montessori settings and 14 years as a catechist of the Good Shepherd in all three atria levels. Sister began her Montessori journey as a child in a Montessori school where she developed a deep love for learning. She is a convert to the Catholic faith and delights in every opportunity to “listen to God with children.”      Books you may be interested in:    Nurturing the Whole Child by Gianna Gobbi    Positive Discipline in the Montessori Classroom  The Discovery of the Child    Podcast Episodes you might be interested in:  Episode 30 – Freedom and Discipline with Claire Paglia  Episode 49 – Four Planes of Development with Claire Paglia    BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth,  for the LORD speaks:  Sons have I raised and reared,  but they have rebelled against me.  An ox knows its owner,  and an ass,* its master's manger;  But Israel does not know,  my people has not understood.” Isaiah 1:2-3      Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE    "The events of Christ's infancy appear rather difficult due to the misuse that is generally made of them by often telling them (with many diminutives!) as if they were beautiful fables. The fact is that the infancy narratives, especially in Luke, are a type of “theological tapestry” - if it is possible to call them so- whereby the evangelist stresses the grandeur of the mystery he is announcing through a variety of techniques.” The Religious Potential of the Child, pg. 76    Marty O'Bryan joins us on the podcast to ponder how deep the scriptures during this season of Christmas are and the beautiful theological tapestry that weaves them all together throughout the whole Bible are.      Marty O'Bryan began her formation in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd with Sofia Cavalletti in 1983 and has been a catechists since 1985. She conducts adult formations at Levels I, II and III throughout the United States. A retired speech and language pathologist, Marty holds a Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd from Aquinas Institute of Theology. Currently, she works with children in Level I, II, and III atria in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.    Scripture Verses to Read in Advent and Christmas Seasons:  Annunciation- Luke 1:26-38  Visitation- Luke 1:39-56  Birth of Jesus and Adoration of the Shepherds- Luke 2:1-20  Presentation of Jesus in the Temple- Luke 2: 21-33, 36-39  Adoration of the Magi- Matthew 2:1-12  Flight into Egypt- Matthew 2:13-23     Little Gospel Booklets- Infancy Narratives      Books you may be interested in:    The Religious Potential of the Child  Ways to Nurture the Relationship with God  History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: From Creation to Parousia    Books from Fr Raymond Brown:  The Birth of the Messiah  A Coming Christ in Advent  An Adult Christ as Christmas    Episodes with Marty-  Episode 15- Chapter One of Joyful Journey   Episode 95- CGS Characteristics #21 and 25 with Lynne Worthington and Marty O'Bryan  Episode 100 – Art as Prayer Response  Episode 114- Characteristic #27       Podcast Episodes about Advent and Christmas:  Episode 27- Mystery of the Incarnation with Karen Maxwell  Episode 79- Chapter 6 of The Religious Potential of the Child  Episode 104- Annunciation and the Incarnation with Sofia Cavalletti   Episode 128 CGS Advent in the Home with Mary Heinrich  Episode 129- The Family in Advent with Gertrud Muller Nelson      BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"A voice of one crying out in the desert; Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Luke 3:4    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE    Advent for Families  Episode 104- Incarnation and Annunciation  History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: From Creation to Parousia    Mindy and Claudia help us live into the seasons of Advent and Christmas by exploring what Sofia Cavalletti taught us about Sacred History, most especially Incarnation.     Mindy Longwell has been a catechist, director and formation leader for over 25 years. Mindy has worked in many different settings, including giving formation in the holy land. If asked what her favorite part of being involved in CGS is she would tell you, it is being able to hear the sweet voice of the good shepherd through the child.    Claudia Margarita Schmitt lived in many different countries throughout her life. She has discovered over time that her roots are first in her Roman Catholic faith and also in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  Everywhere she goes she recognizes the same language being used to discover the mystery of God. As an international formation leader for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She constantly has this experience of finding her roots.  She has been a catechist for 33 years and a formation leader for 32.  She lived for 8 years in Rome studying and working with Gianna Gobbi and Sofia Cavalletti. She describes this time as precious and that they taught her many things but first to be humble.    Read the Article Learning to Love HERE       CGS Advent Resources for Families  Little Gospel Booklets- Infancy Narratives  Advent Fling Wide the Doors Calendar  Advent Candles  Advent Wreath Set  Expectant Mary Statue    Books you may be interested in:    History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: From Creation to Parousia    Episodes with Claudia-  Episode 112- Pedagogy of the Child and God- Fr Mongillo with Claudia Margarita Schmitt  Episode 78- A Glimpse of Gianna Gobbi with Claudia Margarita Schmitt  Episode 58 – Examination of Conscience with Claudia Margarita Schmitt  Episode 18 – Chapter 4: Sources of Nourishment with Claudia Margarita Schmitt        Podcast Episodes about Advent and Christmas:  Episode 27- Mystery of the Incarnation with Karen Maxwell  Episode 104- Annunciation and the Incarnation with Sofia Cavalletti   Episode 128 CGS Advent in the Home with Mary Heinrich  Episode 129- The Gamily in Advent with Gertrud Muller Nelson      BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"A voice of one crying out in the desert; Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Luke 3:4    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE    Advent for Families    Mindy and Claudia help us live into the seasons of Advent and Christmas by exploring what Sofia Cavalletti taught us about Sacred History, most especially Incarnation.     Mindy Longwell has been a catechist, director and formation leader for over 25 years. Mindy has worked in many different settings, including giving formation in the holy land. If asked what her favorite part of being involved in CGS is she would tell you, it is being able to hear the sweet voice of the good shepherd through the child.    Claudia Margarita Schmitt lived in many different countries throughout her life. She has discovered over time that her roots are first in her Roman Catholic faith and also in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  Everywhere she goes she recognizes the same language being used to discover the mystery of God. As an international formation leader for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She constantly has this experience of finding her roots.  She has been a catechist for 33 years and a formation leader for 32.  She lived for 8 years in Rome studying and working with Gianna Gobbi and Sofia Cavalletti. She describes this time as precious and that they taught her many things but first to be humble.    Read the Article Learning to Love HERE     BOOKS TO READ-    To Dance With God by Gertrud Mueller Nelson      CGS Advent Resources for Families  Little Gospel Booklets- Infancy Narratives  Advent Fling Wide the Doors Calendar  Advent Candles  Advent Wreath Set  Expectant Mary Statue    Books you may be interested in:    History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: From Creation to Parousia    Episodes with Claudia-  Episode 112- Pedagogy of the Child and God- Fr Mongillo with Claudia Margarita Schmitt  Episode 78- A Glimpse of Gianna Gobbi with Claudia Margarita Schmitt  Episode 58 – Examination of Conscience with Claudia Margarita Schmitt  Episode 18 – Chapter 4: Sources of Nourishment with Claudia Margarita Schmitt        Podcast Episodes about Advent and Christmas:  Episode 27- Mystery of the Incarnation with Karen Maxwell  Episode 104- Annunciation and the Incarnation with Sofia Cavalletti   Episode 128 CGS Advent in the Home with Mary Heinrich  Episode 129- The Gamily in Advent with Gertrud Muller Nelson      BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"A voice of one crying out in the desert; Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Luke 3:4    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE    Virtual Songbook: Songs of the Atrium HERE    Gertrud Mueller Nelson joins us on the podcast to lift up many possibilities for families on how to live into the season of Advent in your homes, your domestic churches.  Many of her ideas can be found in her book To Dance with God.      Born in Germany in a German family and raised in Minnesota, Gertrud is an artist and writer whose work springs up here and there in clip art and essays. She also designs silver jewelry, makes stained glass windows, paper and wood sculptures and teaches, giving workshops and lectures internationally. The Jungian understanding and interpretation of Fairy Tales is another of her passions and a subject of one of her books: Here All Dwell Free.    She helped build up the first Montessori school in the US and saw the beginnings of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd coming to us in 1959. She is Montessori trained and studied at the Jung Institute in Zurich, and is known for her multiple books, especially “To Dance with God.” She cares passionately about the importance of living the liturgical cycle of the year with its richness of ceremony and ritual which bonds families in the mysteries of our faith and builds community in parish life.      BOOKS TO READ-    To Dance With God by Gertrud Mueller Nelson      CGS Advent Resources for Families  Little Gospel Booklets- Infancy Narratives  Advent Fling Wide the Doors Calendar  Advent Candles  Advent Wreath Set  Expectant Mary Statue    Books you may be interested in:    To Dance with God    Podcast Episodes with Gertrud:  Episode 83- The Family in Lent  Episode 84- The Family in Easter      Other Podcast Episodes You Might Be Interested In:  Episode 27- Mystery of the Incarnation with Karen Maxwell  Episode 104- Annunciation and the Incarnation with Sofia Cavalletti   Episode 128 CGS Advent in the Home with Mary Heinrich      BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"A voice of one crying out in the desert; Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Luke 3:4    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE    Virtual Songbook: Songs of the Atrium HERE    Mary Heinrich joins us on the podcast to discuss how we live into the Advent season in the atrium and how that can be extended into the spiritual life of the domestic church in the home.     Mary is the Membership Coordinator for The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Prior to joining the staff, Mary served on the CGSUSA Board of Trustees for seven years. Mary has also served as a Director of Faith Formation in the Catholic Church for twenty-nine years, as well as a consultant and editor for religious education publishers.  She earned a bachelor's degree in religious studies from Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and a master's degree in Pastoral Studies in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. Her husband, Kurt is a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Des Moines and teaches theology at the local Catholic high school, is a Level One catechist, and enjoys making materials for the atrium.  Their daughter, Clare, is the elementary faith formation coordinator at her Church, working in the Level One and Level Two atria. When not immersed in CGS, Mary enjoys reading, art and spending time with her family.    CGS Advent Resources for Families  Little Gospel Booklets- Infancy Narratives  Advent Fling Wide the Doors Calendar  Advent Candles  Advent Wreath Set  Expectant Mary Statue    Books you may be interested in:  To Dance with God    Podcast Episodes with Mary Heinrich:  Episode 31- Even Now- a Lenten Reflection  Episode 103- Friendship of Catechists      Other Podcast Episodes You Might Be Interested In:  Episode 27- Mystery of the Incarnation with Karen Maxwell  Episode 104- Annunciation and the Incarnation with Sofia Cavalletti       BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:  Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves" Romans 12:10    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE    Virtual Songbook: Songs of the Atrium HERE    Ann Garrido tells us all about her book Redeeming Administration and how it shows us how administration tasks, that is a part of all ministry work, can have spiritual virtues that help shape us into the person God is calling us to be.     Ann Garrido has been a catechist of the Good Shepherd since 1996.  She currently serves as a Level One catechist at her parish while she also serves as a formation leader for the US Association at all three levels.  Ann is an Associate Professor at Aquinas Institute of Theology, a graduate school of theology and ministry in the Dominican tradition.  She is the author of multiple works, including her newest book Redeeming Power about the healthy and holy exercise of leadership.  Ann Garrido's website HERE    Books by Ann Garrido    ANN'S NEW BOOK – REDEEMING POWER    Redeeming Administration  Redeeming Conflict  A Year with Sofia Cavalletti by Ann Garrido   Preaching with Children     Podcast Episodes with Ann Garrido  Episode 19 – Typology with Ann Garrido  Episode 53 – The Birth and Infancy of Jesus with Ann Garrido  Episode 59 – Preaching with Children with Ann Garrido  Episode 68 – The CGS Heritage – Eugenio Zolli with Ann Garrido  Episode 111. About Justice, A Meditation by Fr Mongillo with Ann Garrido      Other Podcast Episodes You Might Be Interested In:  Episode 102- Theological Reflection with Autumn Domingue    Episode 37 – CGS and Spiritual Direction with Autumn Domingue  Episode 85 – CGS and Accompaniment with Fr Boniface Hicks    BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER!  Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:  Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.  Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.  Assistant Formation - prayer service, agenda, talking points, and handouts.  Seed Planting Workshop - prayer service, agenda, and talking points.  Family Events: downloadable, 1/2 day events for Advent, Christmas/Epiphany, and Lent.  Catechist Prayers and prayer services  and so much more!  Click Here to create your Organizational Membership!      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves" Romans 12:10    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE    Virtual Songbook: Songs of the Atrium HERE    Jennifer Bell dives into the work of the Thinking Environment that has been thought provoking for our work in CGS with adults and even in some cases with children.     Jennifer Bell is an International Formation Leader and has been a Catechist of the Good Shepherd for 27 years. She continually works with children 2-12 years old in Atria in schools, homes, and parishes.  She is a Formation Leader in Levels 1 and 2 and was on the original Seminal Infant Toddler Formation Team. She has been active in developing this work since 2015.  This CGS way of being with children in their relationship with God has informed Jennifer's work as a Spiritual Director, transforming lives in individual and group settings.  Jennifer has added Nancy Klein's work and will soon be a certified Time to Think Group Facilitator and Coach.  https://www.timetothink.com/thinking-environment/  Igniting one's own independent thinking so private dreams can be seen and realized.   You will find more information and ways to work with Jennifer at www.spiritdirection.com.   There are special offerings for our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd friends – parents, catechists, priests, all of you.”    Information about the Basic Needs of Baby Course!    Other Podcast Episodes You Might Be Interested In:  Episode 36- The True Vine with Tim Bell  Episode 92- Who was Adele Costa Gnocchi with Karin Slabaugh  Episode 99- Oxytocin With Ruth Ehrhardt and Mary Mirrione  Episode 37 – CGS and Spiritual Direction with Autumn Domingue  Episode 85 – CGS and Accompaniment with Fr Boniface Hicks    AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“For you are a people sacred to the Lord, your God, who has chosen you from al the nations on the face of the earth to be a people peculiarly his own.” Deuteronomy 14:2     Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    CGSUSA Parent Pages HERE    Virtual Songbook: Songs of the Atrium HERE  Fr Kevin Douglas is a diocesan priest in Scotland who is formed in The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. He shares with us his experience with the work and how it has affected priesthood.   Blessed to be from a Catholic family, Fr Kevin Douglas grew up in the south of England, went to school with the Christian Brothers, went to University in Scotland, applied to Seminary for the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, studied at the Scots College Rome, ordained 2007 and served in various parishes after that. He is presently a parish priest of St. Theresa's, East Calder, St. Philip's Livingston, St. Andrew's, Livingston and chaplain to 3 primary schools (St. Andrew's, St. Ninian's, St. Paul's) and a high School. (St. Margaret's).        AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“Blessed are you, Lord God of all Creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life”     Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Today we have Anna Hurdle and Cathy Johanni on the podcast to continue this exploration of the second plane child as we begin this new atrium year as we prepare our hearts, our environments, our communities to welcome these children into our level two and level three atrium. They dive into the Montessori concept of work as a formation of self. We ponder how this applies to our work in the atrium, how do we facilitate that type of work in our atrium,   Cathy Johanni lives in Columbus, Ohio where she has enjoyed accompanying children on their spiritual journeys for more than two decades. She is recognized as a formation leader in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at levels I, II, and III.  She has been involved in Montessori education for a decade, working with children ages 5-14.   A member of the editorial committee for the United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Annual Journal. Cathy has authored articles and contributed to The Roman Missal Third Edition and the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: Changes to Materials . She holds a Bachelor's degree in cultural anthropology from Princeton University, a Master's degree from The Ohio State University and Montessori Elementary certificates. Married for 31 years, she is the mother of five.  Anna Hurdle is a catechist and formation leader at levels I, II and III. She is a retired elementary Montessori guide and coordinator of CGS at her parish in Charlotte, NC. Anna serves the National Association through the Episcopal Committee and the Formation Advisory Council.  Nurturing the Whole Child by Gianna Gobbi. Chapter 14 is the article The Relationship between the Child's Work and Cosmic Work    Other Podcast Episodes You Might Be Interested In:  Episode 41 – The Elementary Aged Child with Anna Hurdle  Episode 49 – Four Planes of Development  Episode 54 – Human Needs and Tendencies with Cathy Johanni  Episode 67 – Anthropological Catechesis with Cathy Johanni  Episode 98 – Welcoming the Child  Episode 115 – CGS in the Episcopal Church with Anna Hurdle and Donna Turner  Episode 122 – Welcoming the Level 2 and 3 Child with Lynne Worthington and Anna Hurdle    Episode 123 – Welcoming the Level 2 and 3 Child PART TWO with Lynne Worthington and Anna Hurdle      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

" But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect " 1 Peter 3:15     Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Anna Hurdle and Lynne Worthington come back on the podcast to continue helping us prepare to welcome the level two and three child to the beginning of the atrium year.  They discuss those first few atrium sessions. Last year, we started the atrium year with an episode on Welcoming the Child based on the chapter in Gianna's book Nurturing the Whole Child.  That was episode 98 if you want to go back and listen to it to prepare for your level one children this year.    Anna Hurdle is a catechist and formation leader at levels I, II and III. She is a retired elementary Montessori guide and coordinator of CGS at her parish in Charlotte, NC. Anna serves the National Association through the Episcopal Committee and the Formation Advisory Council.  Lynne Worthington worked for 30 years as a catechist for children and adults at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Durham, NC. She also served as the coordinator for CGS in Immaculata School and for the parish. Since 1991 she has taken part in National Formation courses for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, earning certificates as a catechist for all three levels, ages 3-12 years old. She has participated in numerous formation leadership workshops and is recognized as a formation leader by the National Association of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She holds an MA degree in Pastoral Studies from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO.   Lynne now lives in Ball Ground, GA and volunteers in Atria in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. She and her husband, Bill, have three grown children and two grandchildren.    Other Podcast Episodes You Might Be Interested In:  Episode 17- Practical Suggestions with Lynne Worthington  Episode 41 – The Elementary Aged Child with Anna Hurdle  Episode 49 – Four Planes of Development  Episode 70 – Art of Observation with Lynne Worthington  Episode 95- Characteristic #21 and 25 with Lynne Worthington and Marty O'Bryan  Episode 98 – Welcoming the Child  Episode 115 – CGS in the Episcopal Church with Anna Hurdle and Donna Turner      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"Children are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with foes at the gate." Psalm 127: 3-5    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Last year, we started the atrium year with an episode on Welcoming the Child based on the chapter in Gianna's book Nurturing the Whole Child.  That was episode 98 if you want to go back and listen to it to prepare for your level one children this year.  This year we have invited Anna Hurdle and Lynne Worthington on the podcast to help us prepare and welcome the second plane child in level two and three. With this episode we are beginning a three part series on this topic of the second plane child, who are they, welcoming them at the beginning of the atrium year, and how they work.    Anna Hurdle is a catechist and formation leader at levels I, II and III. She is a retired elementary Montessori guide and coordinator of CGS at her parish in Charlotte, NC. Anna serves the National Association through the Episcopal Committee and the Formation Advisory Council.  Lynne Worthington worked for 30 years as a catechist for children and adults at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Durham, NC. She also served as the coordinator for CGS in Immaculata School and for the parish. Since 1991 she has taken part in National Formation courses for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, earning certificates as a catechist for all three levels, ages 3-12 years old. She has participated in numerous formation leadership workshops and is recognized as a formation leader by the National Association of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She holds an MA degree in Pastoral Studies from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO.   Lynne now lives in Ball Ground, GA and volunteers in Atria in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. She and her husband, Bill, have three grown children and two grandchildren.    Other Podcast Episodes You Might Be Interested In:  Episode 17- Practical Suggestions with Lynne Worthington  Episode 41 – The Elementary Aged Child with Anna Hurdle  Episode 49 – Four Planes of Development  Episode 70 – Art of Observation with Lynne Worthington  Episode 95- Characteristic #21 and 25 with Lynne Worthington and Marty O'Bryan  Episode 98 – Welcoming the Child  Episode 115 – CGS in the Episcopal Church with Anna Hurdle and Donna Turner      AUDIOBOOK:  Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:    Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”  — John 6:35    Celebrate 40 Years of CGSUSA Registration for the 40th Celebration closes on August 1st, 2024!    FAQs about the 40th    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Watch a video about the CGSUSA at the NEC HERE!     At the National Eucharistic Congress, in Indianapolis, Indiana, the members and staff of CGSUSA came together to serve the children and families that came to the NEC by providing a space of prayer and encounter with God. Mary and Sue, who participated in this event, share with us about this unique event and how they saw God work through the presence of CGSUSA.  Sue Stuhlsatz-Reese began her formation in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 1996 and has been formed in Levels I, II, III and Infant-Toddler. Her ongoing formation in CGS includes the Cavalletti Heritage Course at Aquinas Institute and being formed by children in the atrium. She currently works with toddlers, Level I and Level II in the atrium. Working with children in the atrium has expanded to include serving as a Level I formation leader and as Board Chair for CGSUSA. Her very favorite people include her husband, three children, and four grandchildren. Sue's family also includes two rescued dogs.  Mary Mirrione began working with CGS in 1992. She and a team of catechists and parents built atria at St Anne's in Gilbert, Arizona for their 1800 children. She has been a formation leader since 1997 serving as such at home and abroad. She also works with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity throughout the United States and around the world. Mary served on the Board for CGSUSA and is a graduate of the first cohort at Aquinas Institute of Theology to receive a Masters in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She is a faculty member of Kino Catechetical Institute in the Diocese of Phoenix. Since 2010, she serves as the National Director for the United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.      Help us prepare for the 40th Celebration:  We invite you to assist with our celebration:     Please tell us where the atrium you serve is, the names of your catechists, and the first names of the children you serve in the atrium, so we may include all their names on our prayer table when we gather next August. We ask that you email this information to Susan Stuhlsatz‑Reese at susansr@cgsusa.org   We are counting on you! We are also happy to share with you that our new and improved atrium locator is now up and running! As part of our “soft launch” to make sure all is working well we are inviting you to take a first look and add your atrium if it is not there yet: Find CGS Near Me – Atrium Locator. Please consider also listing your atrium in the atrium locator. Video for easy instructions HERE  We know many catechists have gone before us to share in the heavenly banquet. We want to remember each of them. If you know a catechist who has died, please send us their name, a small bio or obituary, the gifts they shared with our CGS community and if possible, a photo. Please share with Mary Heinrich at maryheinrich@cgsusa.org.   We have opportunities for sponsors to contribute to our event fund. Please let us know of any individuals, groups, businesses, or organizations you know who may be willing to contribute. We will have some wonderful opportunities for our sponsors, more information will be coming soon.      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.”  — Psalm 111:1-3    Celebrate 40 Years of CGSUSA Registration for the 40th Celebration closes on August 1st, 2024!    FAQs about the 40th    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    CORRECTION- In our conversation we referred to LTP under the wrong name. LTP's correct name is Liturgical Training Publications.    CGSUSA is a wealth of knowledge and resources to support our work with the children. One of those resources is the annual journal that is given to all members and can be purchased through the CGSUSA store.  Carol and Betsy join us on the podcast to share with us the history of the CGSUSA annual journal.  Carol Dittberner's experiences with children and adults span over 40 years. In 1974, she completed the Level I Montessori Training Course in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Just one year later, in July, 1975, Sofia Cavalletti made her first trip to the United States. In St. Paul, MN, Carol was a participant in this first course on the religious formation of the child. She completed the Assistants to Infancy Course at Opera Montessori Nationale in Rome, Italy, and has a M.A. from St. Mary's University in Minneapolis, MN. Her work as a catechist has been with Toddlers, Levels I, II, and III. As a Formation Leader, she conducted courses around the U.S., and international trips to New Zealand and Australia. Mission trips for the Missionaries of Charity include Uganda. Kenya, Rwanda, Uzbekistan, Trinidad and Sri Lanka. Carol was the co-founder of the first Catechesis Journal, first published in 1984.  Betsy Peterson lives in Chicago, Illinois. She is a wife, and the mother of two grown children.  She fell in love with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 1990, and 34 years later, the love just continues to grow. She works in the 9-12 atrium at Church of Our Saviour Episcopal church, and the 3-6 atrium at St Teresa of Avila Roman Catholic church. She is certified through CGSUSA as a formation leader in all three levels. She was a member of the CGS Journal team for twelve years. Learning, praying, singing - being with the children fills her with wonder and delight, as does the deep friendships with her fellow catechists. She thanks God for giving her this work. What a gift!      Help us prepare for the 40th Celebration:  We invite you to assist with our celebration:     Please tell us where the atrium you serve is, the names of your catechists, and the first names of the children you serve in the atrium, so we may include all their names on our prayer table when we gather next August. We ask that you email this information to Susan Stuhlsatz‑Reese at susansr@cgsusa.org   We are counting on you! We are also happy to share with you that our new and improved atrium locator is now up and running! As part of our “soft launch” to make sure all is working well we are inviting you to take a first look and add your atrium if it is not there yet: Find CGS Near Me – Atrium Locator. Please consider also listing your atrium in the atrium locator. Video for easy instructions HERE  We know many catechists have gone before us to share in the heavenly banquet. We want to remember each of them. If you know a catechist who has died, please send us their name, a small bio or obituary, the gifts they shared with our CGS community and if possible, a photo. Please share with Mary Heinrich at maryheinrich@cgsusa.org.   We have opportunities for sponsors to contribute to our event fund. Please let us know of any individuals, groups, businesses, or organizations you know who may be willing to contribute. We will have some wonderful opportunities for our sponsors, more information will be coming soon.      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.”  — Psalm 111:1-3    Celebrate 40 Years of CGSUSA    FAQs about the 40th    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Patricia Coulter met Sofia Cavalletti in 1975, and their friendship and close collaboration lasted until Sofia's death in 2011. Patricia collaborated with Sofia in formation courses, in translations of her writings, and in coauthoring various books. Patricia's most recent words are a collection of Sofia's writings, All if Gift: Enjoying the Presence of God and letters, Look at the Light, Words of Loss and Love from Sofia Cavalletti. Dr. Coulter received her certification in the Franciscan Internship Program in Spiritual Direction and Directed Retreats and her doctorate in ministry from the University of St Michael's College, University of Toronto. She is the recipient of the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice cross for her pastoral ministry with adults and children.    Help us prepare for the 40th Celebration:  We invite you to assist with our celebration:     Please tell us where the atrium you serve is, the names of your catechists, and the first names of the children you serve in the atrium, so we may include all their names on our prayer table when we gather next August. We ask that you email this information to Susan Stuhlsatz‑Reese at susansr@cgsusa.org   We are counting on you! We are also happy to share with you that our new and improved atrium locator is now up and running! As part of our “soft launch” to make sure all is working well we are inviting you to take a first look and add your atrium if it is not there yet: Find CGS Near Me – Atrium Locator. Please consider also listing your atrium in the atrium locator. Video for easy instructions HERE  We know many catechists have gone before us to share in the heavenly banquet. We want to remember each of them. If you know a catechist who has died, please send us their name, a small bio or obituary, the gifts they shared with our CGS community and if possible, a photo. Please share with Mary Heinrich at maryheinrich@cgsusa.org.   We have opportunities for sponsors to contribute to our event fund. Please let us know of any individuals, groups, businesses, or organizations you know who may be willing to contribute. We will have some wonderful opportunities for our sponsors, more information will be coming soon.    Patricia's Books:   Ways to Nurture the Relationship with God  Drinking from the Sources   Like Leaven: Accompanying Children on their Spiritual Journey   The Infinite Mercy of God   Look at the Light: Words on Loss and Love from Sofia Cavalletti    Podcast Episodes with Patricia-    Episode 89 – Background of Ways to Nurture the Relationship with God  Episode 90- Ch. 4 The Parable of the True Vine from Ways to Nurture the Relationship with God with Patricia Coulter  Episode 91- The Infinite Mercy of God with Patricia Coulter    Episode 110: Learning to Love    AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.”  — Psalm 111:1-3    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Celebrate 40 Years of CGSUSA    FAQs about the 40th     This year, we are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. From August 22-25, 2024, we will gather in person in Phoenix, Arizona, and we will broadcast via livestream for those who cannot attend in person. We look forward to you joining us for this celebration.  In these days, we will remember our legacy, celebrate our present work with the children, and pray for our future in the coming of the Kingdom as we join this friendship of catechists upon which our association is founded.  Mary Mirrione began working with CGS in 1992. She and a team of catechists and parents built atria at St Anne's in Gilbert, Arizona for their 1800 children. She has been a formation leader since 1997 serving as such at home and abroad. She also works with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity throughout the United States and around the world. Mary served on the Board for CGSUSA and is a graduate of the first cohort at Aquinas Institute of Theology to receive a Masters in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She is a faculty member of Kino Catechetical Institute in the Diocese of Phoenix. Since 2010, she serves as the National Director for the United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  Karen became involved with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 1990 when her oldest daughter was four years old. She was moved by the spiritual depth offered to the youngest children and found this approach to faith formation personally enriching as well. She helped to begin all three levels of atria in the first church in Georgia to offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She also enjoys introducing adults to this method of catechesis as a CGS formation leader. Karen joined the staff for the United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 2004 as Director of Formation. Her work supports formation leaders and catechists through communications, conferences, ongoing formation and resources as well as in responding to a variety of inquiries and pastoral concerns about CGS. Karen is one of two US representatives to the International Council. She also was part of the first cohort to complete a Masters in Pastoral Studies in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at Aquinas Institute of Theology. Karen currently serves as a Level III catechist for a church in her area. Her children, now young adults, all were involved in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  For further questions about CGS you can email Karen at karenmaxwell@cgsusa.org  We invite you to assist with our celebration:     Please tell us where the atrium you serve is, the names of your catechists, and the first names of the children you serve in the atrium, so we may include all their names on our prayer table when we gather next August. We ask that you email this information to Susan Stuhlsatz‑Reese at susansr@cgsusa.org   We are counting on you! We are also happy to share with you that our new and improved atrium locator is now up and running! As part of our “soft launch” to make sure all is working well we are inviting you to take a first look and add your atrium if it is not there yet: Find CGS Near Me – Atrium Locator. Please consider also listing your atrium in the atrium locator. Video for easy instructions HERE  We know many catechists have gone before us to share in the heavenly banquet. We want to remember each of them. If you know a catechist who has died, please send us their name, a small bio or obituary, the gifts they shared with our CGS community and if possible, a photo. Please share with Mary Heinrich at maryheinrich@cgsusa.org.   We have opportunities for sponsors to contribute to our event fund. Please let us know of any individuals, groups, businesses, or organizations you know who may be willing to contribute. We will have some wonderful opportunities for our sponsors, more information will be coming soon.      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"This is how it is with the kingdom of God, it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.” Mark 4:26-27    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Find a Formation Course HERE!    Julie Baltuska and Donna Turner joining us on the podcast to talk about the level three atrium, what all is in that huge work that is the level three atrium. what does the level three child have to teach us about who God is and to encourage all of us to continue our formation all the way through level three no matter how we choose to serve the child.   Julie Baltuska lives in Kansas with her retired husband and Maine Coon cat. She and David raised 6 sons and 1 daughter and now enjoy 9 grandchildren all close to home.  Julie has been a recognized Formation Leader in Level 3 of CGS since 2018 and has been team leading L3 courses since 2008. The highlight of every week for her is spending time in the Atrium with 9-12 year olds which she has been doing for 24 years.   Julie has a BA degree in Theology from Rockhurst College and has served on the Board of Directors of the SonFlower Region of CGS. Her favorite down-time activities after adoration, include reading, improving her Spanish skills and dabbling in sculpture and piano.  A catechist since 1994, Donna has experience working with children in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in Level I, Level II, and Level III. She has been a Level III catechist and volunteer CGS coordinator for 24 years at St. Philip Episcopal Church in Memphis, TN. Donna has been a Formation Leader since 2001. She is the Co-Director of the Good Shepherd Center in Memphis, TN. Donna serves CGSUSA as a member of the Formation Committee and Episcopal Committee and assists with the Level III Materials Manual. She and her husband, Bob, live in Germantown, TN.    Podcast Episodes-  Episode 6- Geography and the Holy Land with Julie Baltuska  Episode 19- Typology with Ann Garrido  Episode 35 – Baptism with Donna Turner  Episode 115- CGS in the Episcopal Church with Anna Hurdle and Donna Turner    AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Find a Formation Course HERE!    Joel Musser and Matthew Irwin join the podcast to talk about men in The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, the benefit of having that full image of God reflected back by having both men and women present in this work for the children, and what we can do to encourage more men to be apart of this work.   Matthew Irwin is the Director of Faith Formation at St. Elizabeth Seton in Naples, FL and also serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of CGSUSA.  Joel Musser is the Director of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at Immaculate Conception Church and Immaculata Catholic School in Durham, NC. He also started and ran for four years the atria at Emmaus Way, an emergent church in Durham. Joel is a Level 1 Formation Leader certified in Levels 1-3, and is currently in Infant-Toddler formation. He has a Master of Theological Studies degree from Duke Divinity School and is in the Mathis Liturgical Leadership Program at the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy.    AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

Margaret Domka is the Executive Director for the US Center for Mental Health and Sport (@mentalhealthandsport). She is a PhD Candidate at Clemson University where her research focus is mental health and sport. Additionally, she has done work in bringing mental health and sport initiatives to Veterans, individuals with paralysis, and Paralympic athletes. She is an ACT! Mental Health Awareness Certification and Mental Health First Aid instructor and holds the International Olympic Committee's Certificate on Mental Health in Elite Sport. Margaret is also a former FIFA Women's World Cup referee and served on the USA panel of FIFA referees for 10 years. She continues to referee blind soccer, for the International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football, and for Special Olympics. She also serves on the USYS Midwest Region Referee Advisory Committee and the USYS DE&I Committee. Dr. Skye Arthur-Banning is an associate professor at Clemson University who has been awarded over $1 million in grants to bring mental health and sport initiatives to Veterans, individuals with paralysis, and Paralympic athletes and is a Mental Health First Aid certified instructor. He is the head of officials for the International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football, on the board of directors for the United States Association for Blind Athletes, a US Soccer National Referee Coach, and a former US Soccer National Referee. Today on the podcast we discuss the importance of bringing awareness to athlete, coach and parent mental health, the stigma against seeking help when you are struggling mentally, identity and performance in sport, and how to understand the spectrum of ailments ranging from serious mental disorders to the everyday simple struggles in sport that are not signs of declines in mental  health. Here is a link to the article in the Atlantic that we discuss regarding prevalence inflation.  Website: www.mentalhealthandsport.org REGISTRATION FOR THE 2024 WAY OF CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE IS OPEN! Save $100 if you sign up prior to June 30, and save 50% per person for groups of five or more. We are headed back to Denver, CO August 9-11 at Colorado Academy. Our hotel blocks do fill up, so join Jerry, John and a panel of  all star guest speakers for the coaching event of the summer including all time winningest NCAA Basketball coach Tara VanDerveer from Stanford and 2x World Cup USA Rugby Coach Pete Steinberg! Click here to register and learn more. PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS! Programs such as UNC soccer and lacrosse, Syracuse lacrosse, Stanford Lacrosse, Middlebury College, Colby College, Rutgers University, and many other champions are using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you?  We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next? Click here to visit John's author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry's author page on Amazon Please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This week's podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a new software platform for youth sports clubs.  There are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams. 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“These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one floc, one shepherd.” Luke 10:16    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Donna Turner and Anna Hurdle dive into what CGS looks like in the Episcopal Church and its unique history that it has in our work in the United States.   Anna Hurdle is a catechist and formation leader at levels I, II and III. She is a retired elementary Montessori guide and coordinator of CGS at her parish in Charlotte, NC. Anna serves the National Association through the Episcopal Committee and the Formation Advisory Council.  Donna Turner has been a catechist since 1994. Donna has experience working with children in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in Level I, Level II, and Level III. She has been a Level III catechist and volunteer CGS coordinator for 24 years at St. Philip Episcopal Church in Memphis, TN. Donna has been a Formation Leader since 2001. She is the Co-Director of the Good Shepherd Center in Memphis, TN. Donna serves CGSUSA as a member of the Formation Committee and Episcopal Committee and assists with the Level III Materials Manual. She and her husband, Bob, live in Germantown, TN.  NAMTA Quote:  The following is a quote from the Spring 1999 NAMTA conference entitled The Spiritual Development of the Child in which Sofia spoke via videoconference:  “…Of course, there are other traditions, which stress different richness and propose different ways of relationship with the transcendent.  To be faithful to my tradition-is it a limitation? In some sense it is, but I have to remember here that there is another basic human need: to belong. We want to belong to a family, to a country, to a culture, and so on. To be a citizen of the world is a very noble ideal and aspiration, but there is a risk in it: the risk of becoming somebody without roots, somebody who has no soil under his or her feet.  In this regard, we have to learn a lesson from nature; in nature there are many trees, small ones and big ones, and in order to be alive they have to strictly observe a rule: the breadth of the foliage has to correspond to the size of the roots. If there is not a balance between the foliage and the roots, the tree will fall down and die.  In human beings, the roots are our traditions and the foliage is the capacity of being open to wider and wider horizons. We have to take care of both. Only if we are firmly bound to our soil-our tradition-will we be able to have a vital interchange with other cultures and traditions. Only if we are firmly rooted in our tradition will be able to offer others our richness, be open to receive others' richness, and be capable of taking advantage of it.”        Further Reading:    Purchase Nurturing the Whole Child HERE    Other Episodes with Donna or Anna:    Episode 35- Baptism with Donna Turner    Episode 41- The Elementary Aged Child with Anna Hurdle      Other Episodes About Ecumenism-    Episode 29- CGS and Christian Unity with Bishop Talley      Learn more about the 40th Anniversary Celebration of CGSUSA HERE      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:    Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd      Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them.” Mark 10:14    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!  Read the article “Characteristics of the Good Shepherd Catechesis Number 27” HERE  What are the principal points which distinguish this catechesis and because of which it is called the “Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”?  We have 32 characteristics that are intended to represent the principal aspects of the catechesis as they have emerged after more than fifty years of work with children of different countries, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds. These characteristics are reflective of the constants which have presented themselves in this work and are presented here with the invitation to go deeper into them for further reflection. Read all 32 Points of Reflection HERE    In the 2020 CGS Journal Francesca Cocchini wrote an article about characteristic #27.  Today we will listen to that article as well as discuss it with Marty O'Bryan.  Marty also answers one of our listener's questions about how to manage a level one atrium and still follow the child with many little ones. Read the article HERE    Characteristic #27:  The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is also concerned with helping adults open their eyes to the hidden riches of the child, especially to the child's spiritual wealth, so that adults will be drawn to learn from the child and to serve him/her. The guiding principles in this endeavor are:  The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd does not seek success.  It does not set about to be important or to impress others. (Isaiah 10:33-11:10)  It is faithful to the spirit of the mustard seed. (Matthew 13: 31)  It stands in solidarity with the least in the church.    Marty O'Bryan began her formation in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd with Sofia Cavalletti in 1983 and has been a catechists since 1985. She conducts adult formations at Levels I, II and III throughout the United States. A retired speech and language pathologist, Marty holds a Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd from Aquinas Institute of Theology. Currently, she works with children in Level I, II, and III atria in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.    Further Reading:    2020 Journal of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd  The Religious Potential of the Child by Sofia Cavalletti   The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old by Sofia Cavalletti    Other Episodes You Might Enjoy    Episode 94-CGS Characteristics #17, 18, 19, and 20 with Lynda Catalano and Diane Olsen  Episode 95- CGS Characteristics #21 and 25 with Lynne Worthington and Marty O'Bryan    Learn more about the 40th Anniversary Celebration of CGSUSA HERE      AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:    Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd       Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3    “Help us, O God, to enter into the secret of childhood, so that we may know, love and serve the child in accordance with the laws of thy justice and following thy holy will.” Maria Montessori     Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Artwork/Figure 11 from The Religious Potential of the Child that Rebekah speaks about    We are so happy to announce that Nurturing the Whole Child: Montessori Principles Applied to the Catechesis of Children by Gianna Gobbi is now available in print and on Kindle! For many years we have been looking to update, clarify, and add to Gianna's written work that was held in the book Listening to God with Children.  This is now published through our CGSUSA imprint with Liturgy Training Publications.  It is a beautiful book with chapters from Gianna that were written after the publication of Listening to God with Children. It had photos and an appendix of articles from others who have written about Gianna, including her closest collaborator, Sofia Cavalletti.  Rebekah joins us on the podcast to share with us about Gianna and the story of bringing her writing to us.   Rebekah is a catechist and formation leader in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd having completed her training in 1981 in Rome with Dr. Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi. She has translated several of their books and articles from the original Italian and has written and edited various parts of the CGS core texts. Rebekah is a catechist at her parish, St. Patrick Catholic Church, and for the Missionaries of Charity atrium in Memphis, Tennessee. She serves on the formation committee of CGSUSA, as well as on the International Board for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.      Further Reading:    Purchase Nurturing the Whole Child HERE  Purchase the Commemorative Journal: Gianna Gobbi 1919 – 2002 HERE  Purchase A Year with Sofia Cavalletti: Daily Reflections on the Spirtual and Theological Influences of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd by Ann Garrido    Other Episodes with Rebekah-    Episode 2- God and the Child     Episode 10- A Reflection on the Good Shepherd    Episode 26- Life in the Vine    Episode 33 – Moral Formation    Episode 71 – A Glimpse at Sofia Cavalletti    Episode 97- The International Consiglio      Other Episodes About Gianna or Her Writing-    Episode 3 - Chapter 1 “The Environment” and chapter 2 “The Adult”     Episode 78- A Glimpse of Gianna Gobbi    Episode 93- The Meaning, Importance, and Limitations of our Catechetical Materials    Episode 98 – Welcoming the Children        Learn more about the 40th Anniversary Celebration of CGSUSA HERE        AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd      Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"One body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:4-6    “What have we done to Christianity? We have made it into a lot of rules; but Christianity is to enjoy a Person.” Fr Dalmazio Mongillo    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Claudia joins us on the podcast to share with us some of her memories about Father Mongillo as well as tell us about his teachings regarding the pedagogy of God and the child.     Claudia Margarita Schmitt lived in many different countries throughout her life. She has discovered over time that her roots are first in her Roman Catholic faith and also in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  Everywhere she goes she recognizes the same language being used to discover the mystery of God. As an international formation leader for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She constantly has this experience of finding her roots.  She has been a catechist for 33 years and a formation leader for 32.  She lived for 8 years in Rome studying and working with Gianna Gobbi and Sofia Cavalletti. She describes this time as precious and that they taught her many things but first to be humble.      Further Reading:  Journal Articles by Fr Mongillo:  History and Prayer 2004 Journal   About Justice: A Meditation 1999 Journal – Read HERE  Covenant, Collaboration, & Children 2007 Journal   A Letter from Father Mongillo 2006 Journal   Learning to Love 2009 Journal – Purchase HERE Read HERE  The Vocation to Become Human 2011 Journal – Purchase HERE  Sofia's article about Fr Mongillo from the 2006 Journal, read HERE  A Year with Sofia Cavalletti by Ann Garrido  Essential Realities, Ch. 2 Catechesis as Celebration by Fr Mongillo    Heritage Episodes-  Episode 60- Pioneers of CGS with Betty Hissong  Episode 68- The CGS Heritage- Eugenio Zolli  Episode 76- The CGS Heritage- Romano Guardini  Episode 92- Who was Adele Costa Gnocchi       AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:  Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd      Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"One body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:4-6    “What have we done to Christianity? We have made it into a lot of rules; but Christianity is to enjoy a Person.” Fr Dalmazio Mongillo    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Ann Garrido joins us to discuss Fr Mongillo's article, About Justice, A Meditation, from the 1999 Journal of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd where he defines justice in the religious sense and how it applies to our life in the atrium with children.     Read Mongillo's article, About Justice, A Meditation HERE.    Ann Garrido has been a catechist of the Good Shepherd since 1996.  She currently serves as a Level One catechist at her parish while she also serves as a formation leader for the US Association at all three levels.  Ann is an Associate Professor at Aquinas Institute of Theology, a graduate school of theology and ministry in the Dominican tradition.  She is the author of multiple works, including her newest book Redeeming Power about the healthy and holy exercise of leadership.      Further Reading:    Journal Articles by Fr Mongillo:  History and Prayer 2004 Journal   About Justice: A Meditation 1999 Journal – Read HERE  Covenant, Collaboration, & Children 2007 Journal   A Letter from Father Mongillo 2006 Journal   Learning to Love 2009 Journal – Purchase HERE Read HERE  The Vocation to Become Human 2011 Journal – Purchase HERE  Sofia's article about Fr Mongillo from the 2006 Journal, read HERE  A Year with Sofia Cavalletti by Ann Garrido  Essential Realities, Ch. 2 Catechesis as Celebration by Fr Mongillo    ANN'S NEW BOOK – REDEEMING POWER     Heritage Episodes-    Episode 60- Pioneers of CGS with Betty Hissong  Episode 68- The CGS Heritage- Eugenio Zolli  Episode 76- The CGS Heritage- Romano Guardini  Episode 92- Who was Adele Costa Gnocchi       AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:    Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd      Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“Love as I love you.” John 13:34    “Lent is the time in which the joy of loving is rejuvenated.” - Father Mongillo    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Patricia Coulter joins us on the podcast to tell us more about Father Mongillo and to open up the beauty of his article, Learning to Love, from the 2009 journal.      Read the article Learning to Love from the 2009 Journal    Patricia Coulter met Sofia Cavalletti in 1975, and their friendship and close collaboration lasted until Sofia's death in 2011. Patricia collaborated with Sofia in formation courses, in translations of her writings, and in coauthoring various books. Patricia's most recent words are a collection of Sofia's writings, All if Gift: Enjoying the Presence of God and letters, Look at the Light, Words of Loss and Love from Sofia Cavalletti. Dr. Coulter received her certification in the Franciscan Internship Program in Spiritual Direction and Directed Retreats and her doctorate in ministry from the University of St Michael's College, University of Toronto. She is the recipient of the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice cross for her pastoral ministry with adults and children.    Prayer by Father Mongillo, can be found on page 275-276 of A Year with Sofia Cavalletti:  Trinity Love    Trinity most sweet!  Abba, Father!  Son, Jesus!  Spirit, Love!  Trinity all love!  Source of our identity and our  peace,  source of our happiness!  We adore you, we praise you, we bless you,  we thank you, we love you!  Abba, Father! give us your Spirit,  give us the Spirit of your Son!  The Spirit who knows the depths of your  mystery,  the Spirit who knows the depths of  our mystery!  Give us the Spirit,  in whom you have entrusted the Son to us,  the Spirit who took Jesus by the hand  and made him Son for us!  So that he takes us by the hand and accompanies us  on our pilgrim way toward your dwelling,  where we will contemplate you with uncovered face…  And you will see Jesus in us, the beloved,  and we will lose ourselves in your gaze of love  as in an infinite sea…  as the Son and in the Son,  all in one with You…  with the Beloved… with the Lover,  in the same ecstasy of love forever!  Amen.    Further Reading:    Journal Articles by Fr Mongillo:  History and Prayer 2004 Journal   About Justice: A Meditation 1999 Journal – Read HERE  Covenant, Collaboration, & Children 2007 Journal   A Letter from Father Mongillo 2006 Journal   Learning to Love 2009 Journal – Purchase HERE Read HERE  The Vocation to Become Human 2011 Journal – Purchase HERE  Christianity? To Enjoy a Person by Sofia Cavalletti about Fr Mongillo – Read HERE    A Year with Sofia Cavalletti by Ann Garrido  Essential Realities  Patricia's Books:   Ways to Nurture the Relationship with God  Drinking from the Sources   Like Leaven: Accompanying Children on their Spiritual Journey   The Infinite Mercy of God   Look at the Light: Words on Loss and Love from Sofia Cavalletti    Podcast Episodes with Patricia-    Episode 89 – Background of Ways to Nurture the Relationship with God  Episode 90- Ch. 4 The Parable of the True Vine from Ways to Nurture the Relationship with God with Patricia Coulter  Episode 91- The Infinite Mercy of God with Patricia Coulter        Heritage Episodes-    Episode 60- Pioneers of CGS with Betty Hissong  Episode 68- The CGS Heritage- Eugenio Zolli  Episode 76- The CGS Heritage- Romano Guardini  Episode 92- Who was Adele Costa Gnocchi   Episode 109. The CGS Heritage- Father Dalmazio Mongillo, To Enjoy a Person with Sue Jett        AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:    Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5  “What have we done to Christianity? We have made it into a lot of rules; but Christianity is to enjoy a Person.” Fr Dalmazio Mongillo    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Who is Father Dalmazio Mongillo and how has he influenced our work in The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?    Read Sofia's article about Fr Mongillo: Christianity? To Enjoy a Person from the 2006 Journal    Sue first began implementing the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 2003 while teaching at St. Peter's Catholic School in Beaufort, SC. She is certified in Levels I, II, and III and became a formation leader in 2010 after receiving her Master of Arts degree in the discipline of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO.  Sue has directed religious education programs in the dioceses of Milwaukee, Chicago, and NW Indiana and has facilitated the development of CGS in several parishes.  She currently serves as a Level 1 Catechist at St. James the Less in Highland, IN and works with lower-elementary children at the Montessori Children's Schoolhouse in Hammond, IN.      Further Reading:  Journal Articles by Fr Mongillo:  History and Prayer 2004 Journal   About Justice: A Meditation 1999 Journal – Read HERE  Covenant, Collaboration, & Children 2007 Journal   A Letter from Father Mongillo 2006 Journal   Learning to Love 2009 Journal – Purchase HERE Read HERE The Vocation to Become Human 2011 Journal – Purchase HERE    A Year with Sofia Cavalletti by Ann Garrido  Essential Realities    Heritage Episodes-  Episode 60- Pioneers of CGS with Betty Hissong  Episode 68- The CGS Heritage- Eugenio Zolli  Episode 76- The CGS Heritage- Romano Guardini  Episode 92- Who was Adele Costa Gnocchi       AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:    Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.  Matthew 11: 24,25    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!  What is Phenomenology and how do we see it lived out both in the child and in the atrium?  Donald (Donny) Wallenfang, OCDS, PhD is a Level III catechist, Secular Discalced Carmelite, and Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. He received his MTS from St Norbert College and his doctorate from Loyola University Chicago. He has published twelve books as well as numerous articles and book chapters on a variety of topics in Christian theology and philosophy. His areas of expertise merge at the intersection of Carmelite spirituality, phenomenology, metaphysics, liturgical theology, evangelization and catechesis. Wallenfang served in full-time youth and young adult ministry for nine years. He has been married to his wife, Megan, for twenty-four years and has six children.    Further Reading:    The Religious Potential of the Child 3rd Edition  The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 year old 2nd Edition  Way of Holy Joy by Sofia Cavalletti  Redeeming Conflict by Ann Garrido  A Year with Sofia Cavalletti by Ann Garrido  Phenomenology: A Basic Introduction in the Light of Jesus Christ by Donald Wallenfang  Shoeless: Carmelite Spirituality in a Disquieted World by Donald and Megan Wallenfang  Dialectical Anatomy of the Eucharist: An Étude in Phenomenology by Donald Wallenfang  Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori    Other Episodes You Might Enjoy    Episode 107- The Metaphysical Child with Dr Donald Wallenfang  Episode 2 –God and the Child   Episode 82 - Merciful Parenting    AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will."  Matthew 11: 24,25    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!   What is metaphysics and how does it relate to the child? How does Montessori's idea of the triangular relationship which is the child, the adult, the environment manifest this idea of metaphysics. How can we as adults create environments that allow the child to be more metaphysical?  “There is no being more metaphysical than the child.” Sofia RPC1  Donald (Donny) Wallenfang, OCDS, PhD is a Level III catechist, Secular Discalced Carmelite, and Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. He received his MTS from St Norbert College and his doctorate from Loyola University Chicago. He has published twelve books as well as numerous articles and book chapters on a variety of topics in Christian theology and philosophy. His areas of expertise merge at the intersection of Carmelite spirituality, phenomenology, metaphysics, liturgical theology, evangelization and catechesis. Wallenfang served in full-time youth and young adult ministry for nine years. He has been married to his wife, Megan, for twenty-four years and has six children.    Further Reading:    The Religious Potential of the Child 3rd Edition  The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 year old 2nd Edition  Way of Holy Joy by Sofia Cavalletti  Donald Wallenfang, Metaphysics: A Basic Introduction in a Christian Key (Cascade, 2019).  Donald Wallenfang, Human and Divine Being: A Study on the Theological Anthropology of Edith Stein (Cascade, 2017).  Thomas Aquinas, Aquinas's Shorter Summa (Sophia Institute, 2001).      Other Episodes You Might Enjoy    Episode 2 –God and the Child   Episode 82 - Merciful Parenting    AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.  Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you."  Isaiah 60: 4-5    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!     Epiphany is 117 years since Maria Montessori dedicated a space specifically for the poor children of San Lorenzo which began her lifelong work of discovering the child and their absorbent minds.    Sherry Mock joins us today to tell us the spirit filled story of that beautiful Epiphany.  Sherry Mock lives in Texas with her husband.  She has been trained as a Montessori guide and in all three levels of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  She is a wife, mother, grandmother, Godmother, Bible teacher, and church and community volunteer.      Further Reading:    2020 The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Journal  The Child in the Church by Maria Montessori  Other Episode with Sherry:    Episode 52: Practical Life with Sherry Mock    AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"And Mary kept all theses things, pondering them in her heart.” Luke 2:19    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Mary Mirrione and I ponder the great mystery of the Incarnation as we do with the children in the work of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd wondering about that great mystery of who Jesus is. Our conversation today is in light of what we are learning through our work with the infant and toddler about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, what the basic needs of a woman in labor and a newborn are and what light this might give us about the mystery of the Incarnation.      Further Reading:    The Basic Needs of a Woman in Labour by Ruth Ehrhardt    The History of the Kingdom of God, Part 1: From Creation to Parousia    Other Podcast Episodes You Might Want to Listen To:    Episode 99- Oxytocin with Ruth Ehrhardt and Mary Mirrione    Episode 92- Adele Costa Gnocchi with Karin Slabaugh    Episode 27 – Mystery of the Incarnation with Karen Maxwell  Episode 53 – The Birth and Infancy of Jesus with Ann Garrido  Episode 79- Ch. 6 of The Religious Potential of the Child- The Historical Events in the Life of Jesus Christ  Episode 104. Incarnation and the Annunciation with Sofia Cavalletti    AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"Let it be with me according to you word.” Luke 1:38    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    As we enter Advent and celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception let us listen to Sofia's words from Chapters 41 and 43 of The History of the Kingdom of God Part One on the Incarnation and the Annunciation      Further Reading:    The History of the Kingdom of God, Part 1: From Creation to Parousia           Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

In this episode of The ABMP Podcast, Kristin and Darren are joined by Melissa Strautman, winner of the gold medal for Swedish massage at the International Association of Massage's World Championship, where she competed against 56 therapists from 50 countries. Strautman, who also won silver for facial massage in the 2023 American Massage Championship and gold for Swedish massage in the 2022 American Massage Championship, speaks about her experience in this competitive arena, what drew her to start competing, and how it has helped her grow as a therapist. After attending Martin Methodist College and Austin Peay State University in Tennessee, Melissa graduated from the New York College for Holistic Health Education and Research (now called the New York College of Health Professions) in Syosset, New York, in 1999. She holds licenses in  New York and Kentucky, and completes between 24–72 continuing education hours every year. She has owned and operated a private practice in Bowling Green, Kentucky, since 2003 (formerly: New York Massage Company). As an educator, Melissa has experience teaching anatomy/physiology, pathology, ethics, Eastern anatomy/physiology, stone massage, aromatherapy, and Fundamentals of Massage Technique. Melissa opened MassageFIX, a massage office in Bowling Green, in 2012. In addition to seeing clients regularly, she is the national coordinator for the United States Association of Massage Championships and the state coordinator for the Kentucky Massage Championship. Melissa was inducted into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame in July 2023.   Resources:   https://usamassagechamps.squarespace.com/about   Hosts:   Darren Buford is senior director of communications and editor-in-chief for ABMP. He is editor of Massage & Bodywork magazine and has worked for ABMP for 22 years, and been involved in journalism at the association, trade, and consumer levels for 24 years. He has served as board member and president of the Western Publishing Association, as well as board member for Association Media & Publishing. Contact him at editor@abmp.com. Kristin Coverly, LMT is a massage therapist, educator, and the director of professional education at ABMP. She loves creating continuing education courses, events, and resources to support massage therapists and bodyworkers as they enhance their lives and practices. Contact her at ce@abmp.com.     Sponsors:   Anatomy Trains: www.anatomytrains.com      Touch America: www.touchamerica.com     Zibby Media: www.zibbymedia.com         Anatomy Trains is a global leader in online anatomy education and also provides in-classroom certification programs for structural integration in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, Japan, and China, as well as fresh-tissue cadaver dissection labs and weekend courses. The work of Anatomy Trains originated with founder Tom Myers, who mapped the human body into 13 myofascial meridians in his original book, currently in its fourth edition and translated into 12 languages. The principles of Anatomy Trains are used by osteopaths, physical therapists, bodyworkers, massage therapists, personal trainers, yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonics, and other body-minded manual therapists and movement professionals. Anatomy Trains inspires these practitioners to work with holistic anatomy in treating system-wide patterns to provide improved client outcomes in terms of structure and function.                      Website: anatomytrains.com                        Email: info@anatomytrains.com             Facebook: facebook.com/AnatomyTrains                       Instagram: www.instagram.com/anatomytrainsofficial   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2g6TOEFrX4b-CigknssKHA       Zibby Media is a women-led company dedicated to deepening the connections between readers, authors, and each other. We do so by offering many ways to connect—even for those who don't have time to read. Founded by Zibby Owens, author, podcaster, publisher, bookstore owner, CEO, and mother of four, Zibby Media includes a publishing house, a magazine, podcasts, retreats, classes, a book club, salon events, and an independent bookstore with frequent author events. 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"Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other." —1 John 4:11    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Mary Heinrich discusses with us the value of friendship in this work as well as different networks you can set up to help sustain this desired support and community.  Mary is the Membership Coordinator for The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Prior to joining the staff, Mary served on the CGSUSA Board of Trustees for seven years. Mary has also served as a Director of Faith Formation in the Catholic Church for twenty-nine years, as well as a consultant and editor for religious education publishers.  She earned a bachelor's degree in religious studies from Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and a master's degree in Pastoral Studies in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. Her husband, Kurt is a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Des Moines and teaches theology at the local Catholic high school, is a Level One catechist, and enjoys making materials for the atrium.  Their daughter, Clare, is the elementary faith formation coordinator at her Church, working in the Level One and Level Two atria. When not immersed in CGS, Mary enjoys reading, art and spending time with her family.    Types of CGSUSA Memberships    Information about Regional Groups      Other Episode with Mary:   Episode 31 - “Even Now” A Lenten Reflection with Mary Heinrich    Further Reading:    Read Tina Lillig's article Life of the Catechist online   Facets of Joy          Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"And Mary kept all these things, pondering on them in her heart.” Luke 2:19  Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!  Autumn Domingue joins us on the podcast again to explain the art of Theological Reflection, how it can help us in this work, and to demonstrate the process to us.   Autumn Domingue is a spiritual director, formation leader, and Life Coach, whose greatest joy is journeying with those searching for greater meaning and purpose in their lives. In addition to her private practice, Autumn supervises other spiritual directors and currently works as a mental health coach for Lyra Mental Health whose mission is to transform access to life-changing mental health care. Autumn enjoys yoga, painting, playing with her grandchildren, and taking long walks in the Texas Hill Country where she resides. Autumn's website: https://www.autumndomingue.com/      Other Episodes with Autumn:  Episode 37 –CGS and Spiritual Direction     Episode 42 - The Mystery of Time    Further Reading:    2019 Journal of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd article Growing Collaboration through Theological Reflection  Supervising Ministry Students by Ann M. Garrido Chapter 3 (Theological Reflection: The Heart of Field Education)  The Art of Theological Reflection By Patricia O'Connell Killen and John DeBeer         Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

"Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Genesis 1:26  Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!  Diane Olsen returns to the podcast to explore who the transitioning child is, the 6 year old, the 9 year old, and the 12 year old.  We also discuss how we can best serve these children in our atria.   “We must take man himself, take him with patience and confidence, across all the planes of education. We must put everything before him, the school, culture, religion, the world itself. We must help him to develop within himself that which will make him capable of understanding. It is not merely words, it is a labor of education. This will be a be a preparation for peace, for peace cannot exist without justice and without men endowed with a strong conscience and personality.”  Montessori, Maria. The Four Planes of Education (pg 10)  Diane Olsen has been involved in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd since 1990. She has received all formation levels and was recognized as a formation leader in 2002. She is actively involved leading catechist formation around the country. Diane has a philosophy and math degree from St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies-Catechesis of the Good Shepherd from the Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis, Missouri. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother.    Other Episodes that relate to this topic:  The Four Planes of Development with Claire Paglia      Other Episodes with Diane:  Episode 3 – The Environment and the Adult with Diane Olsen    Episode 51 – Prayer of Thanksgiving with Diane Olsen  Episode 94-CGS Characteristics #17, 18, 19, and 20 with Lynda Catalano and Diane Olsen      The Four Planes of Education by Maria Montessori       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd   

"Bless the Lord, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name!” Psalm 103:1  Episode 100!!  Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!  Read Marty's article from the 2017 Journal Inspiriting Art Expression Online here.     Marty O”Bryan returns to the podcast to talk about prayer as a response in children, especially their art work.    Marty O'Bryan began her formation in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd with Sofia Cavalletti in 1983 and has been a catechists since 1985. She conducts adult formations at Levels I, II and III throughout the United States. A retired speech and language pathologist, Marty holds a Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd from Aquinas Institute of Theology. Currently, she works with children in Level I, II, and III atria in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.      Art Submissions for the CGSUSA Annual Journal: https://www.cgsusa.org/artwork-submission/  The Journal committee invites reflections by children you work with on the mysteries they encounter in the atrium, whether these are voiced or written prayer or theological expression through art. We especially seek syntheses of the various themes they have received.      Please follow these guidelines for submitting children's work or photographs for possible publication in 2024 Journal:      For the best possible image of children's art, please send the original. Otherwise, a photograph taken by a smartphone can have sufficient resolution if it is attached as file in its original size.      Every submission must have the child's name, age, and if pertinent, something the child said about his or her drawing. It can include an explanation of the circumstances that led to the child's work.      The child's art should be free from all adult writing.  Comments or explanations may be written on the permission form that accompanies the artwork.      The permission form needs to include the child's home address and signature of one of the child's parents. The permission form can be found on the website of The United States Association of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org      Please send materials to:   Journal Editors / Catechesis of the Good Shepherd   7655 East Main Street   Scottsdale, AZ 85251   Email: journal@cgsusa.org  Or submit online at:  https://www.cgsusa.org/artwork-submission/        Art Supplies for the Atrium sold by CGSUSA    The HeART of the Child Art Book      Other Episodes with Marty:  Episode 61- The Roots of the Eucharist and the Easter Mystery  Episode 95- CGS Characteristics #21 and #25       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

“For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15  Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!  Ruth, Mary and I discuss the unique topic of the hormone Oxytocin, the love hormone, what is it and how can it be fostered.  We also ponder how this hormone relates to our work in the atrium with children and with God.   Ruth Ehrhardt is the mother of 4 home-birthed children, a South African traditional midwife, Certified as a Professional Midwife in the US, and the author of a book called The Basic Needs of a Woman in Labour (which has been translated into 15 different languages), and a birth and midwifery teacher. You can find the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Basic-Needs-Woman-Labour/dp/0620660287      She is the daughter, granddaughter, and niece of midwives, so it seems this work was in many ways predestined from birth.      Ruth has an innate love and trust for birth, women's bodies, and babies' intelligence. In her teaching and work, she mainly focuses on guarding and protecting the environment for pregnancy and birth, as opposed to guiding or facilitating the actual birthing process.      For more information on Ruth see her website:  TrueMidwifery.com    The Basic Needs of Babies course is an adult prepared environment, offering a chance to explore what everyone's Basic Needs are and how it feels when they are met.    Mary Mirrione began working with CGS in 1992. She and a team of catechists and parents built atria at St Anne's in Gilbert, Arizona for their 1800 children. She has been a formation leader since 1997 serving as such at home and abroad. She also works with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity throughout the United States and around the world. Mary served on the Board for CGSUSA and is a graduate of the first cohort at Aquinas Institute of Theology to receive a Masters in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She is a faculty member of Kino Catechetical Institute in the Diocese of Phoenix. Since 2010, she serves as the National Director for the United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.    AUDIO VERSION of The Religious Potential of the Child by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz.  CGSUSA has created a Premium Podcast Channel for this audiobook through Podbean.  The cost is $29.00 and does include the audio version of all chapters of The Religious Potential of the Child, 3rd Edition all read by Rebekah Rojcewicz.  We have provided both video overview instructions and written instructions on accessing this audiobook.  Please use these resources. Unlike the regular podcast, which will remain free and available on many podcast players/apps, this new resource is available only on the Podbean App, which you may download from the IOS App store or the Google Play App store. Learn more here!  Step by step instructions here!     Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at www.cgsusa.org     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd