April 2023 by Catherine Maresca I have been meditating on mercy during this Lenten season. God’s outpouring of love everywhere, on everything, and all the time. God’s womb-love, in which

March 2023 by Jodi-beth McCain Jodi-Beth McCain joined the CCTheo staff in 2023 as our Grant Director. She is trained in all three levels of the Catechesis of the Good

February 2023 by Catherine Maresca Over the last forty years I have read these words to children, moved the model sheep from the sheepfold, and a few lines later, returned 

January 2023 by Allison Winter Allison Winter is a journalist, catechist and mother. She has been on the board for the Center for Children and Theology since 2015 and is

November 2022 by Catherine Maresca This month began with a celebration of the saints of our lives, including a memorial service for my sister-in-law who passed into eternal love in

October 2022 by Anna Hurdle Anna Hurdle is a Montessori teacher, catechist and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd formation leader based in North Carolina. Later this month, October 24-28, Episcopal

September 2022 Catherine Maresca with Susan Piescik Communal listening is an experience of holding and supporting the concerns of one another within the bigger embrace of God. This is enhanced

May 2022 by Catherine Maresca As we pass through the weeks of spring we can’t help but rejoice in the blossoming trees and blooming flowers of the season. It’s no

February 2022 by Catherine Maresca It’s Black History Month, and a good time to consider our efforts against racism in our atria and churches. With the murders of George Floyd

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives September 2016 by Catherine Maresca For where

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives by Catherine Maresca by Catherine Maresca Our

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives October 2016 by Catherine Maresca This month

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives August 2016 by Catherine Maresca Our August

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives August 2017 by Catherine Maresca As we

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives April 2017 by Catherine Maresca Catherine offered

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives November 2016 by Catherine Maresca Our Tuesday

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives by Catherine Maresca Do your children have

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives July 2016 by Wendy Shenk-Evans “Jesus tells

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives October 2016 by Catherine Maresca This month

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives January 2017 by Catherine Maresca A couple

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives March 2017 by Catherine Maresca It’s the

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives June 2017 by Catherine Maresca The goal

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives A Reflection by Evelyn O’Boyle Our friend

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives September 2017 by Catherine Maresca The children

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives December 2017 by Catherine Maresca   Late

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives February 2018 by Catherine Maresca Once again

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives March 2018 by Catherine Maresca Shema Yisrael! Hear O

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives January 2018 by Rev. Catherine Powell Sometimes

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives November 2017 by Catherine Maresca A time

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives by Catherine Maresca Shortly after CCTheo opened

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives January 2016 by Catherine Maresca After the

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives by Catherine Maresca Christmas 2015 “A good

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives by Catherine Maresca Thanksgiving 2015 There is

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives by Catherine Maresca Do you serve children

Weaving Our Gifts: Why the Prophets? Why Bruce Birch? Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from

February 2016 by Catherine Maresca As Lent begins we prepare ourselves for our celebration of Easter. For much of my life, the Easter cycle was divided into two parts: Lent,

March 2016 by Jodi-beth McCain Recently a six year old child in the lower elementary class spent most of the morning in the atrium.  She worked quietly, focused on her

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives April 2016 by Catherine Maresca

May 2016 by Catherine Maresca Our after school atrium program closes today, and I’ve spent the week thinking about the past year with twenty 6-12-year-old children and a co-catechist, Victoria.

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives by Catherine Maresca There is

May 2015 by Catherine Maresca Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives.

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives by Catherine Maresca This is

Monthly letters to help put the work of the catechist of the Good Shepherd into the context of the larger world · from the archives by Catherine Maresca On several

April 2018 by Catherine Maresca Dr. Silvana Montanaro met Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi as a parent when she brought her daughter to their atrium in Rome many years ago. A

June 2018 by Catherine Maresca Over the last ten years or so I’ve been considering the benefits and challenges of providing more than one formation leader for small CGS courses.

July 2018 by Catherine Maresca When Sofia Cavalletti was offering courses in the US in the 1980’s she used to say, “The atrium is not a hothouse.” I agree, a

August 2018 by Catherine Maresca CCTheo opened in 1995 with a vision to explore the intersection of the church, children, and theology. This is best done right in the atrium

September 2018 Three Perspectives on the Abuse Crisis in the Catholic Church, from Heather Rose Bress, Ann Dilulio and Catherine Maresca My Thoughts on the Abuse and Cover-Up Crisis Heather

October 2018  by The Youth and Youth Mentors of Trinity Episcopal Church, Santa Barbara, CA Introduction As this month’s CCT in Context is being sent to you a Synod of Catholic

November 2018 by Catherine Maresca Happy Thanksgiving!   May your hearts be full of gratitude for the gifts of the year, and for the comfort of family and friends when you

January 2019 by Catherine Maresca The holiday season was threaded by five deaths this year: two children, a sister-in-law, and two friends and colleagues. I know many of you have

February 2019 by Catherine Maresca We offered a local Round Table last week to discuss “The Less than Optimal Atrium.” I was amazed by the interest – folks offered to

March 2019 by Catherine Maresca I sat down with Ben, age 6, to introduce him to the parable of the Insistent Friend, about a person who has an unexpected guest

May 2019 by Catherine Maresca My friend Joan Bennett (the artist of our Scripture Booklets for the atrium) wrote the icon pictured here of Martha and Mary for me. The

June 2019 by Robert Eikel Robert Eikel is a catechist and CCTheo board member from Hartford, CT. On Easter Monday I buried one of my oldest and closest friends. At

July 2019 by Catherine Maresca Every once in a while a project I’ve been working on for a number of years comes to fruition. This project is now published! It

CCT in Context August 2019 by Catherine Maresca My friends, YOU are the practitioners that know the questions and practices we need to consider carefully, YOU have the settings and

September 2019 by Catherine Maresca On Palm Sunday in 1987 I came to the basement liturgy of St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Washington DC for the first time. This Jesuit

October 2019 by Catherine Maresca The work of Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi that comprises the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is beautiful, essential and good, both in regard to

October 2019 by Catherine Maresca The vision of the teacher should be at once  precise like that of the scientist,  and spiritual like that of the saint.  The preparation for