You may be wondering: What is the Atrium? The Atrium is a room prepared for children to help them absorb the most essential proclamations of the Christian faith. It contains simple-yet-beautiful, child-sized materials that help them in this goal. For the child, the Atrium is a place of preparation for involvement in the larger worshiping community. It is a dedicated classroom set up to resemble parts of the church, so that the children can learn how to be in the Atrium as they would be in church. For example, they learn to use quiet voices, to pray, and to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd as they do their “work.” They may freely choose which work they do, and work as long as they need to on it, because the work leads to concentration, which, in turn, leads to contemplation.
In the early Church, the Atrium was the place where the catechumens were prepared. Today’s Atrium is part of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program, which is itself a Montessori-based approach to the religious formation of children. CGS was developed by Sophia Cavaletti, a colleague of Dr. Maria Montessori. It is rooted in the Word of God, the liturgy of the Church, and the educational principles of Dr. Montessori.
This past academic year, Donahue Academy’s Kindergarteners attended Level 1 (the Atrium prepared for three-to-six year-olds) once a month on Fridays. Despite their intermittent visits, the children covered vast ground. They were shown scripture presentations, including the Annunciation, The Nativity and Adoration of the Shepherds, the Adoration of the Magi, the Presentation, and the Last Supper. They were shown parables, including the parable of the Mustard Seed, the Pearl of Great Price, and the Good Shepherd. Students also learned about the articles of the Mass and the altar, such as the tabernacle, paten, chalice, ciborium as well as the Baptismal font and all of the articles of Baptism. And, finally, they were shown the gestures from the Mass. During the different liturgical seasons, the children participated in processions for Advent, Lent and Easter, and learned about all the liturgical colors and vestments that the priest wears. Not surprisingly, the children always delighted in coming back to the Atrium, which is not unlike a retreat designed for the youngest souls.
Back in the classroom at Donahue Academy, kindergarteners enthusiastically shared about their experiences. After one particular visit, “one of my students said he ‘really liked to roll away the stone on the tomb to see the empty tomb.’ Another really ‘liked holding lit candles because [the room] was dark and the candles made it lighter.’ A third one added ‘we received the light of Jesus with our candles.’ Their candles were lit from the Pascal candle,” said Mrs. Mary Grabosky, their teacher. The students were not alone in their enthusiasm. “It is a joy to have the Donahue Kindergarten children participate in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd,” said Mrs. Ann-Marie Altomare, who leads the Atrium through Our Lady of Guadalupe Family Life Center (OLGFC) in town. Donahue Academy is grateful for this fruitful partnership!
