Welcome!
Bonnie Schoofs, Director of Children's Ministry
We are so glad you are here, desiring to lead your child to Christ. Here at St. Gabriel Parish, faith formation for children begins at 3yrs of age. Children at this age are open and receptive to developing their relationship with God in a way they can't when they are older.
We are so very excited to offer The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (C.G.S) program for children ages 3yrs old through 5th grade. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd utilizes the hands-on, Montessori method of learning the Catholic faith.
Preparation for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion begins with a foundational relationship with Jesus - that is why the more your child can attend The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, C.G.S. sessions starting at age 3, the more they will be ready to receive the graces that will be given them through these two beautiful Sacraments of Initiation! Please see the 2nd GRADE SACRAMENTAL PREPARATIONS page for more details concerning the preparation for these two Sacraments of Initiation.
As we seek to make disciples of our children through the Sacramental life of the Church, at St. Gabriel Parish, we implement the good work of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. We do this in an intentional way through our formation program which aligns with this mission. Your family and your child are constantly invited to explore, develop and deepen your relationship with Christ through the Church.
Each year that a child returns to his or her religious education, another critical stepping stone of his or her journey towards Christ is continued! This applies to us adults as well! We are called to grow each and every year in our faith if we want to be able to pass it on to others! It’s like the saying “If you don’t use it, you lose it!” As parents and adults, we must continually seek to grow in our relationship with God. It is the only way we will be able to truly pass our faith on to our children and for them to take it in, make it their own, and pass it on to their children! If we aren’t growing closer to Jesus in our faith each year then we are Spiritually dying! Growth and devotion to the faith start with an understanding of Catholicism and the beautiful call to be disciples. The volunteer teachers leading each classroom are individuals dedicated to growing their faith and to the growth of their students’ spiritual lives.
We encourage all children ages 3yrs old and up to begin their faith journey through the beautiful Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. Come and see our beautiful dedicated spaces for this dynamic formation program based on the Scripture, the Mass, the Sacraments, and developing a personal relationship with Jesus!
For more information about The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (C.G.S.) and our "state of the art" atria, please CLICK HERE or contact Bonnie Schoofs in the parish office for more information and to set up a time to begin orientation.
For more information on Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, please visit https://www.cgsusa.org/
"If God is presented to the child through tangible and meaningful activities, it will do more for the child than just arouse interest; it will create in the child a sense of joy, admiration, and wonder."
-Maria Montessori
We are working towards including 2nd grade in our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program for sacramental preparation. At this time we use the Blessed program from Dynamic Catholic as our primary formation tool. Second-grade students will meet in a traditional classroom setting each week. It is through this program that children receive preparation to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion, which the Archdiocese of Milwaukee celebrates in 2nd Grade. It is important to note that if you are interested in having your child receive these sacraments, they should attend formation the year prior to the sacramental prep. class, to receive proper formation for these special sacraments.
For more information contact Bonnie Schoofs the Director of Children’s Ministry at [email protected] Bonnie will return your call if you leave a message at the parish office at 262-628-1141.