Catechism Program (weekend & CGS)

Catechism Program (weekend & CGS)

Faith Formation For Children & Youth

“Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation” –Mark 16:15

Catechesis is one of the most important ministries in the church as we share our faith and knowledge with our children and youth. The word “catechesis” comes from a Greek word that means “to echo” or “hand-down what has been received”. Our program therefore continues sowing the seeds by proclaiming through voice and action- the Word of God.

In the parish of St Ignatius, there are various opportunities and platforms where we can serve to develop our children’s Faith Formation.

Catechism Overview

What We Do
Our calling is to facilitate and nurture our children’s experience of the Love of Jesus Christ through:

Who We Are and Our Class Schedules

	We are a team of about 50 volunteer Catechists/Assistants teaching every weekend for classes from Primary 1 to Secondary 3. Classes begin in January and end in November. Classes on Saturdays are from 4.30pm - 5.30pm for Primary and 4.00pm - 5.30pm for Secondary. Classes on Sundays are from 9.45am - 10.45am for Primary and 9.45am -11.15am for Secondary.
We also have special classes on Sunday mornings catering for students who have missed other Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, First Holy Communion, Reconciliation). There is a Special Needs class on Saturdays too.

Programs We Use

Primary Levels Primary Levels - Call to Faith Program (for Primary levels) – Sat and Sun - Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (Pri 1-2) * more info below - Preparation for First Holy Confession and Communion at Primary 2 level

Secondary Levels - Modular approach – Crossroad Series & Confirmed in Faithful Community for Saturday and Sundays - Confirmation Camps in June for Sec 2 and 3 (3 days, 2 night live in) - Confirmation in Oct at Sec 3 level - Post Confirmation Program for Sec 4 level CONTACT INFORMATION   Co-ordinators: Lesley Devaser Hp : 8133 9422 lessgd@yahoo.com.sg   Emily Chiu Hp : 9630 8231 gechiu@singnet.com.sg Secondary camps: Ashley Swan (9756 5664) Post-Confirmation: Sherwin Chia (9642 7091) Maximilian Yap (9863 3461)

Catechesis of The Good Shepherd (CGS)

Our primary program also comprises Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS). CGS is an approach to the religious formation of children. It is rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the church, and the educational principles of Maria Montessori. Children gather in an "atrium," a room prepared for them, which contains simple yet beautiful materials that they use.

Atrium (behind Ignatius hall)

The "atrium" is an environment prepared especially for the children to learn about the life of Jesus and the liturgy of the Church with the use of many sensorial materials, including infancy narrative figures, a raised surface map, a model altar and a baptismal font. This concrete method of teaching the faith is similar to the way the Church teaches us through the sacraments, holy water, incense, and statues

Who We Are

CGS has a team of over 25 trained catechists running pre-school and Primary 1 & 2 sessions (1 ½ hrs) at the Atrium. Children are prepared for First Holy Communion and receive the Sacraments of First Confession and First Holy Communion during their formation programme, which lasts at least 3 years.

Classes

Kindergarten sessions
Friday 2 pm and 4 pm to be replaced with 2011 sessions yet to be confirmed, please refer to weekly parish bulletin for registration details

Saturday sessions to be replaced with Sessions for children aged 6 - 9 years, in preparation for Sacraments
Friday 7 pm, Saturday 9 am and 2 pm (no vacancies in all sessions for 2011)

Saturday session
(Pr 1 & 2 mixed age groups)

Saturday 9 am, 11 am, 2 pm and 4 pm.

CONTACT INFORMATION

CGS Coordinator: Julie Phua - cgs.stignatius@gmail.com