“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see…, for prophets and kings desired to see what you see…” Luke 10:23-24

The atrium is a place prepared for the religious life of children in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.   The atrium is also a chamber of the heart.  We have found that the heart of the child is deep and open to the loving call of our Good Shepherd.  We know that when given time and the space of an environment prepared for their religious life, children are quite content to contemplate the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.  Like Mary, in the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, they keep all these things and ponder them in their hearts.  We have observed as well that children’s spirituality is often manifested in their artwork.  We pay special attention to this artwork of children because it can profoundly articulate their relationship with God.  Mary Mirrione returns to the podcast to dive into this mystery of the children’s artwork with us.

Mary Mirrione began working with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd 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 worked with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Honduras and Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity throughout the States as well as in Manila, Philippines Western Europe and Kolkata, India.  Mary served on the Board of the National Association and is a member of first cohort at Aquinas Institute to receive a Masters in Pastoral Ministry in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She serves as a faculty member of Kino Catechetical Institute in the Diocese of Phoenix. She is a consultant for the USCCB Subcommittee on the Catechism.  Since 2010, she serves as the National Director for the United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. For more information on this approach to religious formation with children please go to our website.

Artistic Expression of Children in the Atrium by Tilde Cocchini

Inspiring Art Expression in the Atrium by Marty O’Bryan -

Do You See What I See? – article about The HeART of the Child exhibit

The HeART of the Child Art Book

The HeART of the Child Video

We are committed to providing resources and services to aid in living out of our mission to support catechists, parents, and others in the Church and beyond, as they grow in their understanding of the religious potential of children. Even while we see a decrease in income (loss of course registration fees, book sales, new memberships, and the sales of resources and materials from Shepherd’s Closet.) The Light of Our Good Shepherd sustains us in these times. May you feel inspired to help others to rejoice in His Sustaining Light please donate today.  Thank you.

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