The Good Shepherd and the Child by CGSUSA

March 26, 2025 Episode 138. CGS and Ignatian Spirituality with Fr Joseph Hill

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27

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Fr Joseph shares with us about how he got involved in The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and a few of the parallels he sees between CGS and Ignatian Spirituality.

Fr. Joseph Hill, SJ was born in Phoenix, AZ, raised in a Catholic family with his three brothers. At nine years old his family moved to England, where he attended Catholic schools and then the University of Oxford, earning a BA in theology in 2003. In 2004 he entered the Jesuit seminary in south Louisiana. Taking religious vows after two years, he was sent to study philosophy at Fordham University in New York, graduating with an MA in 2009. He then spent three years teaching theology at Jesuit High School, New Orleans. In 2012 he was sent to study theology at FAJE in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, earning a MA in 2014. Then he returned to Boston, earning a MEd at Boston College in 2015. He was ordained a Catholic priest on June 13th, 2015. For one year he worked at Parroquia San Ignacio in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and served as chaplain of Academia San Ignacio parish elementary school. It was in Puerto Rico that he became familiar with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. With the help of two excellent catechists and the school leaders, they implemented CGS Level I in the school. In August 2016 he moved to St. Louis, where he taught and worked in campus ministry at St. Louis University High School. During this time Fr. Hill, SJ completed a Doctor of Education degree from Vanderbilt University. Since July, 2021 he has lived in Tampa, FL, working as a Province vocation promoter.

Growing Seeds

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Growing Seed Donor Form. Access will also be granted to all existing recurring donors as of January 15, 2025. The recordings will be available through June 30, 2026.

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In 2024, The United States Association of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd began celebrating 40 years of being an association of catechists who listen to God with children in the United States and around the world.

In honor of our 40 years of remaining with children, we are launching a new sustainable giving program at CGSUSA: Growing Seeds.

As part of Growing Seeds, your regular, automatic gift is simple and convenient, allowing you to spread your philanthropy over time. It also provides CGSUSA with a more predictable source of income so we can focus on sustaining and supporting the religious life of children and those who serve them.

For a minimum gift amount of $15 per month ($180 per year), you will automatically be recognized as a CGSUSA Growing Seeds donor, giving you one year of access to the recordings from Between Memory and Hope: 40th Anniversary Celebration as our way of thanking you for your generosity. Please be sure you are logged in to your CGSUSA Membership account and complete the online giving form.

Access to the video recordings is available to Growing Seeds donors until June 2026, at which point we’ll have a new gift for you. For less than $5 per week, you will be able to access all the video and audio recordings from the Between Memory and Hope plenary sessions and workshops, including the full recording of Fr. Joseph Hill’s presentation, “CGS and Ignatian Spirituality,” as well as “The Metaphysical Child: To Live and Move and Have Their Being,” “Observations Serving Toddlers in the Atrium,” and “Memories of Sofia and Gianna with the Children.” These presentations would make wonderful topics for catechist retreat days, parent education sessions, and other continuing education for those who serve children.

Thank you for joining us in sustaining CGSUSA with a recurring gift.

Items from the Store You May be Interested In:

Purchase the Religious Potential of the Child HERE

Preaching with Children

Podcast Episodes With Priests:

Episode 29 – CGS and Christian Unity with Bishop Talley

Episode 32 – A Priest in the Atrium

Episode 125. A Priest in CGS with Fr Kevin Douglas

BECOME AN ORGANIZATION MEMBER! Organization Members are any entity (church/parish, school, regional group, diocese, etc.) that either offers CGS and/or supports those who serve the children as catechists, aides, or formation leaders) Organization Members also receive the following each month:

Bulletin Items - 4 bulletin articles for each month. We have a library of 4 years of bulletin items available on the CGSUSA Website.

Catechist In-Services to download TODAY and offer your catechists. We have six in-services available on the website.

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Catechist Prayers and prayer services

and so much more!

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AUDIOBOOK:

Audiobook – Now Available on Audible

CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!

The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child’s spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.

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