Catholic Info
Traditional Catholic Faith => SSPX Resistance News => Topic started by: Stanley N on May 20, 2020, 12:19:20 AM
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Does anyone have experience with the "Catechesis of the Good Shepherd" (CGS)?
https://www.cgsusa.org/discover/the-cgs-method-past/history/
CGS seems to have originated in the 1950s and has a connection with Montessori education. I am aware of the theory of Montessori but I don't know anyone who had their kids in a Montessori school, so insight into that would also be appreciated.
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It seems that it ecuмenical as it is serving Catholic, Ortodox and protestants, according to the Find a course page. Doesn't sound too trustworthy
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Thanks Nadir.
I take it nobody has personal experience with Montessori or CGS in particular?
Montessori is an approach in which children learn by guided interaction with a physical environment CGS, influenced by Montessori techniques, appears to also involve using objects, for example a child-sized altar and vestments to guide them to learn about liturgy.
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I have never heard of this. But, it does sound great for children! ::)
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I take it nobody has personal experience with Montessori or CGS in particular?
Montessori is an approach in which children learn by guided interaction with a physical environment CGS, influenced by Montessori techniques, appears to also involve using objects, for example a child-sized altar and vestments to guide them to learn about liturgy.
At the age of 5-6 I was sent to a Montessori-preschool for one year, in the 1960s. But I can't give any useful comment on Montessori education from that.
Noteworthy though: Montessori and the Theosophical Society (https://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/1409-montessori-and-the-theosophical-society).
Montessori was a friend of Annie Besant, she taught at Adyar (Theosophical Headquarters in India) and wrote a book titled Education for a New World.
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CGS in particular?
Montessori is an approach in which children learn by guided interaction with a physical environment CGS, influenced by Montessori techniques, appears to also involve using objects, for example a child-sized altar and vestments to guide them to learn about liturgy.
Montessori doesn't have a claim on those "techniques". The fact that everything we know comes through our senses dates back to Aristotle.
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Montessori education is good for preschool and kindergarten. Then kids begin serious study. The best Catholic homeschool program( I think) is this one
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjSmuGpwcjpAhUBmHIEHdqLBOcQFjAAegQICxAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fclassicalliberalarts.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw26vY71StXwcRrY41XQYqYo (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjSmuGpwcjpAhUBmHIEHdqLBOcQFjAAegQICxAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fclassicalliberalarts.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw26vY71StXwcRrY41XQYqYo)
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Thanks for the replies. The situation was that some who do children's catechism in my church were thinking of adopting the CGS philosophy because it appears to align with things they already did. They were also considering getting CGS certified.
They asked for opinions. My immediate response was that we didn't need certification. If the catechists wanted, they (and some others with education backgrounds) could read the books from the CGS originator over the summer and use what was agreed was good.
To me, Montessori seems to take one good thing and run with it; if there is "bad" it's mainly in the possible exclusion of other good things. If Montessori has theosophic influence, how does that reveal itself?
Compare Waldorf/Steiner education, which also focuses on experiential education, but its strange philosophy is evident even in earliest education.
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See https://www.cathinfo.com/catholic-living-in-the-modern-world/the-montessori-met/
The primary error in the method is that is denies that the child suffers from the effects of Original Sin and needs to be disciplined and pushed to work.
God bless,
Fr. MacDonald
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See https://www.cathinfo.com/catholic-living-in-the-modern-world/the-montessori-met/
This must be traceable to Rousseau’s anti-Catholic naturalist education philosophy.
Waldorf/Steiner education has direct influence from the Theosophical Society, which promotes a pantheistic philosophical religious system.
You don’t want your children anywhere near that.
Rudolph Steiner was a protégé of the Russian occultist, Helena Blavatsky, co-founder of the Theosophical Society.
She is notorious for bringing the occult to America. As her biographer said, “.. opening the way from everything from Yoga to Vegetarianism, to karma and reincarnation.”
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Montessori education is good for preschool and kindergarten. Then kids begin serious study. The best Catholic homeschool program( I think) is this one
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjSmuGpwcjpAhUBmHIEHdqLBOcQFjAAegQICxAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fclassicalliberalarts.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw26vY71StXwcRrY41XQYqYo (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjSmuGpwcjpAhUBmHIEHdqLBOcQFjAAegQICxAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fclassicalliberalarts.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw26vY71StXwcRrY41XQYqYo)
I don't know which is better, the one you have linked or the following one, but I know the following one is really terrific: https://www.ada.school/why-choose-ada/ (https://www.ada.school/why-choose-ada/)
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The best Catholic homeschool program( I think) is this one
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjSmuGpwcjpAhUBmHIEHdqLBOcQFjAAegQICxAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fclassicalliberalarts.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw26vY71StXwcRrY41XQYqYo (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjSmuGpwcjpAhUBmHIEHdqLBOcQFjAAegQICxAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fclassicalliberalarts.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw26vY71StXwcRrY41XQYqYo)
I just got done taking a look at the school. Without assessing the school per se, I am left utterly amazed at how the founder and director Mr. William C. Michael could be so gung ho on today's military as seen in this extremely one sided rose colored glasses article posted at the website: https://classicalliberalarts.com/vocations/military-careers-for-catholic-homeschool-students/
(https://classicalliberalarts.com/vocations/military-careers-for-catholic-homeschool-students/)
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I just got done taking a look at the school. Without assessing the school per se, I am left utterly amazed at how the founder and director Mr. William C. Michael could be so gung ho on today's military as seen in this extremely one sided rose colored glasses article posted at the website: https://classicalliberalarts.com/vocations/military-careers-for-catholic-homeschool-students/
(https://classicalliberalarts.com/vocations/military-careers-for-catholic-homeschool-students/)
Indeed, I would be devastated if all my children chose a military career. One of ours joined the navy, out of lack of other opportunities. He survived and retained his faith, in spite the experience of being in such an environment. He was relieved when he finished his term and so were we. We need defense but the military is basically involved in unjustly interfering in the affairs of foreign nations causing great devastation andsuffering.