SonFlower Region Page Spring 2016 1 President Jennifer O’Malley Atchison, Kansas Vice President Lynn Smith Kansas City, MO Treasurer Janet Lovick Prairie Village, Kansas Recording Secretary Cathy McCaig Lee’s Summit, Missouri Corresponding Secretary Shelli Lange Lee’s Summit, Missouri Formation Leader Representative Jeanne Wichman Lenexa, Kansas Ellen Balke Jones Overland Park, KS Jo Engert Lee’s Summit, MO Shannon Rasmussen Lawrence, Kansas www.CGSKsMo.org E-mail the board at [email protected]or contact it through Corresponding Secretary Shelli Lange 4184 SW Lafayette Place Lee’s Summit, MO 64082 SERVING THE CHILDREN OF KANSAS AND NORTHWEST MISSOURI Recently, I was visiting with a friend of mine and she was telling me about a realization her children had after watching the movie Babe. Apparently, talking animals aside, they did not think the movie was very realistic because they did not understand how the sheep could allow themselves to be treated so poorly. Surely no real sheep would succumb to such cruelty from the other animals? And that is when my friend helped them realize the truth about sheep. They are dirty. They are smelly. And, yes, they really are stupid. But the sheep do have one thing going for them: they have a shepherd. And they trust that shepherd so implicitly, that they will follow him whenever he calls. My friend, like most catechists would, seized the opportunity to draw her children into the mystery of our own Shepherd a little further. The Shepherd loves us. He loves His dirty, smelly, and sometimes stupid, sheep. So much so that John, in Chapter 10, verse 28 reminds us that our Shepherd “...gives [us] eternal life, and [we] shall never perish. No one can take [us] out of [His] hand.” The sheep do not question the shepherd, nor do they ignore his calling. They hear his voice and they follow. They know there will be green pastures a n d r e s t f u l waters. The shepherd wants nothing but to care for the sheep and the sheep allow themselves to be cared for by him. In this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, we are reminded of the importance of this level of trust. St. Faustina, one of the great Divine Mercy saints, in her Diary (#283), prayed, “Let no soul, even the most miserable, fall prey to doubt; for as long as one is alive, each one can become a great saint, so great is the power of God's grace. It remains only for us not to oppose God's action.” Simon Peter, when Jesus asked if any of the Twelve wanted to leave, summed it up nicely. He said, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69) During this Year of Mercy, let us strive to trust more in the Holy One. Let us take the example of the children around us in the atrium and flock to the Shepherd so that we too may claim the Kingdom of Heaven as ours. To whom shall we go, if not to the Shepherd? Let us take up our role as sheep. By Jennifer O'Malley CGS Sonflower Board President Dear Catechists, The Grapevine Spring 2016 “Follow The Son” Vol. 9, Issue 1
Recently, I was visiting with a friend of mine and she was telling me about a realization her children had after watching the movie Babe. Apparently, talking animals aside, they did not think the movie was very rea l i s t i c because they d id not understand how the sheep could allow themselves to be treated so poorly. Surely no real sheep would succumb to such cruelty from the other animals? And that is when my friend helped them realize the truth about sheep. They are dirty. They are smelly. And, yes, they really are stupid. But the sheep do have one thing going for them: they have a shepherd. And they trust that shepherd so implicitly, that they will follow him whenever he calls. My friend, like most catechists would, seized the opportunity to draw her children into the mystery of our own Shepherd a little further. The Shepherd loves us. He loves His dirty, smelly, and sometimes stupid, sheep. So much so that John, in Chapter 10, verse 28 reminds us that our Shepherd “...gives [us] eternal life, and [we] shall never perish. No one can take [us] out of [His] hand.” The sheep do not question the shepherd, nor do they ignore his calling. They hear his voice and they follow. They know there will be green pastures
a n d r e s t f u l waters. The shepherd wants nothing but to care for the sheep and the sheep allow themselves to be cared for by him. In this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, we are reminded of the importance of this level of trust. St. Faustina, one of the great Divine Mercy saints, in her Diary (#283), prayed, “Let no soul, even the most miserable, fall prey to doubt; for as long as one is alive, each one can become a great saint, so great is the power of God's grace. It remains only for us not to oppose God's action.” Simon Peter, when Jesus asked if any of the Twelve wanted to leave, summed it up nicely. He said, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69) During this Year of Mercy, let us strive to trust more in the Holy One. Let us take the example of the children around us in the atrium and flock to the Shepherd so that we too may claim the Kingdom of Heaven as ours. To whom shall we go, if not to the Shepherd? Let us take up our role as sheep.
By Jennifer O'Malley CGS Sonflower Board President
Dear Catechists,
The Grapevine Spring 2016 “Follow The Son” Vol. 9, Issue 1
SonFlower Region Page Spring 20162
! Get The Latest News ! Please visit our website at www.CGSKsMo.org for information on upcoming formation courses and more. Communication is vitally important to a group such as ours that is spread throughout an entire state and beyond.
Check out Events on the website to see what is planned. See Certification Courses tab to find out what courses are being offered in our region. See whether your atrium is listed under Find an Atrium and that the information is correct. Also send in your photos and children’s work or prayers. Anything that shows children or their work must be accompanied by a parent release (on the website under Documents).
We hope to use the site as an additional forum for your questions and discussions. We also have a Facebook page: SonFlower Region Catechesis of Good Shepherd.
Did you know that there are resources for Parents on the National CGS website?
In addition to the materials manuals for creating and updating your atria, you can find all kinds of resources on www.cgsusa.org, the website for the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
You can find many great resources to share with parents. Just go to the drop down menu “About CGS” and choose “Parent Resources”. You will find information about praying with your child, the importance of the environment, prayer cards for parents, how to set up a prayer table and more. There are newsletters that share information about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and how parents can help foster their child’s spiritual growth.
These can be powerful tools in helping to educate parents about the format, learning process, and benefits of CGS.
Also under “About CGS” you will find a menu called “FAQ”. This contains answers to many questions that you might have as a
catechist or from parents. You’ll find answers to things like, “How much is a course?”, “Where can I buy materials?”, “How can I become a Formation Leader?” and more.
You can find information on the website about books to purchase for adults or children, music, formation courses, and even how to host your own formation course.
There are news articles to keep you up to date on what is going on with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd around the country and around the world.
Of course, the materials manuals are a priceless resource for creating and updating
your atria. The instructions and examples shown on the website often come straight from Sophia’s original atrium in Rome. Sometimes things can get lost in translation. If you should ever find a discrepancy or a mistake in the instructions, please let them know by clicking on the “Contact Us” menu. They are continually improving and updating the instructions and they welcome
your feedback! Check the website often for updates to the materials manuals.
See www.CGSUSA.org. for registration information
Become a Member of CGS National and receive free
access to online materials manuals
Resources on CGSUSA.ORG
Mark Your Calendar
November 5, 8:30 a.m.
Fall Conference & Sonflower Region Board Elections;
Keynote Speaker: To Be Announced
Location: To Be Announced
See www.CGSKsMo.org for new and current course listings in all three levels under the tab “Certification Courses”
Continuing & Upcoming Formation Courses (Kansas Residents may apply for a CGS Grant through the Archdiocese of Kansas City, KS)
Help much appreciated, always needed The SonFlower Region cannot fully bloom unless more catechists are involved. The nine-member board is
only part of the nutrients for a growing region. We also need people to serve on the financial aid committee, reviewing applications; to work on development, e.g., fund-raising, continuing education; to help with communications, e.g., newsletter, press releases, archives, and web site; to provide financial and legal assistance; to update the membership database.
We are growing quickly in this region and as the demand for more formation classes increases, we are in need of more Formation Leaders. If you feel this call to help form our future CGS Catechists, please contact us. We currently have three ladies in training to become Formation Leaders: Jeanne Wichman=Level 2, Cathe Wizcowski=Level 1, Karen Schmeer=Level 1. Please lift them up in your prayers as they continue their formation journey.
Like the mustard seed, the region began small, but the power of the Holy Spirit has strengthened and guided it. Like the leaven, though, it needs the work of human hands to help it grow and change with God’s grace. Please prayerfully consider serving the region in some capacity, be it small or large.
LEVEL 1, PART 2: #1-1221 •May 7, Jun 25, Jul 30, Aug 20, Sep 24, Oct 15, Nov 19, 2016 • 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. •St. Therese Education and Parish Center, KC North, MO •Registration due date Apr. 26, 2016 •Contact Jo Thornley Cox, 816-522-3002, [email protected]
LEVEL II, PART 2: #2-409 •Mar 5, Jun 12, Jul 8-10, Sep 10-11, 2016 •St. Stanislaus Parish, Rossville, KS •Contact Tonia Schuckman, 785-640-6783, [email protected]
LEVEL II, PART 2: #2-384 •May 26-28, 30-31, June 1-2 2016 Holy Family Atrium, Atchison, KS Benedictine College Ministry Registration due date Apr 26, 2016 •Contact Elizabeth Slobodnik, 913-240-1683, [email protected]
Watch the website for These Courses, More Details TBA:
Level I, Part I Aug 3,4,5,6 and 11,12,13 2016 Holy Trinity, Lenexa, KS Contact: Jo Thornley Cox
Level I, part 2: Sep 17, Oct 15, Nov 12 2016, Jan 7, Feb 11, Mar 4, Apr 1, 2017 Cure' of Ars, Leawood, KS Contact: Emily Lopez
Level II part 2 Sep 10, Oct 1, Dec 3 2016, Jan 28, Feb 18, Mar 25, Apr 8 2017 Holy Trinity, Lenexa, KS Contact: Pat Domann
Level III part 2 Aug 27, Sep 24, Oct 22, Nov 19, 2016, Jan 21, Feb 25, Mar 18, Apr 22, 2017 Holy Trinity, Lenexa 9am-4:30pm Registration due date Jul 29, 2016 Contact Julie Baltuska 913-633-8909 [email protected]
Helpful Formation Policies to Remember:
1) You can miss one day of Formation per Part for a total of two per Level to receive certification in that Level.
2) hostesses are paid $200 per part. Registrars $50 per part.
3) Registrars are required to keep the enrollment forms and turn them in to the Corresponding Secretary (Shelli Lange this year). The Sonflower Board is required to keep those for 3-5 years for everyone who participates.
* Applications for financial aid may be requested through National CGS at www.CGSUSA.org or through the Sunflower Region at [email protected]. Applications generally are due a month before the registration date
We are so grateful to the Archdiocese of Kansas City,
Kansas for offering a Grant to assist Catechists in formation.
For more information, please visit: http://www.archkck.org/file/ecat-
youth-documents/CGS-grant_scholarship-final.pdf
Congratulations to our newly certified Level 1 Catechists, graduates of the
course held at Our Lady of the Presentation, Lee’s Summit, MO
Our new atrium at St. Ann in Prairie Village is beautiful. It’s a large, former first grade classroom. We feel so blessed to be in our new space. But, like most atria, our beginning was much more humble. My husband and son and I moved to the Midwest in 2007, when our son was seven years old. He started second grade at St. Ann’s. I went to the daily mass occasionally and I met a nice group of young moms. One of them was Andrea Loop and she quickly began to fill me in about Catechesis of the Good Shepard. Mary Ann Kancel was coordinating the
program at the time and I enrolled my son. The following year Andrea asked me if I would assist her parish 3-6 year atrium and I agreed. I am amazed that I continued in this work after that year! Our class had 11 boys and one girl. One day when one of the boys made some comment about Lillian being the only girl she replied, “Well Miss Lynn is a girl!” She was spunky! Andrea began asking me if I would consider
going to formation and becoming a catechist. She had to ask several times! But eventually I agreed and I am so glad. I had no idea what a blessing the formation itself would be for me. I learned about my faith. I experienced wonderful fellowship. I was blessed to come to know my formation leaders, Marilee Quinn, Diane Olsen, and Jeanne Wichman. I was able to bring this knowledge home, not just to my atrium, but to my family as well. At that time in 2007 our atrium was in a
space that could perhaps best be described as a large closet. And it had an amazingly unusual shape-it seemed like everywhere you looked there was a corner. There were no windows. We had a serious mold problem the whole time we were there, despite many efforts against it. But, it was a place of beauty. When the
children came in, it was an atrium and they didn’t care about funny corners and no windows. Mary Ann Kancel miraculously found a place inside that space for everything we needed. It wasn’t ideal but together we made it work. I was blessed to come to know Janet Lovick
and Megan Schumm. They also had moved to Kansas City in 2007 and enrolled their children in CGS and
the three of us went through level one formation together. Janet and I now coordinate the CGS program at St. Ann’s and together with Megan and several other wonderful ladies we are all catechists in the parish and school programs. In 2012 a building campaign started at St.
Ann. New, much needed additional classrooms were built onto the school. Janet was on the Building Committee and worked together with them to secure one of the former first grade classrooms for our new atrium. That summer we worked with our fellow
catechists and made the room work as best we could for that first year, covering up the grease boards with fabric. Our 6-9 year old class was growing and we created a new larger space for our 6-9 atrium materials and expanded to offer catechesis for 9-12 year olds for the first time that year. The space felt so large to us! Last summer, after we had been in our new
space for a year, we enlisted help to take down the grease boards, smooth out the walls and paint them a light tan. We were amazed at the transformation! It looked like a real atrium. We currently have four 3-6 level parish
atria, and one combined 6-9/9-12 atrium. In the school we provide catechesis for kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade. We now serve over 200 children per week in this one room! Our program continues to grow and we are
blessed to have additional ladies going through formation. Recently, after discussion with the school principal and our pastor, starting next year we will be able to use the classroom next door to us as a second atrium. We will share this space with the school paras. We will be busy this summer creating this
second atrium but we are very grateful for all that God has blessed us with, and all the work done by those who came before us, from our humble beginnings until now!
By Lynn Smith, St. Ann’s Parish, Prairie Village, KS
Catechist’s Corner St. Ann Catholic School, Prairie Village, KS
But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matt 19:14
SonFlower Region Page Spring 20165
What is the SonFlower Region?
The Regional Board developed the following Purpose, Mission Statement, and Vision. Annual strategic goals are set each year in January. Read the following to have a better understanding of our SonFlower association.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the SonFlower Region of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is to assist the involvement of adults and children in a common religious
experience in which the religious values of childhood predominate.
MISSION STATEMENT
With the guidance of Father, Son, and Spirit and in accordance with the National Association and the International Council of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, the mission of the SonFlower Region of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is to nurture understanding of the religious potential of children and support the growth of CGS atria in the state of Kansas and the Kansas City, Mo., metro area.
VISION
The SonFlower Region will provide ongoing formation and enrichment opportunities for regional catechists.
The SonFlower Region will spread the understanding of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd by educating church leaders and offering “Seed Plantings” at the school, parish, and diocesan levels.
The SonFlower Region will develop the infrastructure of the organization with the guidance of an elected board.
The SonFlower Region will establish regular contact with catechists through written, voice, and visual electronic media.
The SonFlower Region will promote membership in the National Association of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, work in harmony with it, and provide support when requested.
