Almost seven years ago, St. Ignatius welcomed the first group of small children to the special space called the Good Shepherd Atrium. Fast forward to today and you’ll see several of these same children stepping up to serve as youth assistants in the atrium, along with others who have joined over the years.
“The assistants make a huge difference. They support the work of the catechists in small ways, like taking attendance, and also in big ways, such as reading the gospels to the little ones as they work with the hands-on materials,” says coordinator Rebecca Malone.
Since 2018, when twelve kids and three adult catechists launched the program, our numbers have expanded to more than fifty kids and twelve catechists, with seven 90-minute sessions taking place each week.
The Good Shepherd Atrium encourages peacefulness and independence as children come to know Jesus through hands-on activities. The rooms are busy and happy, and the program’s success is due to the engagement of caring volunteers, including our young people.
“In a world where so much in life is structured, the Atrium is a sacred space, almost like a retreat centre, which creates opportunities for children to listen for the voice of God — the Good Shepherd who first loved them into being and called them by name. It is a place where children’s faith can take root and grow wings, and a sense of wonder is celebrated.” (Amalia Issa, catechist and mom)
Our vision for the NextGen ministries is to offer an engaging experience for volunteers that feeds their own faith while serving kids and youth.
In July, we’ll be hosting a training course for new catechists, so please spread the word. Before too long, we hope that those who are helpers now will become catechists themselves!
Read more at stig.ca/atrium
