St. Columbkille Catholic School - Dubuque recently received a St. Katharine Drexel Grant from The Catholic Foundation in the Archdiocese of Dubuque (CFAD) for its Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program. As part of the strategic plan for the school, the program cultivates an interactive faith formation program for kids aged three to six. Children in this program have the opportunity to take ownership of their faith, see their purpose and live out their calling to be excellent in accordance with the Lord’s will for them.
CGS offers tangible tools to help children enter the mystery of the Eucharist by learning the names of the articles used in the Mass and the meaning of the gestures of the Liturgy. They do this in a focused setting called an atrium. “I see and hear them using language from the program. When we do our faith formation lessons, I notice that the children have been making stronger connections,” said Meredith Willman, principal of St. Columbkille School.
CFAD’s St. Katharine Drexel Grant helps Catholic organizations in the Archdiocese of Dubuque with new projects that provide a Work of Mercy needed in their area and/or new evangelization efforts to bring people closer to Christ and His Church. “Our students are so excited to get into the atrium. We anticipated the young children to struggle maintaining focus and perseverance in their work for 45 minutes, but have learned that they desire more time,” said Holly Flood, teacher of CGS. Williams added, “We are excited to expand this program next year. It has been a huge blessing to be able to purchase beautiful materials that aid in helping our students fall in love with Christ and His Church through their own meaningful experiences.”
Photo: Kevin Schmitt, CFAD board member, left, and Michael Becker, CFAD operations manager, right, present the grant to Meredith Willman, St. Columbkille principal, middle.