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Forming those who form others

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Workshop:

EIC | The Vision of the Educating in Christ Approach

“Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14). Jesus had a special affection for children. He saw in them a unique capacity to receive the kingdom of God. When this capacity is understood and fostered, the child’s relationship with God blossoms. In this workshop – the first in the Educating in Christ (EIC) Track – we will learn about the EIC approach to religious education. This approach honors the child’s particular way of receiving God.  This workshop explores the history of the EIC approach, its key principles, and the basic structure of formation as an EIC educator. Most importantly, we will embark on a journey, with both God and children, that promises to form our hearts to become ever more like the Heart of the One Who said, “Let the children come to me . . .”

“Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 19:14 

By the end of this workshop, you will have:

  • Learned the history and important principles that form the foundation of the EIC approach.
  • Familiarized yourself with the EIC Track and website and will know where to go to find what you need throughout your formation.
  • Deepened your appreciation for God’s particular way of revealing Himself and the child’s particular way of receiving that Revelation.

Welcome to this workshop about the Vision of the Educating in Christ (EIC) approach!

This workshop is your first step in the formation process of becoming an EIC educator. Over the course of this track, our many presenters, led by Dr. Gerard O’Shea and Sr. Mary Michael Fox, OP, will explain the principles of the EIC approach and train you thoroughly. They will introduce you to the people who have influenced this approach. The workshop offers opportunities to explore the resources needed to implement  EIC principles with the children entrusted to your care.

This workshop is part of the first set of our EIC formation workshops. There are four sets in total (to see the workshops listed in each set, please view the EIC track sheet):

  • Foundation of Education in Christ
  • Keystone 1: Hearing and Giving Christ
  • Keystone 2: Believing and Worshiping in Christ
  • Keystone 3: Living and Praying in Christ

Picture a church building in your mind: you have the foundation, upon which everything else is built. The keystone is the stone in the center of an arch which bears the pressure and holds the archway together. There are also pillars, which support the walls and roof. 

The workshops for the Foundation of EIC introduce you to the approach and give you the key principles on which you will build everything else. 

The workshops for Keystone 1: “Hearing and Giving Christ” form you in hearing Christ in the Scriptures and giving Him to others as you put the EIC methodology into practice. 

The workshops for Keystone 2: “Believing and Worshiping in Christ” form your understanding of the rich gift of the Faith by immersing you in the content of the first two sections, or “pillars,” of the Catechism. These are the creed, which shapes our belief in Christ, and the liturgy, which shapes our worship in union with Him.

Finally, the workshops for Keystone 3: “Living and Praying in Christ” form your response to the gift of the Faith by immersing you in the content of the last two pillars of the Catechism. These are the moral life, where we experience a new way of living in Christ and prayer, which is the heartbeat of this new life. 

Having walked through this “church building,” you might think, “Where are the walls, the roof, and the furniture?” That will be your contribution! We are offering you the elements you need to form the basic structure but throughout your life, you will construct the walls as you integrate all that you learn.  Our prayer is that your formation in the EIC approach will help you to build a beautiful spiritual house of worship, in your own heart and in the hearts of the children in your care. 

As you begin, we encourage you to entrust your formation to Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is the patroness of this workshop, and this entire track, because of how she made God’s Revelation so powerfully accessible to a humble and childlike people. May her words to St. Juan Diego inspire and encourage you in your work of building a spiritual house of worship: 

I want very much that they build my sacred little house here: in which I will show Him; I will exalt Him and make Him manifest; I will give Him to the people in all my personal love, in my compassionate gaze . . . because I am truly your compassionate mother . . . 

(Antonio Valeriano, “Nican Mopohua,” the original 16th century account of the Guadalupe apparitions, 26-29).

“An interpersonal relationship is always a mystery; it is more so when it involves a relationship with God; when the relationship is between God and the child the mystery is greater still.” — Sofia Cavalletti, The Religious Potential of the Child, page 30

In this video, Sr. Mary Michael Fox introduces the EIC approach. One question she raises is, “How does EIC make a difference?” As you watch, please ask yourself, “How might EIC make a difference for the children in my life?”

As you begin your formation in the EIC approach, please spend a couple of minutes with the following questions:

  • What age group of children do you work with and what is your role (parent, teacher, or other)?
  • How did you decide to start the EIC Track?
  • What do you hope to gain from this formation?

If you are taking this workshop in a group, please share your answers with the rest of the group. If you are taking it as an individual, please share your answers with your mentor in the response box below.

Also, if you are taking this track as an individual, please take some time now to choose someone as your formation companion. This person will accompany you during your formation. Please reach out and ask that person  to fulfill this role for you. In the final task of this workshop, you will let your mentor know if you have been able to find someone or if you are still looking. 

If you are taking this workshop in a group, the people in the group already fulfill the role of a formation companion, so you do not need to worry about this step.

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“. . . we owe a great debt to the great Italian educator, Maria Montessori, and those who built upon her legacy in the field of religious education, particularly Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi.” — Dr. Gerard O’Shea, Educating in Christ, page 19

This segment highlights three women whose insights into children and their relationship with God form the foundation of the EIC approach: Dr. Maria Montessori, Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, and Gianna Gobbi.

For this task, please discuss the following questions with your group or share a sentence or two on each question with your mentor:

  • Had you heard of Montessori, Cavalletti, or Gobbi before starting this workshop?
  • If you had, what did you already know about them?
  • Do you have any questions and/or concerns with the things you have heard about these women in the past? If so, please share them.
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“. . . Maria Montessori . . . was a true pioneer in the fundamental field which education is; she accomplished lasting work in it.” — Pope St. Paul VI, Address on the Centenary of the Birth of Maria Montessori, 17 September 1970

In this segment, Gerard O’Shea tells us about who Maria Montessori was and the unique contribution she made to our understanding of the child. As you watch, you may like to note some of the key insights Montessori discovered about children.

For this task, we ask that you explore Maria Montessori’s impact on secular and religious education in more depth. Please read pages 1-3 of the reading handout, found at the beginning of this workshop. These pages contain Pope St. Paul VI’s address on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maria Montessori. After you have finished reading it, simply share with your group or with your mentor one thing which resonated with you and one thing which surprised you.

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“Like the mustard tree, which hosts birds in its branches, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was born from a tiny ‘seed,’ an unexpected encounter with children and God’s Word.” — Rebekah Rojcewicz, The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey, page v 

Gerard O’Shea now introduces us to Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi, the founders of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS). He lists three key elements of CGS that are also important in the EIC approach.

For this task, we will reflect on the riches we can draw from Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi’s legacy. Pages 4-5 of your reading handout contain a short preface to a beautiful book which supplements CGS formation: The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey. While it is written for CGS catechists, what it says about their formation is also true of formation for EIC educators. The author describes ways in which the formation enriches the lives of the adults, not just the children they will teach. After reading this, please share, with the group or with your mentor, one thing that is offered in this formation which you hope to grow in personally.

Note: This reading, and other readings throughout the track, uses some terms which may not be familiar, such as “atrium.” If you ever come across a word which is unfamiliar, you can visit our EIC FAQ page, which includes a subset providing a glossary of terms.

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“. . . I have enormous respect for the work of Sofia Cavalletti. . . . I wanted her permission to adapt some of her work . . . Cavalletti’s gracious answer indicated the depth of her faith and generosity. . . . it was her desire that ‘the Shepherd’s voice be heard as far and wide as possible.’” — Gerard O’Shea, “Children’s Catechesis: Educating in Christ — A Classroom Adaptation of the Work of Sofia Cavalletti,” in The Catechetical Review 

In this short segment, Gerard O’Shea tells the story of how the EIC approach grew out of the need to adapt CGS for a school setting with limited resources and space. 

Having watched this short history of how EIC came to be, please consider any questions you have about the EIC approach. Briefly share them with the group or with your mentor. 

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

Now, Gerard O’Shea describes EIC adaptations of CGS in more detail.  

Now that Gerard O’Shea has shared some details about what the EIC adaptation of CGS looks like, please return to your questions from the task in segment 5. Tell either the group or your mentor if this segment answered any questions and which questions still remain.

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“The good Lord does not do things by halves; He always gives what we need. Let us then carry on bravely.” — St. Zelie Martin, the mother of St. Thérèse of Lisieux 

In this segment, Gerard O’Shea addresses teachers directly, describing how EIC can help to renew the joy of teaching. He then turns to parents and describes how EIC can be a blessing in family life. As you watch, please consider how EIC could be a blessing in your particular situation as a teacher, a parent, or both.

There is no task for this segment, but before moving to the final segment, we invite you to pause. Perhaps, as you watched this video, you felt hopeful about the support EIC can offer in your work as a teacher or parent. On the other hand, you may be in a place where you feel overwhelmed at the thought of trying to fit EIC formation into a crowded schedule and a hectic life. Perhaps you feel daunted by the responsibility of leading the children in your care to know and love God. No matter what place you are in regarding EIC – hopeful, excited, exhausted, overwhelmed, underequipped – we encourage you to take to heart this short dialogue between St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe, receiving Mary’s words as addressed to you. It took place when St. Juan Diego was feeling hesitant about the obstacles in his way and incapable of the mission Our Lady entrusted to him: 

St. Juan Diego: “. . . I am . . . a man of no importance: I myself need to be led, carried on someone’s back, that place you are sending me to is a place where I’m not used to going . . . please excuse me . . .”

Our Lady: “Listen, my youngest and dearest son, know for sure that I have no lack of servants, of messengers, to whom I can give the task . . . But it is very necessary that you, personally, go . . . that my wish, my will, become a reality, be carried out through your intercession. . . . Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest and dearest son, that the thing that frightened you, the thing that afflicted you is nothing: do not let it disturb you, do not fear . . . Am I not here, I who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need? Let nothing else worry you, disturb you”

(Antonio Valeriano, “Nican Mopohua,” 55, 58-59, and 118-119).

“Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray” — Matthew 19:13

In this final segment, Sr. Mary Michael Fox gives a preview of the workshops in the EIC track and the resources available on the EIC website. 

For this task, we will take a tour of the EIC website: EducatingInChrist.com

Feel free to browse each section in the website’s navigation bar. We invite you to explore the “about” page in greater depth. This section of the site is designed to answer most of your questions as you move forward in this formation process. You can simply write “completed” in the response box below, so that your mentor knows that you have done the task.

If you are taking this workshop as an individual, please also tell your mentor if you have been able to find someone to be your formation companion or if you are having difficulty finding someone.

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Well done! You are nearing the end of the workshop! The last step towards completing this workshop is to answer the final questions below.

If you are being mentored through this workshop, please remember to submit the workshop to your mentor after answering these questions!

What are your two most pressing questions after completing this workshop?

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What was the one thing that surprised you most about the teachings in this workshop? 

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How could you see the information in this workshop currently applying to your ministry (for example, as a parent, as a parish catechist, as a teacher or pastor, etc.)? 

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Congratulations on completing this workshop! As members of the Body of Christ, let us continue to pray for each other that we may draw closer to God, along with the children in our care.

Patron Saint

Our Lady of Guadalupe,
pray for us!

Resources

Workshop Presenter

Sr. Mary Michael Fox, OP

Sr. Mary Michael Fox, OP, has been a member of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, in Nashville, for over thirty years. During that time...

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Gerard O'Shea, MEd, PhD

Dr. Gerard O’Shea, is a Professor of Religious Education at the University of Notre Dame, Australia, in Sydney. He is the author of...

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