| Author | |
Jenn Sal
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 23 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 897
|
| Posted: April 14 2008 at 3:42pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
Does anyone know where I can find reasonably priced items for setting up an Atrium (from Catechesis of the Good Shepherd) in my home? My family was suposed to complete a family alter during Lent. But we were so sick, we didn't even start! Now I'm leaning more towards a "mini" Atrium. I'm not real crafty, but I'm willing to try anything to keep the costs down!
__________________
Jennifer, Texas
Wife to Mark, Mom to Cora 13,Kade 10, Sarah in Heaven 12/05, Colette 7, Corin 5, & Kieran 2
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Jenn Sal
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 23 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 897
|
| Posted: April 15 2008 at 1:45pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
No one seems to have any ideas? I just noticed another post about CGS in the home(I didn't even realize what it meant...I feel  ). I'm going to post in there. This idea just came to me about bringing the Atrium into my home. Now I'm seeing that many people here do it! Again, I'm feeling quite !
Please any ideas.......
__________________
Jennifer, Texas
Wife to Mark, Mom to Cora 13,Kade 10, Sarah in Heaven 12/05, Colette 7, Corin 5, & Kieran 2
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: April 15 2008 at 2:22pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Jennifer,
I'm sorry! I didn't want to leave you hanging. I've had so little time for computer the last few days, and your question, although simple, has a very complicated answer.
While I have a few minutes with the baby sleeping....
I think it's neat you feel inspired to do this at home. While there are helps to set up your own atrium, there is no simple place to buy affordable and finished atriums.
First of all, define what you mean by atrium? Are you following Moira Farrell's albums to use at home? Are you trying to use Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and implement at home?
An atrium, or Children's chapel, to quote Maria Montessori is:
The Child in the Church wrote:
People might think it was a new idea, but, as a matter of fact, it is a very old idea -- almost as old as the Church itself. In the early Church there was, indeed, a special room called the Atrium, generally adjoining the church, which was used for the trianing and instruction of the catechumens. It was, as you might say, a sort of anteroom to the Church, both in a literal and a metaphorical sense. Here, as in so many cases, we can, with great profit, take a "leaf out the book" of the early Church.
This room then, which one might call the Atrium, would be set apart for the preparation of little children for their full participation in the life of the Church. It would not simply be a question of teaching them their catechsim, but something much broader and deeper. This room would be a place where the religious sentiment would be born, and nurtured, where the children would be quite free in the expression of their religious instincts.
Just as my first schools in Rome were called "Children's Houses" (Case dei Bambini), so one might call these "Children Churches." Not of course in the sense that they should form a substitute for the real church -- which would be absurd -- but because everything in them would be directed toward initiating the children into the true life of the Church. |
|
|
Now, one can use MM's original ideas and implement them at home, or use the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd to form the official atrium, or take bits and pieces from what you have learned and make what works in your home. She describes it further in the book (which is now available again from The Catholic Shop.
To simply answer your original question, there is no simple place to get everything made for an atrium. Every atrium is "handmade" and put lovingly together by the catechists and those helping with the atrium.
Go back to your idea of a family altar. The one item found in atriums is the prayer table, which reflects the liturgical season with prayer cloths (color matching to the season), candles, the holy bible, small statues of the Good Shepherd, maybe of Mary, flowers.
Then there usually a miniature altar, with Mass items, so the child can learn about the Mass. The Mass kit is the easiest to find, from either Our Father's House or Catholic Montessori (not sure if they are shipping right now).
I'm finishing up my training for Level 1 of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. I've also read many of the books on the Catechesis, and own Moira Farrell's albums (and use them). I also send my son to a local Catholic atrium once a week, so I've really seen it from all sides. I only have made a few materials at a time, focusing on the Mass and the narratives of the life of Christ.
There has been some discussion on making materials and Happymama has a blog with some ideas.
I'd be glad to hash this out further...
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Jenn Sal
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 23 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 897
|
| Posted: April 15 2008 at 2:49pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Oh Jenn....you are so wonderful and thouhgtful! Thank you so much for taking the time to help me help my family on this journey that we feel called to do! It brought tears to my eyes when you mentioned going back to our family alter! For the last hour (between parenting the kids) I've been all over 4Real and checking out blogs. It's been very inspiring and reading your post helped pull it all together!
I'm going to take this slooow! I don't feel called to "doing" any specific material. I just want to bring some items in that the kids and I can use to "act out" the stories we love. I will look at Moria Ferrell's albums. I don't think I've checked those out yet. I've mostly been on the CGS's site.
As far as the Mass Kit, I have my son mostly in mind for that. I would love for him to touch everything that his little eyes can't see from the front pew!
Thank you again! I hope I didn't seem impatient.
__________________
Jennifer, Texas
Wife to Mark, Mom to Cora 13,Kade 10, Sarah in Heaven 12/05, Colette 7, Corin 5, & Kieran 2
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Marcia
Forum Pro
Joined: Aug 20 2007
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 437
|
| Posted: April 16 2008 at 3:38pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Other things you could have at your family prayer table is a small box of index cards with words for the littlest child to use as a prayer. I have written Alleluia, Thank you Jesus, etc. Having the first verse of the Psalm 23 is good as well. I put that on a 81/2 x11 page in simple printing or italics.
For a good shepherd presentation, you can make a small circle of green felt. Use a good shepherd statue or make one. In CGS, we use two dimensional things for the parables and three dimensional for real people (like Mary's visit to Elizabeth). Sheep are easy to cut out of card stock or poster board if you aren't wood savvy. Most children are greatful for whatever you are willing to present to them in a loving fashion. If you have the Good Shepherd, just take some time to make a little hand written booklet of the gospel passage from John 10. I do not include the wolf and heirling. I use these verses John 10:3-5 and 11-16. Good luck. My kids were so happy to listen at Mass last week since it was so familiar to them!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Mackfam
Board Moderator
Non Nobis
Joined: April 24 2006
Location: Alabama
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 14656
|
| Posted: April 16 2008 at 9:15pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Jenn Sal wrote:
| Does anyone know where I can find reasonably priced items for setting up an Atrium (from Catechesis of the Good Shepherd) in my home? My family was suposed to complete a family alter during Lent. But we were so sick, we didn't even start! Now I'm leaning more towards a "mini" Atrium. I'm not real crafty, but I'm willing to try anything to keep the costs down! |
|
|
Jennifer,
I'm not sure if you are asking about an atrium, or setting up your CGS area and presentations? Our home atrium is our family feast table (or family altar). Jenn quoted from Maria Montessori, "This room would be a place where the religious sentiment would be born, and nurtured, where the children would be quite free in the expression of their religious instincts." This is the truest expression of an atrium in my opinion, and it is what we try to foster in our home with our feast table.
If you are looking to create or rather foster an atrium in your home, think of carving out a niche somewhere that the children can easily access - a shelf on a bookcase, a small table, the top of a chest - and begin to celebrate the liturgical year in ways that the children can touch and see. Beautiful art, statues, holy cards, lilies, blessed candles, a lovely crucifix and other holy reminders can be gathered and set out with the rhythm of the liturgical year. My children love setting up the table, and arranging and rearranging. They are very thoughtful with their placement of the reminders.
Our CGS supplies and presentations are stored under our feast table. This year was challenging for me, I did not have the time needed to devote to creating new presentations. But the children didn't mind. They enjoyed re-enacting the presentations from last year, they didn't seem stale at all to them and that spoke volumes to me about the depth of the presentations.
Does this even come close to answering your original question??? I agree with Jenn, go back to your original idea of the family altar. Work to create a space set aside. You can perhaps take the summer to work on a few presentations for CGS that you could present next year. I hope this was helpful Jennifer and not just me rambling. 
__________________
Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Jenn Sal
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 23 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 897
|
| Posted: April 18 2008 at 9:45pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Marcia...the index cards idea is great! 
Jennifer...I'm still going to just stick with the family alter. I talked to my husband and daughter and they agree. As a family, we are going to see what we each feel called to add to the alter. I'm planning on getting the Mass Kit and also making the alter cloths.
Thank you everyone for your help!
__________________
Jennifer, Texas
Wife to Mark, Mom to Cora 13,Kade 10, Sarah in Heaven 12/05, Colette 7, Corin 5, & Kieran 2
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Reasonably priced Atrium at home
