Heritage Program Modules
Aquinas Institute, in collaboration with CGSUSA, is excited to announce an online learning opportunity with its Heritage Modules. This year-long slate of multiple course offerings is designed to bring catechists who have finished at least one level of CGS formation into common study and conversation around the 20th century events and thinkers who have most influenced the development of the CGS movement.
Participants are expected to dedicate between two and four hours per week for reading, online discussion, and possible Zoom discussion for each six-to-eight-week module.
Descriptions of the Heritage modules, beginning in 2027, are below, including the length of each option and the recommended level of formation for the catechist given the material in each class. Registration begins August 1, 2026. Make sure to stay informed about more ACWP news--get Aquinas Weekly in your inbox!
Module Schedule 2027
MODULE DESCRIPTIONS
Introductory Unit
8 weeks
This module is the first in the series and the only one that is highly recommended for those participating in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) Heritage program. The module offers a general introduction to the modernist trends associated with the early 20th century and how they affected the scriptural and liturgical theology of the time. It then considers how Word War II and the Jewish Shoah significantly shifted or further developed the theology of the time. Toward the end of the module, participants will begin to consider how the aforementioned trends and events influenced the work of Montessori education and the Second Vatican Council, both of which played a foundational role in CGS Heritage. The module closes with an introduction to Cavalletti's "My Readings" essays, which form the basis for all future modules in CGS Heritage.
Maria Montessori
6 weeks
This module focuses on Maria Montessori (1879-1952), an Italian physician and pioneering educator who developed a revolutionary child-centered educational method based on observation and hands-on learning. She created the first "atrium" in Barcelona for children's faith formation, including materials still used today. Her positive vision of childhood potential profoundly influences Sofia Cavaletti's development of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, and this module intends to explore that influence. Participants will learn more about her life with a special focus on her writings related to faith formation.
Recommended for: Level 1 and above catechists
Abraham Heschel
6 weeks
This module focuses on the life and writing of Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), a Polish-born Jewish theologian who escaped Nazi Germany, losing most of his family in the Holocaust. A prolific writer and scholar, his works on Jewish spirituality influenced Nostra Aetate (Latin for "In our time"; Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions) and thinkers like Sofia Cavaletti.
Recommended for: Level 1 and above catechists
Norman Perrin & Paul Ricoeur on the Parables
6 weeks
This module will briefly introduce English biblical scholar Norman Perrin (1920-1976) and French philosopher Paul Ricoeur (1913-2005) with a special focus on their work with the parables of the Kingdom of God, found so often in the preaching of Jesus, and a core theme in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd movement. Participants will have the opportunity to explore how these scholars highlighted many of the same parables featured in CGS, while also receiving a short introduction to a modern German parable scholar with a similar value for catechists, Gerhard Lohfink.
Recommended for: Level 1 and above catechists
Francesco Rossi de Gasparis, SJ
6 weeks
This module will introduce Francesco Rossi de Gasperis, an Italian Jesuit priest and Scripture scholar specializing in Jewish-Christian dialogue and the Jewish roots of Christianity. Teaching at the Gregorian University and Biblical Institute in Jerusalem, he emphasized that Christianity began in Jerusalem, not Rome--a perspective referenced in Cavalletti's writing and one she saw as paralleling children's spiritual insights. Participants will gain insight into Rossi de Gasparis's life and the writings that shaped CGS.
Recommended for: Level 3 catechists
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ
8 weeks
This module introduces Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955), a French Jesuit priest, paleontologist, and theologian who synthesized evolutionary science with Christian faith. His cosmic vision of creation's convergence toward unity in Christ profoundly influenced Cavalletti's understanding of salvation history, particularly in presentations of God's plan, the Parousia, and Eucharist. Participants will explore Teilhard's life and a selection of his writings most related to CGS themes.
Recommended for: Catechists who have completed the first half of Level 2 and above
Jewish Interpretation of Creation and the Flood
6 weeks
Acknowledging the long study of the Hebrew Scriptures engaged by Sofia Cavalletti, this module will introduce participants to Jewish approaches to reading and interpreting the creation stories of Genesis.
Recommended for: Level 3 catechists
Jewish Interpretation of the Abraham Story
6 weeks
Acknowledging the long study of the Hebrew Scriptures engaged by Sofia Cavalletti, this module will introduce participants to Jewish approaches to reading and interpreting the Abraham story from the book of Genesis.
Recommended for: Level 3 catechists