Parishioners build sacred space

By Gina Kuruvilla 

St. Mary Parish, Shrewsbury 

As I reflect on my experience of starting a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) Level I atrium for pre-school children at my parish, I am reminded of the limitless possibilities that open up when one says “yes” to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  

My first awareness of CGS was at a presentation of the parable of the Good Shepherd by Mary Pat Heelan at the Chancery. In the time it took her to put the last little wooden lamb into its fold, I was irrevocably smitten. Inspired by this method of catechesis in which the child is encouraged to ponder and delve into the mysteries of our faith and come to a joyful and deeply personal discovery of Jesus the Good Shepherd, I wondered whether we could start an atrium, a specially designed place of prayer for young children, at St. Mary Parish in Shrewsbury.  

I started to pray about it. 

In 2020, I “retired” from my position at St. Mary and planned to spend an extended period of time in India with my elderly father. But COVID struck, the borders closed and … I completed 90 hours of training for Level 1 of CGS, which is for children ages 3-6. (We wore our masks, and ate in our cars, following COVID safety protocols, but every minute of it was a joyful experience.)  

I asked my pastor, Msgr. Michael F. Rose, whether we could offer CGS at St. Mary and was so grateful when he said, “Yes.” Next, I asked Agata Hannoush, a fellow parishioner, who had also completed CGS training, whether she would co-teach with me, and she said, “Yes.” Then I asked my friend Martha Serafin, a catechist of many years, if she would assist, and she too said, “Yes.”  

So now, I had space, and teachers but no furniture or materials. I started to look at every “thing” differently. All manner of treasure and junk received my careful consideration – would this work for the atrium? A friend who stopped by my house on her way to bring items to Savers thrift store was puzzled when I pounced on her ancient wooden video rack (it now houses Practical Life materials) and her small wooden turntable (perfect as a base for the Paschal candle and additional votives for the Pentecost celebration). Another friend scouted around for a free shelf unit and the two of us carried it huffing and puffing down four flights of stairs and drove it to church with one half sticking out of the trunk of my car, praying that the cords holding it in place would not give way.  

Frank St. Pierre, a holy and faith-filled parishioner, made all of the wooden catechetical materials. He celebrated his 80th birthday in between the Annunciation and Visitation dioramas! In addition to being a skilled woodworker and a perfectionist, his natural tendency is to work at the speed of light. Nearly everything I needed for the Level 1 atrium was patiently and lovingly created in the span of 3 1/2 weeks.  

Frank’s wife, Rita St. Pierre, sewed all of the tablecloths for the prayer table and the model altar. Marti Page wrote all of the Scripture cards in beautiful calligraphy. Kristen Hastings and Jane Marie Ouellette made all of the vestments of the priest (child sized!). Jeanne Vaccaro painted 12 wonderful wooden apostles. Kelly Jefferson offered additional help. Piece by piece, one loving gesture of faith after another, the atrium began to take shape.  

Before we opened, we held a little thanksgiving service in the space, for all those who came together out of love for the one we know to be the Alpha and Omega - the beginning and the end - and our Good Shepherd. When we allow ourselves to be guided by the Spirit, beautiful bonds are forged, a faith community is created, and workers for the vineyard are found. 


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