Home Prayer Essentials

This collection of essentials for home prayer was requested by a parent and home catechist with children from 4 - 12 years old. Some of these items overlap with CGS levels 1, 2 & 3 and some are modified or original materials specifically for home use. Please check the description if you are only looking for official CGS materials.

Mothering Spirit also has a really great article about developing a home atrium.

 A few notes on purchasing/finding/making materials:*

*Note that these are either links to our products or affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support of our ministry.

Start with the prayer table:

• candles and seasonal candle holders (Advent/Lent, Christmas/Easter, and Pentecost),
• cloths in liturgical colors,
• prayer cards, and
• prayer card holders.

Environment: 

• open shelves (some folks use 3 shelves to indicate 3 age groups),
• work mats,
• light source (lamps or windows),
• trays with handles or trays without handles, and
• Make Market by Michael's also offers reliable quality craft boxes you can purchase in bulk.

Baptism: You may have many of these items at home from your own kids:

• baptism candle,
• white pillar candle (or see if your parish will give you one),
• white garment,
• Full-size Bible on decorative book stand (or wooden book on miniature book stand),
• Chrism-scented oil (and olive oil for Oil of Catechumens),
• glass bowl, and
• a large seashell.

• If you have an entry level scroll saw, you can make your own 2D figures and tablets.
• We use 1/8" (3mm) Baltic Birch Plywood or 1/4" (6mm) plywood for more stability.
• Spiral scroll saw blades with high TPI (teeth per inch) are the most versatile.

3D figures are recommended for Last Supper, Infancy Narratives, and Empty Tomb. 

• To make your own, many formation leaders recommend Sculpey-brand oven bake clay.
• To paint 2D or 3D figures, Folk Art acrylic paints are a reliable quality.
• Check out our blog posts on "How to Finish Your Wooden Figures" and "Painting Jesus: A Reflection for Artists and Catechists."

Dioramas: We offer a multi-use diorama with removable backdrops which you can paint or decoupage.

Maxims & Summary of the Law: Recommend using the Level 3 set with 17 tablets, which includes all the maxims used in level 2.

Materials for all ages from 3-12: There may be more, but these are highlights:

• Pearls with baskets and treasure chest,
• Large Good Shepherd figure, and
• Cenacle: walls, table, paten and chalice, & figures.