Librarian & Catechist: Richena Curphey (’02)

During the week, Richena Curphey (’02) serves as the College’s head librarian, but on the weekend she goes by another name — “Miss Richena” — and serves an altogether different role as a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) catechist at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fillmore, California. There she maintains a CGS atrium, where the children in her class of 6-to-9 year-olds come to learn about the Faith through a hands-on curriculum based on Montessori principles.

Writing for Angelus, the official publication of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, columnist Heather King tells the story of Miss Curphey’s catechetical work at St. Francis, and why she is so devoted to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. “It’s so much easier simply to buy a workbook,” Miss Curphey remarks. “But CGS has both an intellectual and a relational component. The child is building a relationship with Jesus Christ. That takes time, quiet, and someone who’s willing to be patient. But, oh, what great work it is. It is God’s work in the hearts of the children and in my soul.”

You can read the full story via The Angeleus website.