Having been in the Atrium now for a number of weeks, many CGS communities are looking towards offering a Church Tour as an extension to the model altar, liturgical colors, and vestments. In the ideal world, a Church Tour would always happen a few weeks after an altar presentation with a small number of children to look at just a few items.
The Church Tour is intended to be an opportunity to look more closely at “the real” which our Atrium models point us towards, keeping in mind that we always want to offer “rich food, but not too much of it.” While there is a gift in the catechist offering this tour, as the language of the Atrium in explaining the items can be utilized, there is a different sort of gift when a deacon or priest is able to lead this Atrium tour. Ideally, the adult leading the tour has been given a list of the items being lifted up for the children so as not to overwhelm them. However, the presence of a priest willing to lead this tour would be a great gift to the children.
- The catechist might take 3-5 children to the church (leaving the others in the Atrium with your assistant, possibly with an additional adult on site to be present in the Atrium during this day) and look for the items they had been recently shown at the model altar. For the 3yos this visit it would include looking for the real altar and altar cloth, crucifix and candles, possibly presenting the gesture of the sign of the cross in sight of the crucifix in the sanctuary of the church, and then going into the sacristy and seeing the real chalice and paten as well as the chasubles Father wears at Mass. Ideally this Church Tour would take no more than 15 minutes.
- Perhaps after that, having returned those children to the Atrium (or on a separate day) the catechist would take the 4yos who had seen the second moment of the Model Altar and the Vestments and take that small group of 3-5 children to the church to notice once more the items the 3yo was enjoying but to especially focus on the ambo, tabernacle, sanctuary lamp, possibly even opening the tabernacle to see the real ciborium and showing the genuflection presentation. Afterwards you might take them into the sacristy and show them the lectionary and vestments of the priest.
- The 5yos might do a similar tour after they have seen all of the model altar materials, possibly in January/February.
The Church Tour is intended to be an opportunity to look more closely at “the real” which our Atrium models point us towards, keeping in mind that we always want to offer “rich food, but not too much of it.” While there is a gift in the catechist offering this tour, as the language of the Atrium in explaining the items can be utilized, there is a different sort of gift when a deacon or priest is able to lead this Atrium tour. Ideally, the adult leading the tour has been given a list of the items being lifted up for the children so as not to overwhelm them. However, the presence of a priest willing to lead this tour would be a great gift to the children.
  |  When setting the model altar we speak of the "this beautiful model paten," then we point to the real: "but the REAL paten at church is so much more beautiful." The altar work grows as the children grow, moving into cards, labels, and definitions in L2 and L3. |
A tour of the church is not just fitting to the 3-6yo child. It would be wonderful for older children to also be given this opportunity each year or every other year, expanding what is offered as the children grow. The Level 2 (6-9yo) children would greatly benefit from seeing and walking into the confessional (even if they are not yet preparing for this sacrament). While in sight of the altar, the catechist could reiterate the great gift of the invitation to the feast of the Mass to which these children will soon respond, either at their First Communion Mass or during the next Mass they attend.
By Level 3 (9-12yo), some of the children may be ready to be formed as altar servers or assistant sacristans. Inviting the priest to vest in front of the children and share the prayer for each vestment could lead to a pondering of these prayers with those in Level 3. Such a communal pondering would be a great gift to both the children and, it would seem, to the priest as well.
By Level 3 (9-12yo), some of the children may be ready to be formed as altar servers or assistant sacristans. Inviting the priest to vest in front of the children and share the prayer for each vestment could lead to a pondering of these prayers with those in Level 3. Such a communal pondering would be a great gift to both the children and, it would seem, to the priest as well.
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