District represented at Godly Play training course
Members of the Lasallian Family gathered at La Salle University in Madrid for a training course in Godly Play, from the 1-3 of December 2025. The training course was organised for English speakers by the Lasallian Region of Europe and the Mediterranean (RELEM) Culture of Vocations Commission.
The three-day programme was led by Brother Jorge Sierra from the District of Spain and Portugal (ARLEP). Brother Jorge is the coordinator of Pastoral Ministry in ARLEP, Chair of the International Godly Play Council and an accredited Godly Play trainer. Brother Jorge was joined by Celia Paterson, early childhood educator, Vice President of Godly Play in Spain and an accredited Godly Play trainer.
Godly Play applies Montessori's methodological principles to the religious education of children, adolescents, and even adults. It offers a context and tools for learning about the Christianity based on the Bible (Sacred History, parables, liturgical actions, etc.) Brother Jorge describes Godly Play as “an imaginative approach to spiritual nurturing through the telling of biblical and liturgical stories, wondering, and play. Godly Play has been used and promoted widely across many Lasallian Schools in the ARLEP District for near a decade and for several years all around the globe.”
The District had two participants on the training course. Ms Betina Claure, Retreat Coordinator at St Cassian’s Retreat Centre, and, Mr David Portelli, Lay Chaplain at Stella Maris College in Malta. Also in attendance was Brandon Kladiwo, former Kintbury Volunteer.
Beti shared this reflection on the experience, "Finding Godly Play has been an eye-opening experience. I always wanted to learn something that would be so open and accept the great ideas that children offer. Godly Play is exactly that. It is a creative method to approach young people and allow them to wonder. Learning how to be a Godly Play storyteller helped me in so many ways to find new ways of sharing my faith with young people and connecting with God.”
“Godly Play is a way of communicating Scripture and faith in a very simple way, yet with so much attention to detail and carefully designed resources that align with the Montessori approach. It is a way of communicating God in ways that are truly special,” shared David.
Both Beti and David will enthusiastically bring Godly Play to their ministries and share the methodology to a wider group of Lasallians at CHoRE in March 2026.
