A Montessori-based approach to Romanian Orthodox catechesis in the North American Diaspora: The pilot programme Let the Children Come to Me

The study aims to analyse the impact of the Montessori method as a teaching strategy within the pilot Romanian Orthodox catechesis programme, Let the Children Come to Me, in the North American diaspora. The theoretical framework examines Montessori-based and Orthodox catechetical concepts and their transformative roles in children's religious formation. The methodology proposes qualitative and quantitative interpretations of responses from Montessori-trained church teachers who actively participate in the pilot programme. An online questionnaire was used to collect and analyse responses. The scope was to find evidence of the method's use and efficiency, and of its alignment with the principles and concepts of Orthodox Christian teachings and the spiritual formation of children. The mixed-methods approach yielded new perspectives and valuable results regarding the overall experience with the programme, as well as ways to make it more resourceful.