Watch: Message by Fr Jimmy Bartolo SJ, outgoing Rector of St Aloysius College

This is the final message by our outgoing rector of St Aloysius College, Fr Jimmy Bartolo SJ. You can watch his message here or read the translated transcript here below:

Dear students, educators and parents/guardians,

With my mission as rector of St Aloysius College nearing its end, I would like to send you this message to convey my heartfelt thanks to each one of you. My mission here, which started on the 13th of February 2013, will officially conclude in just a few days, on the 31st of August 2025.

Right now, my heart is filled with immense gratitude. First, I am grateful to God for the many blessings I have received throughout these years. I also want to sincerely thank everyone for the collaboration and support for the leadership of St Aloysius College.

Many of you have sent me messages of thanks, and you have also organised wonderful farewell moments. It has been a joy to hear your satisfaction with the many significant changes that have taken place at the College: new governance structures, positive discipline, the transition to co-education in the primary and secondary schools, improvements to our educational spaces across the three schools, and the new sports complex in collaboration with Vassallo Group. It’s impossible to list every change, but I want to emphasise that these transformations were only possible thanks to the hard work and support of so many colleagues.

Allow me to share a point that brings me great consolation. Throughout my years here, the College has invested in some of the most capable persons to strengthen its Jesuit and Ignatian identity. I am confident that our educational community has truly grown in this regard, and I urge you to continue reinforcing this vital dimension. It is what makes the College a unique place where everyone can grow in faith, supported by a wide range of initiatives.

Beyond the academic, social, and inclusive formation offered by the College, we have also strengthened human and spiritual formation. This has been achieved through the valuable initiatives organized by the chaplaincies of our three schools, as well as the Ignatian Formation Programme for all members of staff.

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the Jesuits and my lay colleagues for their dedicated commitment to our shared mission to form persons for and with others.

A special word of thanks goes to the heads of school and to all officials who are part of the Senior Leadership Team. I also thank all employees for your commitment to the upkeep of the College, which ensures it can continue to provide an enriching environment where students can continue to grow both on a human and spiritual level.

I also want to sincerely thank the members of the Board and both chairpersons, Mr John Galdes and Dr Charles Bonello, with whom I have worked in close collaboration. My thanks also go out to the many other professionals who have generously assisted us in leading the College.

I also wish to thank my colleagues at the Secretariat for Catholic Education and the Heads of Church schools for their valuable support in leading the Church Schools Association.

We are leaving the College in good hands: Dr Maria Montebello has considerable experience in school leadership and a deep appreciation for the ethos of the College. To you, Dr Montebello, and to you, Fr Michael Bugeja in your new role as Chairperson of the College Board and as the College Legal Representative, we offer our very best wishes.

I would like to once again extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you. I also ask for your prayers as I embark on this new mission, which my superiors have entrusted to me as of next January, so that I may give my very best.

You will certainly remain in my heart, and my prayers will always be with you. Rectors change, but the College will continue to thrive thanks to the unwavering support and leadership of many colleagues, both today and in the future.

With my heartfelt thanks and may God bless us all!

Fr Jimmy Bartolo SJ

Rector