A welcome message by the College Rector, Dr Maria Montebello

This is the message by the newly appointed College Rector, Dr Maria Montebello, for the new scholastic year.

You can watch the message here:

The message is being reproduced in full here below:

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Dear students, members of staff, parents, and everyone who holds this College dear.

As I’ve been walking these historic corridors, I find myself looking inside the rooms and halls, delighting in the legacy of our students, educators, and the rectors who came before me. With every step, my pride in being here grows. But at the same time, I feel a profound sense of responsibility that accompanies the honour of serving as the new rector of St Aloysius College.

When Fr Provincial called him to serve as rector, Fr Ġużeppi Delia, former College rector once said: ‘I felt a cold shiver.’ Today, I understand him perfectly. I feel that same sensation as we stand at the threshold of a new academic year, just before these quiet corridors come alive again.

With over thirty years of experience in state schools, seventeen of them in leadership roles, I approach this office with a deep sense of humility. Many have remarked that as the first woman rector, I am making history. But I believe we don’t need to write a new history, because this College already has a rich and wonderful one. I simply need to continue writing it together with all of you, as we move forward together.

I believe we are advancing toward a College that, in a world that so often discourages our children and young people, enkindles in them a new hope for their lives.

In a world that pushes them toward self-interest, the College inspires our students to serve, so that in the Jesuit spirit, they truly become men and women for others. In such a world, this spirit encourages them to take responsibility for their communities and become tomorrow’s leaders, to lead with wisdom and integrity, guided by Ignatian values and by example. Our students are called to be leaders, whether in a position of authority or not.

It is my hope that they will build a community inspired by the teachings of Christ and a faith that promotes evangelical justice. In the Jesuit spirit, they will learn to combine knowledge with the fight for social justice, understanding that knowledge on its own is not enough unless it is accompanied by caring for others.

This is my motto: to foster a shared sense of responsibility so that together we can inspire a better world.

First and foremost, I have the responsibility to lead our College with the values of a person-centred approach. This means I will listen to, understand, and include everyone, because we can only achieve this vision together.

We will stand together as one: staff and students together with the Jesuits, united as boys and girls, women and men, in the new co-ed system that, starting this year, will be implemented throughout the entire College. It is only by being together that we can face the challenges that lie ahead of us.

And in today’s world, this mission calls on us to do even more. It calls on us to engage in dialogue with other cutures and religious traditions as we strive for a world of peace and environmental justice.

But we also need to inspire. To inspire is not just about helping students achieve high marks; it is about helping them become holistic individuals. This may sound like an obvious idea, but perhaps in today’s world, it is not.

In a world where artificial intelligence has started outperforming humans, Ignatian wisdom teaches us that we need to help our children discover how to become holistic individuals in ways that technology cannot. We must teach them how to build relationships and strengthen communities, how to peacefully resolve conflicts, and how to dream about and implement solutions to humanity’s problems. We must also help them build a conscience that guides them in choosing right from wrong and in discerning God’s voice in their lives. We need to raise responsible citizens who use technology wisely and have the ethical courage to build a more just and humane world.

All of this is part of our Strategic Plan for 2025-2028, which will also see a greater Jesuit presence at the College. Even though the College is now under new leadership – with a mother and a married woman – its heart remains Jesuit. The Jesuit guidance is not just a beautiful history we tell each other about; it also forms the foundations for our present and serves as a compass for our future.

I am not here to erase the past, but to continue building on its strong foundations. And so, I want to sincerely thank Fr Jimmy Bartolo for the immense legacy he has left us. Like all great leaders, he did not just work for the sake of it, he worked so that others could continue to build on his efforts. This was evident in the detailed handover he gave me over the past weeks, sharing with me what he considers to be the core of his work: the strengthening of the Ignatian identity of the Jesuits.

Together with Fr Michael Bugeja, our legal representative and chairperson of the College board, we will kindle hope, open the doors to co-education, and strengthen the Jesuit spirit at the heart of the College.

Above all, we need to build a College where our students leave with more than just a mind full of knowledge. We want them to leave with a mind full of ideas for the future and a heart brimming with the desire to be women and men for others.

Thank you. I look forward to continuing this journey together.