Watch: Christmas message by St Aloysius College Rector

This is the Christmas message by the St Aloysius College Rector, Fr Jimmy Bartolo SJ. You can watch the message delivered on video in Maltese here or by following the link below.

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Dear members of staff, students and parents,

During these special days of Christmas I would like us all to focus on Jesus who, for us Catholics, is the centre of all that we are celebrating. At such a tough moment when the world is at war, our hope is in Baby Jesus, the prince of peace.

The images of destructive bombs and the buying of new and even more sophisticated weapons, even the killing of so many innocent victims, make us turn to God for help, forgiveness and peace. Above all, we ask him to give us hope so that notwithstanding all this, he gives us his light for a better world. This is what we are wishing for this Christmas and New Year.

The Lord is calling us to bring hope wherever we are. We need to start in our families, our workplace, and particularly with persons who are suffering because they are sick, persons suffering injustice or are victims of violence or destructive corruption.

Jesus is inviting us to give him another chance to enter our life and let him make us persons of hope for others. Are we going to give him the chance to do this?

I take this opportunity to thank you for all the initiatives taking place in our schools so that we can educate our children and young people to be generous with people, particularly people most in need. We have a long list of initiatives.

During this scholastic year, let’s look back and thank God for all the changes that have taken place in our College over the past few years: the Ignatian Formation programmes for all members of staff; the embellishment of all the structures including the sports complex – a new and huge project; changes in the assessment of all students; positive discipline; education for global citizenship; and the participation of parents in our schools. We need to look ahead and continue planning by means of a new strategic plan.

I would like you all to participate in this process so that we can continue strengthening the Jesuit and Ignatian values of the College, and also our identity as a Catholic school that contributes towards our country and beyond.

My heartfelt thanks to you for your contribution towards the educational mission of the College.

My best wishes to each and every one of us so that we may let Jesus enter our heart and strengthen the virtue of hope which we, together with the whole world, need so much.

Happy Christmas to you and your loved ones!

All of us here at St Aloysius College wish you and your loved ones a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year 2025.