On Wednesday 13th November, the anniversary of the birth of St Augustine, the Lay Augustinians celebrated the feast of all the saints of the Augustinian Order at the Chapel of the Monastery of the Augustinian Nuns of Contemplative Life in Valletta. Mass was celebrated by the Provincial Fr Leslie Gatt OSA. During Mass, prayers were said for the intention of Augustinian vocations. After Mass, the lay Augustinians had the opportunity to visit the Monastery and meet the Contemplative Nuns while sharing some fellowship. Our thanks go to the Contemplative Nuns for their warm welcome.

‘Is the Media serving or betraying Maltese society?’ was the first title in a series of informal discussion meetings on the general theme ‘Society at a Crossroads’, organised by The Augustinian Cloister Foundation, Malta, at the historic refectory of the Augustinian convent of St Mark in Rabat, Malta. Friday 25th October 2019 saw the first group which was made up of a good cross section of well-known journalists and opinion leaders. It was moderated by Professor Andrew Azzopardi. The event saw an active and fruitful discussion which was well received, enjoyed good feedback and was followed up through interviews and reporting on various media.

'Society at a Crossroads' is a series of informal discussion meetings organised by The Augustinian Cloister Foundation, Malta, starting in October 2019 and being held for groups of select persons, chosen from professionals and other persons with diverse experiences of life. The main aim of these meetings is to elicit from them ideas and thoughts that can be useful to society in general. The format of these discussions is based on a brief introduction from a moderator/opinion leader, followed by an open and free discussion on the particular theme as it applies to the members taking part in the discussion.

On Thursday 14th and Friday 15th November, the College celebrated the Awards Evening for the previous scholastic year, at the Hall in the Primay Campus in Marsa. Hon. Minister Evarist Bartolo attended the Awards Evening on Thursday, together with the Director of the Secretariat for Catholic Education, Mr Ian Mifsud. Students were awarded for their academic achievements in gaining first in particular subjects and in their year groups, as well as for achieving high marks. The College believes that students who improve their attainment are also awarded, since improving once skills and viewing learning with a positive attitude is a key element in Augustinian education. Moreover, students with high appraisal points, were presented with Bronze, Silver and Gold Behaviour Awards, and special prizes awarded for students with a Community Spirit as well as those displaying aptitude towards some of the multiple intelligences.

The learning community during both evenings celebrated the artistic virtues of the students, with both the participation of the Primary and Secondary Campus choirs, the Secondary Campus band, and various drama sketches from the Drama Students of both Campuses. Students recited short literary works in the languages being taught at the College. Both Evenings were the result of a strong community spirit among the educators who worked hard as a team to provide the learners with yet another learning experience while exploiting their potential and sharing it with the guardians who entrust their sons in our care.

May they rest in peace... these are the words which come to mind whenever we visit our relatives in the cemetery. On Wednesday 6th November, the Augustinian friars together with various lay people close to the Augustinian family gathered together to pray for the dead religious members of the Maltese Augustinian Province. The friars celebrated the Eucharist at the Cemetery Chapel and afterwards a short moment of prayer was held over the graves of the Province. In his homily, Fr Leslie Gatt osa encouraged those present to appreciate the gift of faith and to reflect on the beauty of life in expectation for eternal life.