On Thursday, 23rd October, the new extension of St Augustine College within the Secondary Campus was officially inaugurated through Dar Ida. What was once an abandoned building — and a historic landmark for Pietà — has now been transformed into a space where our Augustinian community will continue to educate, listen, dialogue, and share many beautiful experiences together.
Below is the message delivered by Mr Joseph Mizzi, Secondary School Educator, during the official inauguration of Dar Ida.
It is truly astonishing, when we come to think of it, how a thought that begins silently within my own mind can come to life within yours. For this to happen though, the spiritual reality of the thought must first clothe itself in the material — a spoken or written word — so that it may be received and understood. The invisible becomes visible, the interior becomes exterior and then returns once more to the interior world of another. What a beautiful mystery of human communication this is.
In this dynamic of spirit becoming material, we glimpse at the very heart of our faith. Verbum Dei caro factum est — the Word of God became flesh. The eternal and divine had no better option then to take on the human form, so that the unseen God could be known through what we can touch and perceive. We are not angels. God created us as beings of both body and soul, and therefore, the path to the spiritual must pass through the material.
This truth is reflected in the life of our school. We have constructed this building not merely for its physical function, but so that it might serve as a vessel where mind understands mind, or more importantly, where heart speaks to heart, cor ad cor loquitur. This is the via pulchritudinis — the way of beauty — where truth, goodness, and beauty guide the heart to what lies beyond the senses.
Today, we celebrate this sacred purpose. Grace often works quietly and mysteriously, yet through this space, crafted with care and intention, we strive to ensure that the Augustinian spirit continues to inspire and shape future generations. It is through here that hearts discover rest — for our hearts find their true rest only in God — yet this spiritual rest is made tangible through the concrete reality of a school, a community, a home.
What a profound blessing that God chooses to work not only in spite of material things, but through them — through us, and through this building — so that the Augustinian vocation, charism, and spirit may continue to spread and flourish.
Let us, then, look upon this place with grateful eyes: as a precious gift, a beautiful instrument, and a sacred home where we journey together, learn together, and grow together.
photos: facebook page St Augustine College
