Convegno di Storia at St Aloysius' Sixth Form

Since 1995, groups of sixth formers from St Aloysius' College, Birkirkara, have participated regularly in the Convegno di Storia (History Convention) organised every year by Italian Jesuit colleges in different cities in Italy.

This international convention has now reached its 22nd edition. As usual, it dealt with topics related to the Jesuits and their apostolic activities such as social commitment, the use of the mass media in the today's world, and the service of faith and the search for beauty. In 1999, the 16th edition, held for the first time in Malta, discussed "The Jesuits and the Theatre".

This year it was once again the turn of St Aloysius' Sixth Form to organise and host this seminar. It was held between March 30 and April 2. Together with St Aloysius' College, there were six Italian colleges from Palermo, Messina, Naples, Rome, Milan and Turin, a Spanish college from La Coruña, an Albanian college from Scutari and a Lebanese college from Beirut. Eighty students and teachers from these colleges discussed "The Jesuits and lay collaboration".

The first day of the seminar opened with a concelebrated Mass, led by the Jesuit Provincial, Fr Paul Chetcuti, who in his homily stressed that no person was identical to any other and that each had his/her own identity, talents and role to play in the world.

The working session started with five students, each carrying their national flag on stage while the European Union anthem was sung. The conference was officially inaugurated by an Old Boy of St Aloysius', Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech, who pointed out that St Aloysius' College had produced some of the Malta's most eminent people with its holistic formation offered to its students. He also spoke about the long presence of the Jesuit order in Malta, which now forms part of the country's heritage and interlinked with its history.

On the conference theme, Dr Zammit Dimech emphasised that collaboration between Jesuits and lay persons had always been very dynamic and proof of this could be seen in the popularity of St Aloysius' College and the valuable work carried out by the various Jesuit institutions.

Messages of greetings and good wishes were received from the Jesuit General, Fr Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, President Azeglio Ciampi of Italy, Fr Francesco Tata, the Jesuit Provincial in Italy and Fr Francesco Beneduce, SJ, vice-provincial for Southern Italy.

After the welcome addresses by Fr Giuseppe Patti, SJ, founder of the Convegno di Storia, Professor Anna Sireci, the seminar co-ordinator, and Fr Patrick Magro, SJ, Rector of St Aloysius' College, Br Josef Mario Briffa, SJ, spoke on Jesuit collaboration with the laity.

He highlighted the fact that the Jesuits have been collaborating with lay people ever since the time of St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Order. The last Jesuit General Congregation insisted on lay collaboration and stressed that lay collaborators should be considered directly and deeply involved in the mission of the Church.

The keynote speaker on the second day was Josephine Vassallo, who spoke on the role of the laity in the Society of Jesus. As an associate of the Jesuits in Malta, Ms Vassallo described her numerous personal experiences of work in Malta and abroad in Jesuit projects that involved lay persons.

Each of the ten groups of students had the opportunity to share with all the participants its research on the collaboration of lay people in the various Jesuit institutions in its own city and country. The Maltese group spoke on the Jesuit Refugee Service, the Centre for Ignatian Spirituality, the Paolo Freire Institute in Zejtun, the University Chaplaincy, St Aloysius' College and the growing involvement of lay people in these institutions.

During the afternoon of the first day, a sports tournament was held in the St Aloysius' Sports Pavillion, followed by a buffet to which the hosting students were invited. The evening ended with a Festa dell'Amicizia, during which the St Aloysius' students presented some items from the very successful soirée held last February, while the foreign students presented folk dances, sketches, short stage performances, singing and playlets.

On the second day, the foreign students and their teachers were taken on a cultural tour to Hagar Qim, Mdina and Valletta, where they also watched the Malta Experience.

On the last day of the convention, President Eddie Fenech Adami received all the participants at the Palace in Valletta. He greeted the 80 students and teachers by proudly recalling his academic formation at St Aloysius' College.

He referred to John Paul II's encyclical of 1998, Fides et Ratio, in which the Pope called explicitly for a deeper dialogue between faith and reason, placing the human being in the centre of modern philosophy. The President said that the theme of this conference was very close to this line of thought.

St Aloysius' College and the organisers of the Convention would like to thank all those who in any way contributed towards its success, especially the host families, the Miramare Hotel for hosting the foreign teachers, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs and the ladies' circle of the college Council, and the sponsors: Malta Tourism Authority, Heritage Malta, St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation, Consolidated Biscuits, Victor's Bakery of Mgarr, President Hotel, Bristow Potteries, Design Elements and the Malta Experience.