A former employee at St Aloysius’ College, Birkirkara, was recently awarded the ‘People for Others Award’ during an event held to celebrate the college’s Foundation Day. This year marks the 116th anniversary since the institution was founded on October 8, 1907.
Jane Callus, who pioneered the college’s implementation of inclusion policies and also helped start an Ignatian formation programme for staff members, received the award from college rector Fr Jimmy Bartolo, SJ, and architect Nicholas Bianchi, the latter on behalf of the Fr Charles Caruana SJ Memorial Fund.
The award was launched last year, and its first recipient was human rights lawyer Katrine Camilleri, director of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) – Malta.
During a mass held at the college’s secondary school prior to the award presentation ceremony, Fr Bartolo stressed that despite the college’s long history and many physical changes, its aim remained unchanged – that of forming ‘men and women for others’, a motto coined by Jesuit Superior General Fr Pedro Arrupe, SJ in an inspirational speech delivered in 1973 in Spain.
“This is what we aspire to achieve. There is a tendency to focus on self-promotion, self-interest and making money as the main objective of a good education. This is not the ethos of our school. We want you, students, to be persons for others,” the rector said.
During mass, a donation of stationery items collected by the students in the previous weeks was also presented to JRS Malta.
‘Being with and for others’ – the theme chosen by the college for this scholastic year – was also launched on the day, together with a new logo.
In another event held during the Foundation Day, the Sixth Form invited several of its alumni to share their experiences to current students.
Other events were held in the college’s secondary school, while the primary school held a treasure hunt on the theme of the day.