Celebrations to mark 120th anniversary of La Salle in Malta
The Lasallian District of Ireland, Great Britain and Malta officially celebrated the arrival of Brothers on the islands 120 years ago with a number of events to mark the historic milestone.
The main celebration took place on Founder’s Day, Monday 15th May, when staff from both De La Salle College and Stella Maris College came together for a special event.
It was fitting that all were welcomed to De La Salle College by former student and teacher, Joe Gilson, in his role as the District’s Director of Mission. In reflecting on the great work of the Brothers over 120 years, Joe thanked them for their dedication to the young people and added that this was also an opportunity to look forward with confidence to the future.
He then introduced keynote speaker, David Wells, who began by thanking all the staff for their efforts on behalf of students and highlighted the of the importance celebrating anniversaries.
He pointed out that such occasions afford us the opportunity to be grateful and also to remind ourselves of why we do what we do. He added that anniversaries are also a reminder that it is important to be yourself honestly. David also reflected on the fact that these events also illustrate that it is not just about individuals but about who we are together,
Stephen Cachia, Director of Educational Mission in Malta, then introduced a video that highlighted the vibrancy within the two colleges, and illustrated the passion of students, staff and Brothers.
The video featured a song written by three Lasallian educators from Stella Maris College in honour of St John Baptist de La Salle. Four former Lasallian students from the same college, now all established local singers, have come together to give life to this song.
Lyrics: Paul Abdilla; Music: Mark Spiteri Lucas; Arrangements: Conrad Briffa; Vocals: Ian Vella (J Anvil), Dario Mifsud Bonnici, Ryan Hili, Mark Anthony Bartolo and Mark Spiteri Lucas.
The event concluded with a short celebration ceremony when the District honoured and thanked all the present De La Salle Brothers in Malta for their long years of selfless dedication and commitment to providing a human and Christian education to so many students.
Br. Austin Gili thanked all who made a contribution over the past 120 years and pointed out that the secret of the continued success lay in the fact that Brothers and Partners have moved forward together and by Association.
Staff and guests then gathered in De La Salle College for a reception where the sense of passion and enthusiasm for the Lasallian Mission was evident for all.
The celebrations to mark 120 years since the arrival of De La Salle Brothers in Malta continued on Tuesday and Wednesday May 16th and 17th with two inspirational seminars for educators on the islands,
The sessions were led by renowned speaker, David Wells, with one of the central messages highlighting the need to find joy in all we do.