St Patrick’s-old
St. Patrick’s (more info is also available on our Facebook page) is the reason the Salesians of Don Bosco came to Malta at the start of the 20th century (see History). Its long history has seen this Salesian educative institution develop along lines that were consonant with the times. Today, St. Patrick’s still delivers its primary mission: that of giving, care and education to the young who are poor, abandoned and in danger in our country.
These services are delivered through its various sections and organs:
The School
St.Patrick’s Salesian School provides a supportive learning environment that allows students to prosper academically and socially. Our small school environment creates a family-like setting where students and staff work side-by-side towards the single goal of empowering the individual student with a meaningful life-long education. Perhaps the hallmark of our school is the friendly atmosphere, a characteristic much remarked upon by visitors. A friendly atmosphere breeds enthusiasm and friendliness. The student’s right to learn can never be met unless first he feels safe and valued (Read more).
Care
St. Patrick’s residential services welcome adolescents and young persons who need a home away from home due to personal or social circumstances. Through a person-centred approach youngsters are accompanied on their journey towards reintegration with their family of origin or independent living (Read more).
Support Services
Support services at St. Patrick’s are provided by a number of professionals from different disciplines – family therapists, social workers, psychologists, educators etc. Although the professionals’ skills and disciplines vary and are so specialized, they still work as a team in order to offer the best possible care and confidentiality to children / youngsters and their families who need our services at one of our residential homes or St. Patrick’s School.
Our services adopt a therapeutic approach that focuses on the child’s attachment needs and highlights the child’s past experiences and how present care and educative experiences can address such needs. Indeed, the services use a therapeutic and assessment approach that adopts a systemic perspective in understanding how the different parts of the child’s family and / or care set-up fit and how each influence each other in a recursive circular pattern. Interventions with all different parts of the system rather than just with the child are seen as crucial and most desirable (Read more).
The Church
St. Patrick’s Church, a Roman Catholic Church, welcomes all believers. The Church offers a daily liturgical service for locals and visitors. It was officially blessed and inaugurated on the 30th July 1905. All services are in English. It is administered by the Salesians of Don Bosco, who are mainly involved in the education and evangelisation of the young, especially those of the poor and needy class. An annual procession to commemorate the feast of Mary Help of Christians is held on the 4th Sunday of the month of May. Marriages and special masses are often celebrated in this Chapel. At present the Chaplain is Rev. Fr. Joe Cini sdb (Read more).
For Don Bosco the spaces where education happens are:
home, school, playground, Church