Short Course

Introduction to Catholic Social Teaching – EOHSJ

15/09/2026

This introductory course explores the foundations and contemporary relevance of Catholic Social Teaching. Through key themes such as human dignity, the common good, structures of sin, work, ecology, and artificial intelligence, participants will reflect on how the Church responds to social, economic, and technological realities in the light of the Gospel. The course encourages a deeper understanding of justice, solidarity, and care for creation, while helping participants discern their Christian responsibility in building a more humane and compassionate society.

Members of EOHSJ (Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem)

The course will be delivered entirely through a series of pre-recorded lectures accessible on our VLE platform at a time and place convenient for you.

Session	Description
1	Introduction to Catholic Social Teaching
2	Structures of Sin
3	The Economy and The World of Work
4	Our Common Home
5	Human Dignity and the Common Good in the Time of AI

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Explain the basic principles and foundations of Catholic Social Teaching.
Identify social, economic, and environmental challenges in light of the Gospel and Church teaching.
Reflect critically on concepts such as human dignity, the common good, and structures of sin.
Recognise ethical opportunities and concerns related to technology and artificial intelligence.
Apply Catholic Social Teaching principles to everyday life, work, and participation in society.

This course has one exit certificate option:

This course has two exit certificate options:

1. Certificate of Participation

The student will receive a Certificate of Participation when viewing all the videos of this course and they successfully complete a short online assessment.

2. Certificate of Achievement

The student will receive a Certificate of Achievement when viewing all the videos of this course and they successfully complete all assessments, which are:

(i) a short online assessment

and,

(ii) a written assignment.

Language: Applicants must be proficient in English.

Digital: Applicants must be digitally literate particularly in the use of office suites and of the internet, to both of which they must have access.

Award in Spiritual Dimension in Elderly Care for General Care Givers

11/09/2026 Dar tal-Kleru, Birkirkara

The Pastoral Formation Institute is licensed by MFHEA
(Licence #: 2013-FHI-028) as a Further and Higher Educational Institute. The Award in Spiritual Dimension in Elderly Care for General Care Givers is accredited at EQF/MQF Level 4, as Further Education Programme.

Recognizing that spirituality can play a critical role in the older person’s overall well-being, the program integrates spiritual care into the broader context of holistic caregiving. The program in spiritual care for caregivers is designed to equip healthcare support workers, and personal caregivers with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to address the spiritual needs of the people they care for.

People working with the elderly e.g. carers and general staff with an MQF level 3 qualification or higher.

This course consists of 11 sessions: 10 lectures and an examination session.

Session 1: Defining Spirituality and Spiritual Care in Healthcare – Competencies in Spiritual Care

Spirituality and spiritual care in health are related to how patients and health professionals seek and express meaning, purpose, connection, value, or transcendence in the context of illness and health. There is a growing body of evidence that shows that spirituality is linked with better health outcomes, patient satisfaction, medical decision-making, and quality of life. This session will introduce the various definitions of spirituality and spiritual care together with the multidimensional spiritual field.

Session 2: Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Spirituality

INTRAPERSONAL SPIRITUALITY deals with personal spirituality as to provide spiritual care the healthcare worker must be spiritual him/herself. The student is made aware of the importance of self-reflection and self-awareness to better himself as a person and as a provider of spiritual care. Interpersonal spirituality deals with building a relationship with people through effective communication skills. It refers to a person’s spirituality that acknowledges their unique spiritual and cultural world views evoking feelings of companionship and compassionate care.

Session 3: Spiritual Assessment and Evaluation of Care

In this session the learner is introduced to formal and informal approaches to assess the patients’ spiritual needs, plan for necessary interventions based on the available resources and evaluate whether the patients’ needs were met.

Session 4: Loss, Grief, and Compassion in the Elderly

This session will introduce learners to the inevitable process of grief experienced because of loss and feelings of isolation in the elderly. This will provide learners with an understanding of the grief process described by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross so as to enable health workers to better understand and prevent spiritual distress to the elderly.

Session 5: Spiritual Care in Elderly Rehabilitation

This session will discuss the spiritual needs specifically of the elderly who are in rehabilitation. It focuses on ways how the healthcare worker will find time for the elderly to be creative and better confront his feelings of suffering and solitude.

Session 6: Spiritual Care and Mental Health

This session will inform learners about the various mental health issues the elderly person may encounter and provide skills that may assist the healthcare worker to manage and care for the elderly experiencing mental health issues.

Session 7: Spiritual Care in Dementia

This session will inform learners about dementia in the elderly. Will provide information on how to manage care of the elderly in this situation and equip his family with helping skills to better understand the situation.

Session 8: The Role of Religion in Spiritual Care for the Elderly

This session will focus on religiosity which is integral to spiritual care.

Session 9: The Sacraments in Different Religions and Spirituality

This session will discuss religious practices of various religious denominations present in our society.

Session 10: Case Scenarios in the Spiritual Dimension of Elderly Care

This session will provide different case scenarios to assess and evaluate the learners’ knowledge, skills and attitudes learnt during the program to transfer to when caring for the elderly

The course will be held in the following dates from 9:00am – 11:00am at Dar tal-Kleru, Birkirkara

Date	Session
13th October 2026	Interpersonal and intrapersonal spirituality
20th October 2026	Spiritual care and mental health
27th October 2026	Spiritual care in the rehabilitation of the elderly
3rd November 2026	Spiritual assessment and evaluation of care
10th November 2026	Loss, Grief, and Compassion in the Elderly
17th November 2026	The role of religion in spiritual care for the elderly
24th November 2026	Spiritual care in dementia
1st December 2026	The Christian Sacraments and other sacred rites in different religions and spirituality
15th December 2026	Defining Spirituality and Spiritual Care in Healthcare – Competencies in Spiritual Care
5th January 2027	Case Scenarios in the Spiritual Dimension of Elderly Care
19th January 2027*	Examination*

*Examination session will take place from 9:00am – 10:30am

LO1 – Competence

At the end of the module/unit the learners will have acquired the following 4 core competences (EPICC Spiritual Care Education Standard, 2016-2019):

Intrapersonal and Interpersonal spiritual care competences.
Assessment and planning for spiritual care.
Intervention and evaluation of spiritual care.

LO2 – Knowledge

At the end of the module/unit the learner will be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge of spirituality and spiritual care and its significance in health and well-being.
Understand different religious and spiritual traditions and their practices.
Recognise the role of spirituality in coping with illness, suffering, and end-of-life issues.

LO3 – Skill

At the end of the module/unit the learners will have acquired the following skills:

Develop empathetic listening and communication skills to discuss spiritual concerns.
Collaborate with nurses, chaplains, clergy, or spiritual leaders when needed.
Encourage self-care and spiritual well-being among patients and colleagues

This course has one exit certificate option:

Certificate of Achievement

A Certificate of Achievement is awarded to students who successfully concluded the course, that is;

attend a minimum of 80% of all contact hours
complete and pass from written examination

Click here to view the PFI’s Grading System

Awarding Body: Pastoral Formation Institute

Minimum Level 3 of education.

Award in Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults for Fondazzjoni Sebħ in English – Grp 1

11/08/2026

The Pastoral Formation Institute is licensed by MFHEA
(Licence #: 2013-FHI-028) as a Further and Higher Educational Institute. The Award in Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults is accredited at EQF/MQF Level 4, as a Higher Education Programme.

The short course – Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults will assist staff and volunteers in recognising the key principles of safeguarding and in creating a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Fondazzjoni Sebħ employees and volunteers

February – March 2026

Lecturing Period

Mode of Delivery	Date & Time	Venue
In-person	Tuesday 23rd February 2027 from 9:00am to 12:00pm	Fondazzjoni Sebħ, Ħamrun
Recorded material	Tuesday 23rd February 2027 – Tuesday 9th March 2027	Recorded videos will be accessible online via our Moodle VLE platform

Assessment Period

Assessment	Available From	Due by
Short Multiple-Choice Online Exam	Tuesday 23rd February 2027	Tuesday 9th March 2027
Reflective Journal	Tuesday 23rd February 2027	Tuesday 23rd March 2027

LO1 – Competence

By the end of the programme, the learner will have acquired a good enough combination of the below mentioned skills and knowledge, so much so that s/he will be competent enough to provide an emotionally, mentally and spiritually safe working environment for children and/or vulnerable adults; can recognise and deal with different signs of abuse; can comply with national laws, policies and procedures concerning safeguarding and can refer and collaborate with professionals in the field to ensure that the person in question is not being abused.

LO2 – Knowledge

By the end of the programme, the learner will be able to: a) identify the principles of safeguarding; b) familiarise himself/herself with safeguarding policies; c) identify signs and symptoms of different types of abuse; d) know the disclosures of abuse; e) know the legal obligations related to the Protection of Minors; (Registration) Act (2011) and the Minor Protection (Alternative Care) Act (2019).

LO3 – Skill

By the end of the programme, the learner will be able to: a) practice the principles of safeguarding; b) practice professional boundaries; c) use a standard response to a disclosure of abuse; d) be able to recognise signs and symptoms of different types of abuse; e) identify the actions to take if you have a concern and also identify who can help;

This course has three exit certificate options:

Certificate of Attendance

A Certificate of Attendance will be awarded to students who:

attend the in‑person session,
watch all the recorded material, and
do not submit any course assessments.

Certificate of Participation

A Certificate of Participation will be rewarded to students who:

attend the in‑person session,
watch all the recorded material, and
submit and pass a short online multiple‑choice examination

Certificate of Achievement

A Certificate of Achievement is awarded to students who successfully concluded the course, that is;

attending the in‑person lecture and completing all online videos,
submit and pass a short online multiple‑choice examination
submit and pass a short reflective journal.

Students who obtain the Certificate of Achievement will also receive an MFHEA‑recognised certificate and transcript at MQF Level 4 (1 ECTS credit).

Click here to view the PFI’s Grading System

Awarding Body: Pastoral Formation Institute

There are no qualifications required for this course. The only requisites are:

Language competences: The student is required to have an end of primary school level of understanding of Maltese and English.

Digital competences: The student is required to be digitally literate, including knowing how to access the internet and use a word processor.

This course is mandatory requirement for all staff and volunteers working for the Church in Malta and part of the Safeguarding Clearance Certificate.

IL-FIDI GĦALL-ĠENERAZZJONI ĠDIDA

31/07/2026 3, Vincenzo Dimech Street, Floriana

Fl-ewwel ġurnata tal-kors ser tinġabar €10 b’risq Is-Soċjetà tal-M.U.S.E.U.M.

Dan il-kors joffri riflessjoni u formazzjoni għall-katekisti li jixtiequ jħabbru l-fidi b’mod rilevanti lill-ġenerazzjonijiet tal-lum. Permezz ta’ temi bħall-intelliġenza artifiċjali u l-evanġelizzazzjoni, l-identità tal-katekist bħala dixxiplu, il-karatteristiċi tal-Generation Alpha, u r-realtajiet tal-familji tal-lum, il-parteċipanti se jkunu mgħammra b’għarfien u ħiliet prattiċi biex iwasslu l-messaġġ tal-Evanġelju b’mod kreattiv, awtentiku u pastorali.

Soċji nisa tal-Museum u katekisti nisa li jgħallmu fl-oqsma tal-Museum.

Target Audience Age: 18+

Il-kors ser isir mis-6:30pm sat-8:30pm f’ 3, Triq Vincenzo Dimech, Floriana.

Data	Tema
14 ta’ Settembru 2026	L-AI u l-Evanġelizazzjoni
15 ta’ Settembru 2026	Il-Qalb tal-Katekist
	Katekisti… Dixxipli qabel Għalliema
16 ta’ Settembru 2026	Generation Alpha fil-Klassijiet tal-Katekeżi
	Ir-Realtajiet tal-Familji llum

Dan il-kors għandu tlett tipi ta’ ċertifikati:

1. Ċertifikat ta’ Attendenza

Sabiex jinkiseb Ċertifikat ta’ Attendenza, l-istudenti huma meħtieġa jattendu 80% tas-sessjonijiet tal-kors.

2. Ċertifikat ta’ Partiċipazzjoni

Sabiex jinkiseb Ċertifikat ta’ Partiċipazzjoni, l-istudenti huma meħtieġa jattendu 80% tas-sessjonijiet tal-kors u jgħaddu minn eżami multiple-choice qasir. Dan isir fuq il-pjattaforma tal-Moodle tal-istitut.

3. Ċertifikat ta’ Kisba

Sabiex jinkiseb Ċertifikat ta’ Kisba, l-istudenti huma meħtieġa jattendu 80% tas-sessjonijiet tal-kors, jgħaddu minn eżami multiple-choice qasir. Dan isir fuq il-pjattaforma tal-Moodle tal-istitut kif ukoll minn written assignment.

Lingwa: L-applikanti għandhom ikollom fehma tal-Malti u jkunu fluwenti fl-Ingliż.

Teknoloġija diġitali: L-applikanti huma meħtieġa li jkunu fluwenti fl-użu tad-dinja diġitali, inkluż li jkunu jafu kif jaċċessaw l-internet u jużaw office suites bħal Microsoft Word.

Fl-ewwel ġurnata tal-kors ser tinġabar €10 b’risq Is-Soċjetà tal-M.U.S.E.U.M.

Introduction to Gregorian Chant Notation: Reading, Understanding, and Singing the Neumes of the Western Liturgical Tradition

27/07/2026

This course provides a solid introduction to the reading of Gregorian chant notation, guiding participants through the graphic system that has preserved and transmitted the liturgical repertoire of the Church for over a millennium.

Through a gradual, practice-oriented approach, participants will become familiar with the fundamental elements of Gregorian notation, including the four-line staff, clefs, simple and compound neumes, the principal rhythmic signs, expressive markings, and the interpretative principles that transform notation into a living musical practice.

Each topic will be explored through the analysis and performance of well-known chants from the Gregorian repertoire, carefully selected for their pedagogical value as well as their liturgical and musical significance. Examples may include Ubi caritas, Salve Regina, Puer natus est, Victimae paschali laudes, Veni Creator Spiritus, together with other chants representing the principal seasons of the liturgical year.

Particular attention will be devoted to the relationship between the Latin text and the melody, ecclesiastical Latin pronunciation, musical phrasing, and the liturgical context of the repertoire, enabling participants to approach Gregorian notation not merely as a writing system but as a means of expressive and informed musical interpretation.

Choir directors, singers, organists, music students, music educators, seminarians, liturgical cantors, animators and anyone wishing to acquire a foundational knowledge of Gregorian chant notation. No previous experience with Gregorian notation is required but a basic knowledge of music is essential.

Target Audience Age: 18+

The course will take place on Wednesdays from 7:30pm to 9:30pm (CET).

The course will be delivered online via Zoom only

Date	Session
7th October 2026	Introduction to Gregorian Chant
14th October 2026	The Language of Gregorian Notation
21st October 2026	Reading the Neumes
28th October 2026	From Notation to Performance
4th November 2026	Exploring the Repertoire
11th November 2026	Guided Reading and Practice

This course has two exit certificate options:

Certificate of Attendance

To obtain a Certificate of Attendance, students must attend 80% of course contact hours.

2. Certificate of Achievement

To obtain a Certificate of Achievement, students must fulfil the criteria for a certificate of attendance and successfully pass an assessment at the end of the course.

Language: Participants must have a primary level understanding of English.

Digital: Participants must know how to access the internet.

Introduction to the Basics of the Catholic Faith – A Short Course for Parent

22/07/2026 Iklin Parish Centre

This introductory course offers parents a simple and accessible overview of the core beliefs of the Catholic faith. Through practical explanations, and guided discussion, parents will strengthen their own understanding and be better equipped to accompany their children in catechism. The course covers the Creed, the Sacraments, prayer, the Bible, and how to live faith daily. No prior knowledge is needed—just openness and curiosity.

Parents and guardians of children enrolled in the Holy Communion and Confirmation programme at Iklin Parish

Target Audience Age: 18+

The course will take place on four Sundays from 9:30am to 11:00am at Iklin Parish Centres

Date	Session
11th October 2026	The Bible: God’s Word for Families Today
8th November 2026	What Do Catholics Believe? (The Creed Made Simple)
10th January 2027	Catholic Prayer and How to Pray with Your Child
14th February 2027	Living the Faith at Home and in the Parish

This course has one exit certificate option:

Certificate of Attendance

To obtain a Certificate of Attendance, students must attend 80% of course contact hours.

Language: Participants must have a primary level understanding of Maltese and English.

Digital: Participants must know how to access the internet and use office suites.

Healing and Growth: Spiritual, Psychological and Social

21/07/2026

This short course opens a structured conversation between Catholic theology, pastoral practice and the mental health professions. It explores how spiritual, psychological and social dimensions of life contribute to healing and growth, while respecting the distinct aims, languages and responsibilities of pastoral ministry, spiritual direction, counselling, psychotherapy and psychiatry.

The programme proceeds from an integral view of human development: persons grow within relationships, communities, cultures and the wider environment, and in openness to God’s active presence in the world. It also takes seriously the insights of the psychological sciences into wellbeing, suffering, resilience and care.

The programme is intended primarily for mental health professionals and trainees, priests, religious, spiritual directors, chaplains, pastoral workers and lay ministers who accompany people experiencing emotional, relational or spiritual difficulty.

Target Audience Age: 18+

The course will take place on two Saturdays at Ta’ Mlit Pastoral Centre, Mosta

Programme – 10th October 2026

Date	Time	Session
10th October 2026	9:00am – 9:30am	Opening: why healing and growth need each other
10th October 2026	9:30am – 10:15am	What do we mean by “soul” and “psyche”?
10th October 2026	10:15am – 11:15am	The human person in Christian perspective: redemption and divinisation
10th October 2026	11:15am 12:30pm	The human person in psychological perspectives: medical, relational, developmental and political lenses
10th October 2026	12:30pm – 1:15pm	The human person in Malta today: contextual challenges
10th October 2026	1:15pm 2:00pm	Distinguishing remits and forms of accompaniment

Programme – 17th October 2026

Date	Time	Session
17th October 2026	9:00am – 10:00am	Afflictions of the soul: from the Desert Fathers to DSM-5-TR
17th October 2026	10:00am – 11:15am	The soul’s growth: existential concern, conscience, freedom and grief
17th October 2026	11:15am – 12:15pm	Points of tension: when spirituality blocks growth and when psychology harms
17th October 2026	12:15pm – 1:00pm	Integration and next steps
17th October 2026	1:00pm – 2:00pm	Concluding dialogue

This course has two exit certificate options:

Certificate of Attendance

To obtain a Certificate of Attendance, students must attend 80% of course contact hours.

2. Certificate of Achievement

To obtain a Certificate of Achievement, students must:

attend 80% of course contact hours;
a reflective essay

Language: Participants must have a primary level understanding of Maltese and English.

Digital: Participants must know how to access the internet and use office suites.

Previous courses / training: prior professional, clinical or ministerial formation.