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The Organ in the Liturgy

The Organ in the Liturgy

This course is eligible for the Get Formed! scheme, allowing students to reclaim 70% of their course fees upon completion. For more information, visit: https://pfi.edu.mt/get-formed/.

This course is aimed at those who already play the organ in our churches or those interested in starting this ministry, to help strengthen their understanding of the organist’s role. One or two sessions will be held in different churches, providing participants with the opportunity to practise on organs of various styles, models, and eras. Attendees will learn about the organ’s central place in the liturgy, its structure and maintenance, the art of registration, and the art of improvisation within the liturgy.

Organists and keyboard players who are interested in playing the organ during liturgy

Target Audience Age: 18+

The course will take place on Wednesdays from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

DateSessionVenue
29th January 2025The Organ in the LiturgyArchbishops’ Seminary
5th February 2025The Structure and Maintenance of the OrganNaxxar Parish Church
12th February 2025Playing the OrganArchbishops’ Seminary
19th February 2025The Art of RegistrationArchbishops’ Seminary
26th February 2025The Organ as Accompaniment to the Cantor and CongregationArchbishops’ Seminary
12th March 2025The Art of Improvisation in LiturgyArchbishops’ Seminary

This course has three exit certificate options:

  1. Certificate of Attendance
    The student will receive a Certificate of Attendance when attending a minimum 80% of all contact hours for this course.
  2. Certificate of Achievement
    The student will receive a Certificate of Achievement when attending a minimum of 80% of all contact hours for this course, as well as after passing a short practical examination.

This course is delivered by the Akkademja tal-Mużika Sagra Francesco Azzopardi in collaboration with the Pastoral Formation Institute.

Applicants must be proficient in both Maltese and English. They must also have a minimum of grade 6 standard in a keyboard instrument (piano or organ).

A copy of the certificate indicating achievement of minimum grade 6 standard must be uploaded in the application form below.

Introduction to Holy Communion

  Online

This course is eligible for the Get Formed! scheme, allowing students to reclaim 70% of their course fees upon completion. For more information, visit: https://pfi.edu.mt/get-formed/.

Course Description

The course Introduction to the Eucharist is designed to give the extraordinary minister formation and direction for distributing communion during masses and to be a guide to help him/her in taking communion to those who are unable to join the community in person. By the end of this course the student will: 

  • have a basic biblical and theological understanding of the teachings related to the Eucharist.   
  • know the language in which liturgical worship is explicit. 
  • learn most matters concerning the rite of Communion.  
  • learn to appreciate more the sacrament of Holy Communion. 
  • acquire a deeper knowledge of the role of the extraordinary minister. 
  • grasp the spiritual meaning that this role entails

Intended For

  • Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion who provide a service during church masses, in residential elderly homes or homebound sick persons.   
  • Those who wish to learn to appreciate more the sacrament of Holy Communion. 
  • Those who are starting their service as extraordinary ministers. 

Please Note: Doing this course does not entitle the student to become an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. Extraordinary ministers are chosen by the pastor of the parish/community. 


Curriculum

Part 1: God With Us – Dogmatic Theology 
  1. Christian theology on God’s revelation in the Eucharist.  
  2. The communitarian dimension of the Eucharist.  
  3. Eucharistic miracles around the world.  
  4. Re-actualisation – understanding the past, present and future dimensions of the sacraments.  
  5. Terminology for the Blessed Sacrament.  
Part 2: The Biblical Foundations of the Eucharist
  1. The scriptural perspective of the Church’s teachings on the Eucharist. 
  2. The foreshadowing of the Eucharist in the Old Testament. 
  3. The Last Supper narratives. 
  4. The testimony of St Paul on the Eucharist. 
  5. Exegesis. 
 
Part 3: The Eucharist in Daily Life 
  1. The role of the extraordinary minister at mass and at home. 
  2. The effects of the Eucharist on the community. 
  3. Cultivating my relationship with God through the Eucharist. 
  4. Way of life of the extraordinary minister. 
  5. The spiritual dimension of the role of the Eucharistic minister – testimonials:  

Calendar

The course is delivered in short, recorded sessions which are each about 18 minutes long. The student will be provided with a username and a password so s/he can watch these sessions on his/her own device. The total number of minutes amounts to 5-6 hours including the assessment.

Usernames and passwords will be sent to students within a week of payment confirmation.


Assessment & Certification

Assessment: Multiple choice test after each online session. The pass mark is 60%. 

Certificate: Certificate of completion will be awarded to those who complete all the sessions and pass all the assessments.

An electronic certificate will be sent via email, within a week of successfully completing the course.

Awarding and Teaching Institution: Pastoral Formation Institute


Entry Requirement

Every application will be considered on its individual merits. The Pastoral Formation Institute accepts a wide range of qualifications, and we always try to judge applications on the basis of academic potential. We do consider a very wide range of academic, vocational, and professional qualifications, as well as work and other appropriate experiences and skills.

Introduction to Holy Mass

  Online
introduction to holy mass

Course Description

The course Introduction to the Holy Mass is designed to give all those involved in the preparation of the Liturgy, formation for a better understanding of the different parts of the Eucharistic celebration. In light of Sacrosanctum Concilium’s desire to restore the celebration of the Mass to the vigour it enjoyed in Patristic times the course intends to explain the liturgico-historical roots of the different rites of the Mass for a better understanding of the celebration of the Eucharist according to the post-conciliar Missale Romanum. Moreover, such knowledge will enable the participants to put into practice the much desired active participation of the faithful in the celebration of the Mass.  By the end of this course the student will:  

  • have a basic liturgical and theological understanding of the celebration of the Mass according to the Missale Romanum 1975. 
  • know the language in which liturgical worship is explicated.  
  • know the historical roots of the different parts of the Mass. 
  • learn most matters concerning the different rites which compose the celebration of the Mass.   
  • acquire a deeper understanding and appreciation of the different roles, members of the assembly hold.  
  • grasp the spiritual meaning that these roles entail

Intended For

  • Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion,
  • Lectors, Animators,
  • Choir members,
  • members of the Parish Liturgical Commission
  • and those interested in understanding better the celebration of the Eucharist.

Curriculum

Part 1: The Introductory Rites  

  • The Introit
  • Greeting of the Altar and of the Assembly  
  • The Act of Penance
  • The Kyrie Eleison
  • The Gloria
  • The Collect 

Part 2: The Liturgy of the Word   

  • The Readings and the Responsorial Psalm
  • The Acclamation and the Gospel
  • The Homily
  • The Profession of Faith
  • The Prayer of the Faithful. 

Part 3: The Liturgy of the Eucharist  

  • The Offertory
  • The Preface
  • The Eucharistic Prayer I
  • The Eucharistic Prayer II
  • The Eucharistic Prayer III
  • The Eucharistic Prayer IV
  • The Eucharistic Prayer V
  • The Eucharistic Prayer of Reconciliation I and II 

Part 4: The Communion Rite

  • The Lord’s Prayer
  • The Rite of Peace
  • The Fraction
  • Communion
  • The Concluding Rites

Calendar

The course is delivered in short, recorded sessions which are each about 15 minutes long. The student will be provided with a username and a password so s/he can watch these sessions at his/her own computer or other technological device. The total number of minutes amount to 6-7hrs including the assessment.

Usernames and passwords will be sent to students within a week of payment confirmation.


Assessment & Certification

Assessment: Multiple choice test after each online session. The pass mark is 60%. 

Certificate: Certificate of completion will be awarded to those who complete all the sessions and pass all the assessments.

An electronic certificate will be sent via email, within a week of successfully completing the course.

Awarding and Teaching Institution: Pastoral Formation Institute


Entry Requirement

Every application will be considered on its individual merits. The Pastoral Formation Institute accepts a wide range of qualifications, and we always try to judge applications on the basis of academic potential. We do consider a very wide range of academic, vocational, and professional qualifications, as well as work and other appropriate experiences and skills.

Liturgy

The course offers an introduction to the history, theory and practice of Roman Catholic public worship. It does so with particular reference to:

  • Core principles of liturgical-theological study and the meaningful application of such principles;
  • Sacramental praxis of the Eucharist and sacraments of Initiation;
  • Sacramental praxis as it pertains to the liturgical sacraments of Healing and Service;
  • Liturgical praxis in the area of Bereavement and ancillary orders;
  • Liturgical structuring of space and time, with particular reference to  historico-cultural developments, and the composition of contemporary liturgical observances and spaces;
  • Liturgical theology and practices of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter;
  • Marian devotions and popular devotions in the liturgical inheritance of the faithful.

The course is pastorally centred, to better serve learners who are seeking instruction in the theory, practice, and historical development of Christian liturgical heritage. The Western tradition and its expression in the Roman Catholic Liturgy will be explored with special emphasis. The course provides essential learning for individuals who are/ will be involved in Parish Liturgical Commissions and the Animation of the Liturgy, alongside lay persons with an interest in liturgical studies and popular devotions.

The course will support the ongoing formation of current and prospective Liturgical Leaders and Animators, Sacristans, Special Eucharistic Ministers, Musical Directors, and other liturgical collaborators within their own Catholic communities.

The course is also relevant to professionals (e.g. wedding directors, funeral directors, guides of religious tourism etc.) whose activities bring them in direct contact with liturgical places and observances.

Dates for this course are to be announced.

AFF Level: Level 5

Every application will be considered on its individual merits. The Pastoral Formation Institute accepts a wide range of qualifications, and we always try to judge applications on the basis of academic potential. We do consider a very wide range of academic, vocational, and professional qualifications, as well as work and other appropriate experiences and skills.