Youths – Pastoral Formation Institute

Introduction to the Ministry of the Word

13/02/2025

Photo credit: Archdiocese of Malta – Mr Ian Noel Pace

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 designed for individuals serving as lectors in their parishes or churches, equipping them to be today’s prophets who proclaim God’s Word with reverence and understanding. It begins with an introduction to the Holy Scriptures, offering a comprehensive overview. Participants will learn to identify different types of texts, such as letters, commands, and narratives, and how to effectively communicate these in their ministry.

The course also explores the use of the Lectionary, deepening participants’ understanding of its structure and purpose in liturgical settings. Lectors will receive guidance on praying with the Holy Scriptures, enriching their spiritual lives and enhancing their ability to proclaim the Word.

Additionally, the course includes training in public speaking, enabling participants to deliver Scripture readings with confidence, clarity, and conviction.

All those involved in the ministry of the Word.

Target Audience Age: 18+

This course consists of four (4) pre-recorded lectures that can be watched on the Moodle platform at a time and pace of your choosing. After viewing the pre-recorded lectures, a practical in-person seminar will take place.

Date and Time	Session	Mode of Delivery	Venue
–	Introduction to the Holy Scriptures	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	Isaiah 55, 10-11	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	The Bible as a means of Prayer	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	Public speaking skills	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
21st May 2025 6:00pm – 8:00pm	In-person Seminar – The Centrality of the Word of God in the Liturgy	In-person	Ta’ Mlit Pastoral Centre, Mosta

This course has two exit certificate options:

1. Certificate of Attendance

The student will receive a Certificate of Attendance when attending a minimum of 80% of all contact hours for this course.

2. Certificate of Participation

The student will receive a Certificate of Participation when attending a minimum of 80% of all contact hours for this course and pass from short multiple-choice exam.

Language: Applicants must be proficient in both Maltese and English.

Digital: Applicants must be able to access the internet.

Getting to Know Bible as a Parent for Ta’ Mlit Pastoral Zone

28/01/2025

This toolkit for parents consists of a series of pre-recorded sessions designed to assist parents whose children are attending catechism classes. It helps them to better understand the Bible, grasp basic themes related to the Holy Scriptures, learn how to pray, and pass on the faith with the help of the Bible, while also exploring the central role of the Word of God in the Church’s liturgy. Participants will also be provided with suggestions for additional resources.

Parents/guardians whose children are attending catechism classes at Ta’ Mlit Pastoral Zone

Target Audience Age: 18+

This toolkit consists of four (4) pre-recorded lectures that can be watched on the Moodle platform at a time and pace of your choosing. After viewing the pre-recorded lectures, a practical seminar will take place.

Date and Time	Session	Mode of Delivery	Venue
–	Introduction – What is the Bible?	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	Transmitting the Faith as a Parent	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	How to Pray Using the Bible with Your Children	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	The Central Place of Holy Scripture in the Liturgy	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–

Introduction to the Ministry of the Word for Attard Parish

08/01/2025

Photo credit: Archdiocese of Malta – Mr Ian Noel Pace

Additionally, the course includes training in public speaking, enabling participants to deliver Scripture readings with confidence, clarity, and conviction.

Lectors who serve in Attard parish

Target Audience Age: 18+

Date and Time	Session	Mode of Delivery	Venue
–	Introduction to the Holy Scriptures	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	Isaiah 55, 10-11	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	The Bible as a means of Prayer	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	Public speaking skills	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
24th February 2025 6:30pm – 8:30pm	Seminar – The Centrality of the Word of God in the Liturgy	In-person	Attard Parish Centre

If you are not conversant with the use of computers, Attard Parish will hold in-person sessions to watch the pre-recorded videos together as per below schedule. Kindly indicate this in the delivery preference section of the application form below.

Date and Time	Session	Mode of Delivery	Venue
29th January 2025 7:00pm – 8:15pm	Introduction to the Holy Scriptures	Watch pre-recorded lecture in-person	Attard Parish Centre
5th February 2025 7:00pm – 8:15pm	Isaiah 55, 10-11	Watch pre-recorded lecture in-person	Attard Parish Centre
19th February 2025 7:00pm – 8:15pm	The Bible as a means of Prayer Public speaking skills	Watch pre-recorded lecture in-person	Attard Parish Centre
24th February 2025 6:30pm – 8:30pm	Seminar – The Centrality of the Word of God in the Liturgy	In-person	Attard Parish Centre

Getting to Know Bible as a Parent for Attard Parish

08/01/2025

Attard parents whose children are attending catechism classes

Target Audience Age: 18+

Date and Time	Session	Mode of Delivery	Venue
–	Introduction – What is the Bible?	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	Transmitting the Faith as a Parent	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	How to Pray Using the Bible with Your Children	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	The Central Place of Holy Scripture in the Liturgy	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–

The Sacrament of Baptism for Attard Parish

08/01/2025

This course is aimed at parents who choose to baptize their child. They will be invited to follow this course from the comfort of their home. Firstly, they will learn about the theology of baptism and what baptism entails. They will then proceed to go through the rite of baptism, understanding its various moments so that during the celebration, they will have a deeper understanding of the process. Finally, these parents will be given suggestions on how to live out the baptismal promises within their family.

New parents of Attard Parish

Target Audience Age: 18+

The course will be delivered online through a series of recorded videos accessible on our VLE platform.

Session	Theme
Session 1	The Theology of Baptism – What is Baptism?
Session 2	The Rite of Baptism
Session 3	Living out the promises of Baptism

This course has one exit certificate options:

Certificate of Attendance

The student will receive a Certificate of Attendance when watching all recorded lectures available on VLE platform.

Awarding Institution: Pastoral Formation Institute

Language: Applicants must be fluent in Maltese and have basic proficiency in English.

Digital: Applicants must be digitally literate, especially on how to access the internet and use office suites.

Award in Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults for Fondazzjoni Sebħ Staff

30/10/2024 Fondazzjoni Sebħ Premises, Ħamrun

The Pastoral Formation Institute is licensed by MFHEA
(Licence #: 2013-FHI-023) as a Further and Higher Educational Institute. The Award in Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults is accredited at EQF/MQF Level 4, as Further Education Programme.

This short course is designed for employees and volunteers who work with children, young people, and vulnerable adults, or who handle their data. Participants will gain an understanding of the key principles of safeguarding and develop skills to create and maintain a safe environment for all individuals in their care.

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

Familiarise themselves with safeguarding policies
Understand legal obligations concerning child abuse
Identify signs and symptoms of abuse
Understand disclosures of abuse
Identify core principles of safeguarding
Practise professional boundaries effectively
Know their legal obligations under the Protection of Minors (Registration) Act (2011) and the Minors Protection Act (2019)
Recognise different types of abuse and poor practices
Learn a standard response to disclosures of abuse
Recognise signs of abuse
Identify appropriate actions to take when concerned and understand who to approach for support

Click here to view and download a detailed course description

Fondazzjoni Sebħ employees who work with children and vulnerable adults and handle their data.

The course is delivered over two sessions: (a) a 3-hour, in-person session, and (b) 2 hours of recorded material accessible on our Moodle platform.

Group 1

Lecturing Period

Session	Date & Time	Venue	Mode of Delivery
Understanding Types and Indicators of Abuse, Responding to Disclosures, and Safeguarding Principles	8th November 2024 from 9:00am to 12:00pm	Fondazzjoni Sebħ premises, Ħamrun	In-person
Understanding Local Legislation, Church and State Policies on Abuse, and Safeguarding Code of Conduct	8th November – 15th November 2024	–	Recorded material accessible on our Moodle platform

Assessment Period:

Assessment	Available From	Due by
Short Multiple-Choice Online Exam	15th November 2024	22nd November 2024
Reflective Journal	15th November 2024	16th December 2024

Group 2

Lecturing Period

Session	Date & Time	Venue	Mode of Delivery
Understanding Types and Indicators of Abuse, Responding to Disclosures, and Safeguarding Principles	14th November 2024 from 9:00am to 12:00pm	Fondazzjoni Sebħ premises, Ħamrun	In-person
Understanding Local Legislation, Church and State Policies on Abuse, and Safeguarding Code of Conduct	14th November – 21st November 2024	–	Recorded material accessible on our Moodle platform

Assessment Period:

Assessment	Available From	Due by
Short Multiple-Choice Online Exam	21st November 2024	28th November 2024
Reflective Journal	21st November 2024	6th January 2025

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 awarded to students who attend the in-person session, watch all the recorded material, and pass from short multiple-choice online quiz.

Certificate of Achievement

A Certificate of Achievement will be awarded to students who attend the in-person session, watch all the recorded material, and pass from short multiple-choice online quiz and written assignment.

Only participants who receive a Certificate of Achievement will be awarded an MQF certification.

EQF/MQF Level: Level 4

Accreditation Category: Further Education Programme

Total ECTS: 2 ECTS

Teaching Institutions: Safeguarding Commission in collaboration with the Pastoral Formation Institute

Awarding Institution: Pastoral Formation Institute

Language: Applicants must understand in both Maltese and English.

Digital: Applicants must be digitally literate particularly, in use of office suites and internet access.

Getting to Know Bible as a Parent for Iklin Parish

10/10/2024 Iklin Parish Centre

Iklin parents whose children are attending catechism classes

Target Audience Age: 18+

Date and Time	Session	Mode of Delivery	Venue
–	Introduction – What is the Bible?	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	Transmitting the Faith as a Parent	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	How to Pray Using the Bible with Your Children	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
–	The Central Place of Holy Scripture in the Liturgy	Pre-Recorded Lecture	–
26th January 2025 9:30am – 11:00am	Practical Seminar	In-person	Iklin Parish Centre

The Sacrament of Baptism

08/10/2024

New parents

Target Audience Age: 18+

The course will be delivered online through a series of recorded videos accessible on our VLE platform.

Session	Theme
Session 1	The Theology of Baptism – What is Baptism?
Session 2	The Rite of Baptism
Session 3	Living out the promises of Baptism

This course has one exit certificate options:

Certificate of Attendance

The student will receive a Certificate of Attendance when watching all recorded lectures available on VLE platform.

Awarding Institution: Pastoral Formation Institute

Language: Applicants must be fluent in Maltese and have basic proficiency in English.

Digital: Applicants must be digitally literate, especially on how to access the internet and use office suites.

Ħarbex

24/09/2024

Dan il-kors hu eliġibbli għall-iskema Get Formed! Din l-iskema trodd lura 70% tal-ispejjeż tal-kors lill-istudent ladarba jlesti l-kors. Għal iktar informazzjoni, żur: https://pfi.edu.mt/get-formed/.

Jekk qatt pruvajt tħarbex żewġ akkordji, xi melodija, jew xi biċċa lirika bil-Malti, dan huwa l-kors għalik!

Ħarbex huwa kors ta’ 3 workshops li l-Akkademja tal-Mużika Sagra Francesco Azopardi qed torganizza b’kollaborazzjoni mal-Pastoral Formation Institute u l-Malta Catholic Youth Network (MCYN) għal żgħażagħ bejn 18-35 sena u individwi li huma involuti f’pastorali maż-żgħażagħ.

L-għan tal-kors hu li jservi ta’ gwida u ispirazzjoni sabiex tħaddem il-ħiliet mużikali u litterali li diġà hemm fik biex jinkitbu għanjiet ġodda għat-talba tal-quddies. Se jkollna magħna għadd ta’ saċerdoti u lajċi li se jaqsmu magħna riżorsi u testimonjanzi li se jħeġġuna nifhmu l-attitudni tagħna fid-diversi mumenti li ngħixu f’din it-talba. Flimkien se jkollna mumenti li fihom se nkunu qed nerfgħu qlubna ‘l fuq, kif aħna mistiedna nagħmlu f’kull quddies.

Ħinijiet ta’ inkontri ma’ xulxin mhumiex se jkunu neqsin, u xejn inqas ħinijiet allokati biex nibdew inħarbxu xi ħaġa wkoll, kemm b’mod individwali, kif ukoll ma’ ħaddieħor. Għandna xewqa kbira li, flimkien magħkom, nixegħlu mqar fjamma t’interess u ta’ bidu.

Żgħażagħ bejn 18 – 35 sena u individwi li huma involuti f’pastorali maż-żgħażagħ.

The workshops will be held on Saturdays from 8:30am – 3:00pm

Data	Sessjoni
Saturday 18th January 2025	L-Ordinarju fil-Quddiesa
Saturday 15th February 2025	L-Adorazzjoni
Saturday 15th March 2025	Il-Liturġija tas-Sigħat

Dan il-kors għandu tip ta’ ċertifikat wieħed:

1. Ċertifikat ta’ Partiċipazzjoni

Sabiex jinkiseb Ċertifikat ta’ Partiċipazzjoni, l-istudenti huma meħtieġa jattendu għal tnejn mit-tlett workshops li qed jiġu organizzati kif ukoll jikkomponu mużika u/jew jiktbu lirika ġdida.

Dan il-kors qed jiġu provdut mill-Akkademja tal-Mużika Sagra Francesco Azzopardi f’kollaborazzjoni tal-Istitut tal-Formazzjoni Pastorali.

L-applikanti għandhom ikollom bażi tajba tal-lingwa Maltija u ta’ teknika awdjo-viżiva.

Preparing Catechists for the Christian Initiation of Adults

17/09/2024

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 designed to prepare committed Catholics to serve as catechists, guiding individuals on their journey toward full membership in the Catholic Church. Participants will learn how to accompany and support those discerning whether to join the Church, as well as newly baptized Catholics in their first months of initiation. The course will cover the key stages of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), from initial inquiry to the period of Mystagogy, ensuring catechists are equipped to share the teachings of the Church with clarity, compassion, and faithfulness.

This course is intended for committed Catholics who would like to share their experience of what it means to be part of the Church with persons who are in a process of discernment about whether to become Catholics. Ideally, these persons would be active in a particular parish where the persons that they would be accompanying could become eventually rooted following their baptism.

This course does not entitle the student to become an accompanying person for Catechumens. The accompanying persons are appointed by the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) Team in collaboration with the Parish Priest/Chaplain of the respective community.

Target audience: 25+

Module 1 – Introduction to Basic Themes in Theology

This module will be offered entirely online, allowing you to complete it at your own pace and on your own schedule.

Module 2 – Historical and Theological Perspectives of Christian Initiation

These sessions will be held from 6:00pm – 8:00pm.

These sessions will be held at Ta’ Mlit Pastoral Centre, Mosta.

Date	Session
8th January 2025	The Initiation in the Early Church
15th January 2025	The Development of the Rite/Order of the Christian Initiation of Adults
22nd January 2025	Catechising During the Pre-Catechumenate Phase And “Identity of the Catechist”
29th January 2025	Catechising During the Catechumenate and the Enlightenment Phases And “Methodology in Catechesis”
5th February 2025	Catechising During Mystagogy And “The Liturgy as a Mystagogical Journey”

Module 3: Practicum

Those who successfully finish Module 2 – Historical and Theological Perspectives of Christian Initiation may apply for this module which will consist in a 20 hour supervised accompaniment of a person going through the RCIA process, whilst being supported by other persons such as the parish priest and the catechists who will be providing catechesis to the person concerned, often in a group context.

This course has one exit certificate option:

1. Certificate of Achievement

The student will receive a Certificate of Achievement when students attend 80% of course contact hours and successfully complete and pass from all assessments, which are:

(i) a short online assessment

and,

(ii) a written assignment / reflective journal.

Enrolment for this course necessitates a recommendation from the Parish Priest/Chaplain of the relevant community, a requirement that is subsequently verified by PFI.

Language: Applicants must be fluent in English and have basic proficiency in Maltese.

Digital: Applicants must be digitally literate, especially on how to access the internet and use office suites.