On December 22nd, in the Church of the Holy Family located in Tas-Sliema, a simple but significant ceremony took place in which the Decree of Aggregation was delivered to the Congregation of the Ursuline Sisters of Saint Angela Merici, which bears the signature of the Augustinian Order. This decree, which bears the date of August 28, 2023, was delivered after a mass of thanksgiving to the Superior General Mother Magdalene Cauchi USAM by Fr. Javier Perez Barba OSA, Assistant General, on behalf of the Prior General of the Order, Fr. Alejandro Morál Antón OSA. Many nuns from the congregation were present and also the Prior Provincial of the Augustinians in Malta, Fr. Leslie Gatt OSA, the provincial treasurer, Fr. Pierre Desira OSA and the postulator general of the Order, Fr. Josef Sciberras OSA.

The Ursuline nuns in Malta were founded by the Servant of God Isidoro dei Conti Formosa Montalto (Valletta, 1851- Valletta, 1931) in 1887.

During his life, the founder had close knowledge of the Augustinian religious of the convent of Saint Augustine in Valletta, having been born and lived for many years not far from the mentioned convent. Furthermore, at the beginning of his priestly ministry, he was appointed chaplain and confessor of the Augustinian nuns of contemplative life of the monastery of Saint Catherine of Alexandria in the same hometown. These were elements which, among other things, familiarized him both with the Augustinian Rule and with the lifestyle of the Order based on the search for God in common life and in the service to the Church. He wanted these elements included in his religious foundation, wanting the nuns to profess the Rule of St Augustine.

A few months after the foundation, Msgr. Formosa asked the prior general of the Order, Fr. Sebastiano Martinelli OSA, to grant the grace of affiliation to him personally and to the first nucleus of nuns, who had already professed the Rule of the Holy Father Augustine. Martinelli granted this grace in December 1889, extending the privileges and graces to future generations of sisters. In 1935 this affiliation was renewed by Prior General Eustasio Esteban OSA.

Considering the post-conciliar reform of the Constitutions of the Order, in which the distinction was made between the affiliation of individual people and the aggregation of religious congregations that want to spiritually unite with the Order, the superior general of the Ursulines of Saint Angela Merici, with the consent of his council, he asked the prior general of the Order for the decree of aggregation, thus renewing the spiritual bond that was born with the founder of the congregation himself way back in 1889. This bond, over the decades, has expressed itself in various ways and forms of collaboration with the Augustinian friars in Malta.

The cause of beatification and canonization of the Servant of God Isidoro dei Conti Formosa Montalto, diocesan priest and son of the Order, also falls under the responsibility of the general postulation of the Order.

Currently the Congregation is of diocesan right, has more than 60 nuns and is present in 8 communities on the island of Malta. Previously they had presences in Italy and England. The foundational charism of the institute - based on the principles of the Augustinian Rule, on the example of Saint Angela Merici and on the guidelines given by the founder, a great apostle of charity towards the most needy - is to spread and implant charity among children and adolescents who cannot live in their natural families for various reasons, and to support families who have difficulties in supporting and educating their children.

Fr Josef Sciberras osa

Postulator General of the Augustinian Order

Sena Akkademika 2024

(Jannar – Ġunju 2024)

 L-Istqarrijiet ta’ S. Wistin u Il-Ħajja ta’ Wistin ta’  S. Possidju

Il-Ġimgħa 5 ta’ Jannar 2024 (6.00 – 7.30pm)

Ftuħ tas-Sena Akkademika 2024

Ċelebrazzjoni tal-Ewkaristija - Presjeduta mill-WR P. Leslie Gatt OSA

Daħla fil-qosor għas-Sena Akkademika 2024 - Prof. Salvinu Caruana OSA (Viċi-Pres./Direttur Ist.Agost.)

Il-Ġimgħa 12 ta’ Jannar 2024 (6.00 – 7.00pm)

Tnedija ta’ ktieb Wistin ta’ Ippona: Mixja ta’ ħajja u qdusija tal-Professur P. Salvinu Caruana OSA

Fis-sede tal-Istitut Agostinjan, Kunvent S. Rita, S. Ġiljan

 Jitħadded dwar il-ktieb il-Professur Salvinu Caruana OSA

Il-pubblikazzjoni tkun għall-bejgħ għall-prezz ta’ €15 (wara €20)

Il-Ġimgħa, 19 ta’ Jannar 2024

Prof. Salvinu Caruana OSA (Vice Pres./Dir. Ist.Agost.)

Daħla għall-Istqarrijiet ta’ S. Wistin, u L-Istqarrijiet ktieb 1: Għax int għamiltna għalik,

u qalbna ma ssibx kwiet qabel ma tistrieħ fik (1,1,1)

Il-Ġimgħa, 26 ta’ Jannar 2024

P. Francis Calleja OSA

L-Istqarrijiet ktieb 2: Imma jien, imsejken li jien, x’ħabbejt fik, ja serq tiegħi...(1,6,12)

Il-Ġimgħa, 2 ta’ Frar 2023

P. Pierre Desira OSA (Ass.Dir. Ist.Agost.)

L-Istqarrijiet ktieb 3: F’Kartaġni...fost ħafna mħabbiet ħżiena qisni ġo taġen jagħli u jfaqqa’ madwari...(3,1,1)

Il-Ġimgħa, 9 ta’ Frar 2024

Prof. Revdu Hector Scerri (Fak.Teol. UOM)

L-Istqarrijiet ktieb 4: Sirt kwistjoni kbira għalija nnifsi; kont nistaqsi lil ruħi l-għala kienet imnikkta...(4,4,8)

Il-Ġimgħa, 16 ta’ Frar 2024

P. Franco Grech OSA (Ist.Agost.)

L-Istqarrijiet ktieb 5: F’dik il-medda ta’ kważi disa’ snin li matulhom b’moħħi mxerred tajt widen għall-Manikej...(5,6,10)

 Il-Ġimgħa, 23 ta’ Frar 2024

P. Peter Paul Cachia OSA (Ist.Agost.)

L-Istqarrijiet ktieb 6: It-tifkira ta’ dak il-logħob baqgħetlu f’moħħu, imma saritlu duwa għall-ġejjieni tiegħu. (6,9,14)

Il-Ġimgħa, 1 ta’ Marzu 2024

P. Mario Attard Ofm Cap. (Ist.Agost.)

L-Istqarrijiet ktieb 7: Qabel xejn ridt turini kemm tieqaf lill-kburin u tagħti l-grazzja lill-umli... (7,9,13)

Il-Ġimgħa, 8 ta’ Marzu 2024

P. Adeodato Schembri OSA (Ist.Agost.)

L-Istqarrijiet ktieb 8: Warrabtni minn wara dahri, fejn kont qegħidt lili nnifsi biex ma nħarisx lejja...(8,7,16)

Il-Ġimgħa, 15 ta’ Marzu 2024

Onor. Imħallef (Emeritu) Silvio Meli (Ist.Agost.)

L-Istqarrijiet ktieb 9: ...u ma ridtx inħallihom jibqgħu jixtru minn fommi l-armi għall-gwerer fil-qrati tal-ġenn tagħhom...(9,2,2)

Il-Ġimgħa, 12 t’April 2024

Dottsa Ritienne Debono MD (Ist.Agost.)

L-Istqarrijiet ktieb 10: Dan hu l-ġid li nixtieq mill-istqarrijiet li nagħmel mhux dwar l-imgħoddi tiegħi, imma dwar il-qagħda tiegħi ta’ issa.(10,4,6)

Il-Ġimgħa, 19 t’April 2024

Prof. Salvinu Caruana OSA (Vice Pres./Dir. Ist.Agost.)

L-Istqarrijiet ktieb 11: Mela x’inhu ż-żmien? Jien naf x’inhu, sakemm ħadd ma jistaqsini x’inhu; imma jekk xi ħadd jistaqsini ma nkunx naf infissirlu...(11,14,17)

Il-Ġimgħa, 26 t’April 2024

Revd Dr Jonathan Farrugia (HOD Fak.Teol. UOM/Ist.Agost.)

L-Istqarrijiet ktieb 12: Inti ġa għidtli, Mulej, b’leħen qawwi li smajtu ’l ġewwanett f’widnejja... (12,11,11)

Il-Ġimgħa, 3 ta’ Mejju 2024

Revd Dr Jonathan Farrugia (HOD Fak.Teol. UOM/Ist.Agost.)

L-Istqarrijiet ktieb 13: Min se jifhem it-Trinità li tista’ kollox? Iżda min ma jitkellimx fuqha, jekk tassew fuqha jitkellem? (13,11,12)

Il-Ħajja ta’ Wistin ta’ S. Possidju, isqof ta’ Kalama (Vita Augustini - VA)

Il-Ġimgħa, 10 ta’ Mejju 2024

Ħjiel storiku dwar il-ħajja tal-qaddis Possidju, l-isqof ta’ Kalama (Guelma)

(Ktieb ta’ P. Salvinu Caruana OSA S. Possidju isqof ta’ Kalama. Il-Ħajja ta’ Wistin

(Malta: Provinċja Agostinjana, 2005, p. 26-34)

Il-Ħajja ta’ Wistin (ktieb kap 3.0, p.74-78)

P. Pierre Desira OSA (Ass.Dir. Ist.Agost.)

Il-Ġimgħa, 17 ta’ Mejju 2024      

Il-Ħajja ta’ Wistin (VA) (preġji u kritika) u l-Istqarrijiet ta’ Wistin, imqabbla

Revdu Prof. Salvinu Caruana OSA

Il-Ġimgħa, 24 ta’ Mejju 2024

Il-Ħajja ta’ Wistin – l-ewwel taqsima (ktieb p. 78-126)

Revdu Prof. Salvinu Caruana OSA

Il-Ġimgħa, 31 ta’ Mejju 2024

Il-Ħajja ta’ Wistin – it-tieni taqsima (ktieb p. 126-147)

Revdu Prof. Salvinu Caruana OSA

Il-Ġimgħa, 14 ta’ Ġunju 2024

Il-Ħajja ta’ Wistin – it-tielet taqsima (ktieb p. 148-177)

Revdu Prof. Salvinu Caruana OSA

Il-Ġimgħa, 21 ta’ Ġunju 2024 fil-5.45pm

TQASSIM TA’ ĊERTIFIKAT TA’ ATTENDENZA

We are once again celebrating another Christmas with all the preparations it brings and with everything we have lived and accumulated along another year of life. All this makes this Christmas different from previous ones while the main purpose of the celebration remains the same. In the center is the birth of the little baby Jesus: The Lord who, wanted to take the form of a man so that we could be born in him. Even more than that, as St. Augustine put it, he gave us the possibility to take timely help from this second birth of his, while we follow in his footsteps. (cf. St. Augustine, Sermon 371,2) This is then a provocation for all of us as we celebrate Christmas, in the midst of the contrast created by wars and so many troubles in the world around us.

But the same contrast is created even by our internal 'wars'; the problems which we face in life, the burden that we sometimes carry and that which we sometimes create for others because of our attitudes, the lack of attention and appreciation of those around us when we think that everything should revolve around us. The invitation of the little baby Jesus is undoubtedly that to recognize your weaknesses, and kneel down before the Lord, your doctor. When we do so, with his humility he unites us with Him. What a great mystery we are thus celebrating and what a great gain we have if we really let this celebration change us. The greatness of all this is undoubtedly not because He needs to be elevated in his nature, but rather because we make a bigger space for Him in your heart. (cf. S. Augustine, Sermon 117,10)

Let us then genuinely ask what this bigger space in our heart should be? A heart filled with many things risks not having enough space left for Jesus. Let's really commit ourselves to a lighter way of living for our own sake and for the sake of those around us. We will than be able to better welcome Jesus, and moreover, let him change us and the world we live in. A heart filled with Jesus will surely be a heart that spreads peace and joy. This is the true meaning of Christmas that we are once again celebrating.

I wish you and your families a holy Christmas filled with the joy of this newborn baby Jesus!

Fr. Leslie Gatt osa

Prior Provincial

On Wednesday December 13, the Augustinian friars met at The Santa Rita Priory in St. Julian's for a moment of prayer during Advent. Fr Martin Micallef ofm Cap led a reflection on the star that we find in the pages of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. After a short break, the brothers gathered for adoration in silence before the Sacrament.