The implementation of Christus Vivit in Maltese secondary schools : a catholic school leader's perspective

Abstract

This research is intended to examine the knowledge of school leadership and chaplaincy teams in the light of the implications of Pope Francis’ Christus Vivit and their implementation. The study focuses mainly on community and accompaniment, two themes elicited from the document mentioned above. It also delves into the cooperation between the school leadership team and the chaplaincy team in the ongoing implementation of these provisions. This qualitative study was carried out in two Maltese Church schools, both in the secondary sector. One school caters for girls, and the other for boys. All the participants were staff members from the schools’ leadership and chaplaincy teams. The data was collected using focus groups. The main outcomes of this research showed that the situation in these schools varies in some aspects, whilst converging in others. There was limited knowledge about Christus Vivit in one school, whilst some awareness was noted in the other. Community spirit is strong in one school, whilst the other school excels in the accompaniment of students. Both schools face similar challenges in both aspects, mainly due to the culture beyond the school, the lack of staff formation, the demands of the local education system and the lack of cooperation from parents. Results also showed a commendable level of cooperation between the SLT and SCP in one school, whilst the other school is experiencing considerable issues in this regard. Further results showed that whilst in one school there is frequent participation by parents, parent participation in the other school declined following the Covid-19 period. The conclusions from this research show that despite the lack of knowledge about the provisions outlined in Christus Vivit, both schools are somewhat working on strengthening the community spirit and the process of accompaniment of students, albeit on different levels. Furthermore, a healthy relationship between the school’s leadership team and the school’s chaplaincy team is vital for the holistic development of students in Catholic schools.