Preserving the spirit : cooperation with lay teachers in St. Jeanne Antide schools

Abstract

In the light of the ever diminishing number of religious working in Church Schools in Malta and throughout the world, I would like to investigate how the original charism of the foundress, St. Jeanne Antide, can be preserved through the cooperation between the religious and the lay teachers in our schools. Part one will deal with the original project of St. Jeanne Antide for her schools. The sources of my research are the first Rule she wrote ( 1819 ) and eventual modifications which were made to meet the needs of time. Part two will examine the situation nowadays. Today St. Jeanne Antide schools are living a time of evaluation so as to re-establish an educational project which is coherent with the original spirit of Jeanne Antide and meet today's needs. Part three suggests ways and means to set up an educational project based on the charism of St. Jeanne Antide, which would be fully efficient only with the cooperation and full participation of lay teachers present in our schools. It will re-enkindle the spirit :m<l give new life to our schools