Wednesday, 19th Novembru 2025

9:30am – 12:00pm

St Joseph’s Home, St Venera

Educators

A Training Seminar to delve deeper in how Prayer Spaces are changing young lives.

Maltese & English

How Prayer Spaces in Schools are changing young lives

What a special training seminar we had together with 100 educators from State, Church and Independent schools and from other pastoral backgrounds. During this inspiring morning, we explored how prayer spaces open young hearts to reflection, gratitude, and healing, and nurture the full well-being of every aspect of their lives.

“Prayer spaces are not a service. They create a context where young people encounter God and encounter one another.” fr Eric Cachia sdb

Fr Eric Cachia sdb, enlightened educators based on scientific research, rediscover the link between spiritual development and holistic wellbeing, helping us see how nurturing the inner life supports emotional balance, moral growth, and peace of mind. He focused on:

  1. Spiritual and religious development in youth and families facing vulnerability,
  2. Adolescent spirituality and mental Health: insights from recent systematic evidence
  3. How spirituality, resilience, and happiness work together
  4. Factors that undermine spiritual health in adolescents

“The Holy Spirit does the real work in a prayer space. We simply create the space.” Phil Sokell-Miles

Phil Sokell-Miles, author of the newly published book Sticky Note Prayers and International Director of Prayer Spaces in Schools, shared three stories from different centuries that inspired each other. He shared stories from the book Sticky Note Prayers, including from Malta. In fact, during this part of the seminar, educators from State, Church and Independent schools and from youth and adult formation, who have witnessed the quiet transformation when students step into a prayer space, shared their stories. Their experiences reminded us that these moments of stillness and wonder often become lasting learning experiences in compassion and hope.

  1. “You are forming the hearts, the minds, the souls, the whole person of today, and the adult of tomorrow.”
  2. “Your presence, not the outcome, is what makes the difference in the life of a young person.”
  3. “A role model does not need to impress. A role model needs to be authentic and present.”
  4. “Do not assume. Assumption is one of the most dangerous things we can do as educators.”
  5. “Prayer spaces are not a service. They create a context where young people encounter God and encounter one another.”
  6. “You have been chosen to be an agent of this transformation, whether through your work or through who you are.”
  7. “Education means listening to the heart. That is what young people need from us today.”
  8. “When you care for the spiritual life of a student, you directly support their psychological resilience.”
  9. “Young people seek meaning, but they will only trust authenticity and personal relationship.”
  10. “We are not entitled to see immediate results. Our task is to sow seeds of spiritual growth and trust God with the fruit.”
  1. “God can take the small things we offer and do something big with them.”
  2. “Prayer spaces began as something simple, but through the years we have realised God is doing something extraordinary in this cultural moment.”
  3. “Children need spaces where they can be honest, quiet, and themselves.”
  4. “One Post-it note was enough to show me that young people are carrying things far deeper than we imagine.”
  5. “Prayer spaces help children reconnect with themselves, with others, with the world, and with God.”
  6. “The Holy Spirit does the real work in a prayer space. We simply create the space.”
  7. “When a child writes ‘I can be myself here,’ that is the beginning of healing and reconciliation.”
  8. “Prayer spaces give young people first steps on a spiritual journey, without pressure or force, only invitation.”
  9. “We sometimes think we are more important than we are. The Spirit says, ‘Let me do what I am good at.’”
  10. “Every time you host a prayer space, you are taking part in God’s ministry of reconciliation.”
Silvana Cardona

“A 15-year-old boy placed his pain on a stone, lowered it into the water, and stayed weeping in silence. That moment showed me how deeply young people need safe places to let go.”

Charles Bonello

“After so many years, they told us, ‘We finally managed to pray.’ Prayer spaces opened a door that traditional methods never could.”

Margaret Fonde

“A boy repeated the whole prayer space at home with his mother. That was when I realised these simple moments reach families too.”

Hayley Borg (18-year-old student)

“Prayer spaces are the moment where I can truly connect with my feelings and with God. They move something inside me every time.”

Sr Matalan

“We learn about our students, and we learn about ourselves, inside these spaces. They open more than we expect.”

Carmen Farrugia

“The boys enter noisy, but when you read their prayers you realise how deep they are. They even ask, ‘Do you have prayer spaces next week?’”

Rosemary Mifsud

“My staff planned for half an hour. We stayed an hour and a half without noticing. Prayer spaces give us so much, and in return we give so much more to our students.”

Annemarie Fenech

“Parents who never pray with their children were lying on the floor helping them write prayers. Prayer spaces transformed a simple family retreat into a real encounter.”

During the seminar, participants also had an excellent opportunity to reflect and pray through various prayer activities, and to network during the break while nibbling refreshments and sipping coffee. Participants left the seminar with a renewed understanding that spiritual growth, when integrated with emotional, social, and moral dimensions, truly enhances the holistic well-being of every human person.

F’dan is-seminar speċjali ħadu sehem mal-100 edukatur mill-iskejjel tal-Istat, tal-Knisja u Indipendenti u minn ħidmiet pstorali oħra. Matul din il-għodwa ta’ ispirazzjoni, esplorajna kif l-ispazji ta’ talb jgħinu lit-tfal u ż-żgħażagħ jiftħu qalbhom għar-riflessjoni, gratitudni u fejqan u jiżviluppaw il-benesseri sħiħ f’kull aspett ta’ ħajjithom.

“Prayer spaces are not a service. They create a context where young people encounter God and encounter one another.” fr Eric Cachia sdb

Fr Eric Cachia sdb għin lill-edukaturi jiskopru mill-ġdid ir-relazzjoni bejn l-iżvilupp spiritwali u l-benesseri ħolistika, fuq kif meta nieħdu ħsieb l-interjur tagħhom, inkunu qed ngħinu biex ikun hemm iktar bilanċ emozzjonali, tkabbir morali, u serħan tal-moħħ. Huwa iffoka fuq:

  1. L-iżvilupp spiritwali u reliġjuż fiż-żgħażagħ u l-familji vulnerabli.
  2. L-ispirtwalità tal-adoloxxenti u s-saħħa mentali: tagħrif minn evidenza sistematika riċenti.
  3. Kif l-ispiritwalità, ir-reżiljenza u l-kuntentizza jaħdmu flimkien.
  4. Fatturi li jimminaw is-saħħa spiritwali fl-adoloxxenti.

Phil Sokell-Miles, awtur tal-ktieb ġdid Sticky Note Prayers li għadu kif ġie ppubblikat u Direttur Internazzjonali ta’ Prayer Spaces in Schools qasam tlitt stejjer minn sekli differenti imma li affetwaw lil xulxin. Ma kienx jonqos li huwa rrefera għal diversi stejjer mill-ktieb Sticky Note Prayers minn madwar id-dinja, inkluż minn Malta. Fil-fatt f’dal-ħin tas-seminar, edukaturi minn skejjel tal-Istat, tal-Knisja u Indipendenti u minn grupp ta’ formazzjoni għaż-żgħażagħ u adulti, qasmu l-esperjenza tagħhom dwar it-trasformazzjoni siekta li sseħħ fit-tfal u ż-żgħażagħ. L-esperjenzi tagħhom ifakkruna li dawn il-mumenti ta’ skiet u stagħġib, iħallu esperjenzi dejjiema ta’ tagħlim fil-kompassjoni u fit-tama.

“The Holy Spirit does the real work in a prayer space. We simply create the space.” Phil Sokell-Miles

  1. “You are forming the hearts, the minds, the souls, the whole person of today, and the adult of tomorrow.”
  2. “Your presence, not the outcome, is what makes the difference in the life of a young person.”
  3. “A role model does not need to impress. A role model needs to be authentic and present.”
  4. “Do not assume. Assumption is one of the most dangerous things we can do as educators.”
  5. “Prayer spaces are not a service. They create a context where young people encounter God and encounter one another.”
  6. “You have been chosen to be an agent of this transformation, whether through your work or through who you are.”
  7. “Education means listening to the heart. That is what young people need from us today.”
  8. “When you care for the spiritual life of a student, you directly support their psychological resilience.”
  9. “Young people seek meaning, but they will only trust authenticity and personal relationship.”
  10. “We are not entitled to see immediate results. Our task is to sow seeds of spiritual growth and trust God with the fruit.”
  1. “God can take the small things we offer and do something big with them.”
  2. “Prayer spaces began as something simple, but through the years we have realised God is doing something extraordinary in this cultural moment.”
  3. “Children need spaces where they can be honest, quiet, and themselves.”
  4. “One Post-it note was enough to show me that young people are carrying things far deeper than we imagine.”
  5. “Prayer spaces help children reconnect with themselves, with others, with the world, and with God.”
  6. “The Holy Spirit does the real work in a prayer space. We simply create the space.”
  7. “When a child writes ‘I can be myself here,’ that is the beginning of healing and reconciliation.”
  8. “Prayer spaces give young people first steps on a spiritual journey, without pressure or force, only invitation.”
  9. “We sometimes think we are more important than we are. The Spirit says, ‘Let me do what I am good at.’”
  10. “Every time you host a prayer space, you are taking part in God’s ministry of reconciliation.”
Silvana Cardona

“A 15-year-old boy placed his pain on a stone, lowered it into the water, and stayed weeping in silence. That moment showed me how deeply young people need safe places to let go.”

Charles Bonello

“After so many years, they told us, ‘We finally managed to pray.’ Prayer spaces opened a door that traditional methods never could.”

Margaret Fonde

“A boy repeated the whole prayer space at home with his mother. That was when I realised these simple moments reach families too.”

Hayley Borg (18-year-old student)

“Prayer spaces are the moment where I can truly connect with my feelings and with God. They move something inside me every time.”

Sr Matalan

“We learn about our students, and we learn about ourselves, inside these spaces. They open more than we expect.”

Carmen Farrugia

“The boys enter noisy, but when you read their prayers you realise how deep they are. They even ask, ‘Do you have prayer spaces next week?’”

Rosemary Mifsud

“My staff planned for half an hour. We stayed an hour and a half without noticing. Prayer spaces give us so much, and in return we give so much more to our students.”

Annemarie Fenech

“Parents who never pray with their children were lying on the floor helping them write prayers. Prayer spaces transformed a simple family retreat into a real encounter.”

Matul dan is-seminar, il-parteċipanti kellhom opportunità sabiħa biex jirriflettu u jitolbu permezz ta’ diversi attivitajiet ta’ talb u li jkabbru r-relazzjonijiet tagħhom flimkien waqt li jieklu xi ħaġa żgħira u kafe. Jalla dawn l-edukaturi kibru fl-għarfien li t-tkabbir spiritwali, meta integrat mad-dimensjoni emozzjonali, soċjali, u morali, verament itejjeb il-benesseri ħolistiku ta’ kull persuna umana.

You are still in time to order a copy of the book at a 25% discount!


This event is part of the Prayer Spaces programme.