About Prayer Spaces

Prayer Spaces enable children and young people of all faiths and none to explore life questions, spirituality and faith. Taking a broadly Christian perspective as a starting point, prayer spaces allow children and young people to develop skills of personal reflection and explore prayer in an open, inclusive, creative and safe environment.

A prayer space is usually a classroom-sized area transformed for a few days or a week with creative activities that encourage personal reflection on issues such as forgiveness, injustice, thankfulness, big questions, identity and stillness. In some schools, teachers bring their students for a subject lesson in the prayer space. In other schools, students are invited to visit the prayer space voluntarily, during their breaks and lunchtimes, and maybe after school.

Our Journey so far in Malta

In 2013, Fr Paul Chetcuti SJ and Fr Reuben Gauci, the Diocesan Coordinators for the Spiritual Development in Church Schools and State schools, respectively, immediately recognised the potential of Prayer Spaces in the UK. Therefore, they participated in a training seminar in London organised by Prayer Spaces in Schools UK and invited Phil Togwell and his team to train chaplains, educators, and youth leaders about prayer spaces. With the help of a team of voluntary educators, a training seminar was organised in January 2014. In a few months, prayer spaces caught like wildfires on the Maltese islands, with more than 200 prayer spaces held in various state, independent and church schools, retreats, summer schools and other organisations.   

Growing

Over the years, the Spiritual Development in Schools unit, under the coordination of Fr Reuben Gauci and his pastoral workers, continued to promote education and spiritual growth. At different times of the year, they are invited by schools, national educational agencies, entities, and collaborators to help them organise and run prayer spaces for them. They provide seminars, training workshops and support educators and pastoral chaplaincies in schools. The ongoing collaboration with Prayer Spaces in Schools in the UK, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, and other countries is essential. We meet online and in person when it is possible to nurture a sense of collaboration, share inspiring stories and ideas and encourage each other to share this experience with more students, educators and families in our countries and beyond. 

Prayer Spaces in Schools was officially launched as a project of 24-7 Prayer in 2010, along with a small team and the first iteration of the GB website. Since then, it has become a growing hub for the network of practitioners worldwide who run prayer spaces in schools.  

Values

Prayer spaces are rooted in broadly Christian traditions of prayer whilst allowing children and young people to respond individually and draw their conclusions. Prayer spaces are rooted in the teachings, ministry, life, and example of Jesus.

Prayer spaces inspire a sense of awe and wonder in children and young people about how they perceive themselves, relate with others, and engage with the world around them.

Prayer spaces encourage the development of the non-material aspect of human nature, sometimes called the spirit or soul. They allow space to engage with life’s ‘big questions’, in the quest for purpose and meaning and in developing a sense of identity, self-worth and personal insight.

Prayer spaces enable children and young people to interact in their way with an environment of prayer that includes opportunities to experience stillness, an awareness of the numinous, to express their thanks, hopes, dreams, questions and fears, and to explore ways of praying as practised by the ‘saints of old’ and people today.

Prayer spaces allow children and young people to stop, think and ask questions about their lives, experiences, beliefs, and relationships and to learn from this reflection. Prayer spaces use various innovative and imaginative techniques to enable children and young people to express these reflections and/or prayers differently.

Prayer spaces are hospitable and welcoming to all children and young people, whatever their beliefs or cultural backgrounds. Prayer spaces provide for various learning styles and are accessible, with appropriate support, for those with mild learning difficulties.

Prayer spaces pursue excellence and work to national standards, with reference to the educational curriculum in each nation. Prayer spaces ensure that children and young people feel safe and are effectively protected from harm. And, wherever possible, they are a partnership between local churches and schools, working together to provide amazing experiences for children and young people.

National Team

Fr Reuben Gauci

Fr Reuben lives in Siggiewi, Malta and is a Catholic priest serving in Malta. Since 2005, my ministry has been mainly in a parish, particularly with youth faith formation. In 2010, I began accompanying youth through the organisation Youth Catholic Action and through school chaplaincy, serving as chaplain at several primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools. Together with Fr Paul Chetcuti, we introduced prayer spaces in schools after participating in a training course by the Prayer Spaces in Schools UK team in London. Since 2015, we have promoted prayer spaces in schools across the Maltese islands and beyond through various events and activities. I like travelling, going for walks in the countryside, playing video games, photography and producing videos.

Silvana Cardona

Silvana lives with her husband and four daughters in Pembroke, Malta. She has been an educator for 30 years, half of which she has taught in Centres for young people with challenging behaviour. Silvana introduced prayer spaces within one of the Prince’s Trust International programmes and in the Intergenerational Writing Clubs and Family Writing Activities within the National Literacy Agency. Since 2015, Silvana has voluntarily coordinated the prayer spaces team in Malta alongside Fr Reuben and Fr Paul. In January 2019, Silvana started working full-time at the Archdiocese of Malta as a Pastoral Worker with the Spiritual Development in Schools. Silvana loves to be in touch with nature, especially the sea. She likes to capture simple, awe-inspiring moments and write reflections on them. Mostly, her love is being with her family.

Fr Paul Chetcuti sj

Fr Paul is a semi-retired Jesuit priest. Since my early years in ministry, I have been dedicated to youth spiritual formation. In 2015, when I was Diocesan Coordinator for youth formation and ministry, Bernadette Briffa, a long-time collaborator, introduced me to Prayer Spaces in the UK. I immediately recognised the potential of this simple yet profound spiritual experience and presented it in Malta alongside my team. It caught like wildfire. At one point, Phil Togwell and his friends came over to train Maltese educators and youth leaders.

Nancy Camilleri

Nancy is from Mtarfa. Married with two children. I work with Missio Malta – Missions Office in Malta, and I take care of the Holy Childhood in Malta and Gozo. My work consists of raising mission awareness among children and spreading the Word of God in schools and parishes. State schools are often multinational, so I am invited to give cultural sessions in a missionary country. I am part of the National Prayer Spaces team and do my best to promote prayer spaces in my work and beyond, spreading the Word of God to children. Prayer Spaces allow our children to open their hearts to God and speak to Him about their innermost feelings and hurts. It makes them feel free to connect with Him sincerely and simply.

Bernadette Sammut Briffa

Bernadette’s life has been centred around young people, starting as a qualified teacher in state schools and being active in the youth sector for many years, with the Catholic Movement at University, as well as at parochial and diocesan levels. She also spent two years with the Taize Community in France. Whilst working in the UK, she moved into Chaplaincy and discovered Prayer Spaces. She works as a Chaplain in a local Girls’ Catholic College for 5-16-year-olds and has used Prayer Spaces with the students, staff and parents on various occasions.

Annabella Gauci

Annabella lives in Mosta, a Northern Region of Malta, and is an Assistant Head of School at a Primary Church school in Marsa, a South Eastern Region of Malta. Annabella taught at this school for 16 years before her current position. Annabella is part of the Prayer Spaces in Schools Malta Team. She is also a Catechist and Youth Minister at a Church organisation in Mosta, where she organises prayer spaces for children, adolescents, youths and adults. Annabella also organises Prayer Spaces at her school.

Anne-Marie Gatt

International Team

Phil Togwell
International Director

Phil Togwell lives on the North-East coast of England with his family (one wife, three daughters, one foster-child, two dogs). Phil trained and worked in a wide range of Youth & Community settings before serving as 24-7 Prayer’s UK director for 7 years. He now leads the Prayer Spaces in Schools teams, is part of 24-7’s Lectio365 core team, and teaches and coaches leaders on the Diocese of Durham’s Missional Leadership for Growth (MLG) programme.