Governance
The College was established as a Foundation by the Society of the Sacred Heart in 2004. In 2014, the Society of the Sacred Heart passed the School to the Archdiocese, changing the Foundation’s name to ‘Sacred Heart College Foundation’, the name it bears today. The Archbishop of Malta assumed the authority and powers previously held by the Superior of the Society of the Sacred Heart. This crucial development guaranteed that the College’s mission would persist in the face of the heightened obstacles, including the ageing membership and the shortage of new vocations, that the Sisters of the Sacred Heart encountered.
The Foundation was established with the same objective that St Madeleine Sophie Barat originally proposed and that the Sisters have so admirably maintained since they arrived in Malta in 1903: “the education of children in a Catholic Church School in accordance with the ethos expressed in the Sacred Heart Network of Schools.”
The administration, supervision, and management of the Sacred Heart College Foundation are collectively vested in a Board of Governors following the Foundation’s establishment. The Board consists of 11 governors who are appointed for a three-year tenure. The Archbishop is responsible for nominating the Chairperson of the Board of Governors. Another six governors are directly nominated by the Archbishop of Malta. Two additional members are Parent Governors; one is nominated and elected by the Junior School parents/guardians, while the other is nominated and elected by the Senior School parents/guardians. The remaining two Board members are Teacher Governors, who are nominated and elected by the teachers in the Junior School and the Senior School, respectively. After their election or nomination, the Archbishop formally confirms the Parent and Teacher Governors. The College Director, the Head of the Junior School, and the Head of the Senior School are in attendance during Board meetings in their respective ex-officio roles.
Governors are not compensated for their service on the Board. They voluntarily fulfil their obligations as specified in the Instrument of Government.
The Board conducts a formal meeting every month except for August. The Finance Committee, commonly known as the Finance Subcommittee, is statutorily mandated to be established by the Board of Governors. The Finance Committee comprises 2 to 3 Governors, the Bursar, the Heads of School, and the College Director. It generally convenes two days before each Board of Governors meeting. The Board may expand the Finance Committee to include additional individuals with specialised financial knowledge. At each Board meeting, the Chairperson of the Finance Committee provides the Board of Governors with an update on the Committee’s activities.
The Board of Governors may also delegate some of its powers to subcommittees formed by its own members. These subcommittees are responsible for executing the functions entrusted to them by the Board of Governors and reporting back to the Board of Governors as required.
Board of Governors
As of October 2024, the composition of the Board of Governors is as follows:
Members nominated by His Grace, the Archbishop of Malta
Board Chairperson
Mr Anthony Saliba KHS
Anthony, born in 1958, has a 46-year professional education career. He specialised in philosophy and theology, earning a BSTh (Hons) in 1982, an MEd in Educational Management in 2005, and an MTh (Melit) in 2024. He also completed a course in biblical languages. Anthony has held various roles, as teacher, Master of Discipline at Stella Maris College, Gżira, Acting Head of Philosophy at the former Upper Lyceum, Msida, Headmaster at St Edward’s College, and Deputy Principal at MCAST. He was appointed Chairperson of the Board of Governors at Sacred Heart College in December 2023.
Board Members
Society of the Sacred Heart
Sr Catherine (Katie) Mifsud RSCJ
Sr Katie was trained to teach 5–6-year-olds, but as a religious taught Doctrine and Mathematics mainly to students in Year 9 in the Senior School at Sacred Heart College. She worked at Caritas and taught Mathematics at the Qormi Boys Trade School and subsequently at the Zejtun Junior Lyceum. She then returned to serve in the Senior School at the College first as Deputy Head and then as Head of School, retiring in 1995.
Sr Katie was one of the first members of the Board of Governors of the newly set up Sacred Heart School (now College) Foundation in 2004. She has served on the Board ever since. She also sits on the Finance Committee of the College.
Mr Peter Degiorgio
Peter graduated as a Certified Public Accountant in 1986. After working for PWC, formerly Coopers and Lybrand, and as financial controller of a leading travel and financial services company, he founded his own Audit and Advisory firm in 1994 which he ran till 2020. He now works professionally on a part-time basis.
Peter served voluntarily as Finance Commissioner of the Scout Association of Malta for three years. He has previously held various roles in the Sacred Heart College PTA.
Peter was appointed to the Board of Governors of the College in 2023. Currently he is Chairperson of the Finance Committee.
Peter is married to Mariella, an old girl of the School and associate of the Society of the Sacred Heart. They have four children, including three girls who were all educated at Sacred Heart College.
Mr George Gatt
George has managed his own business for the past 32 years, providing electrical power equipment and related services to clients in Malta. He has a long-standing connection with the College, having previously held various roles in the Sacred Heart College PTA, among which Secretary, Treasurer, Vice Chairperson, and Chairperson.
George was appointed to the Board of Governors of Sacred Heart College in June of 2023. He currently also serves on the Finance Committee of the College. Furthermore, he is a Council member of the Foundation for Church Schools.
George is married and has two daughters, both educated at Sacred Heart College.
Mr Michael Pace Ross
Michael is the Administrative Secretary of the Archdiocese of Malta, following his appointment by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna in 2015. He previously served as Director General of the National Statistics Office for six years, sitting on a number of national and European committees.
Michael is a non-executive director on APS Bank plc and sits on the board of an investment company. He is also a Board member on the Voluntary Solidarity Fund, a charity which embraces values inspired by Catholic social teaching. He is an elected member on the council of the Malta Employers’ Association.
Ms Marilyn Sciortino
An educator for forty-eight years, Marilyn had a varied career as teacher, Guidance Counselor & Form Teacher, Assistant Head of School and subsequently as Head of School and Assistant Director within the Education Department prior to her appointment as College Principal at St Benedict College. Before retiring, she was Consultant to the Director General for Educational Services within the State Sector.
Marilyn served on the Council of the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) for 14 years and was Vice-President and member of the MUT’s official negotiating team.
Marilyn is a Chess enthusiast and former local female Chess Champion. A thrice Malta representative in the Chess Olympiads, she holds an international chess rating.
Dr Ritienne Gauci
Ritienne has over 30 years of experience in education, starting as a Geography and Environmental Studies teacher at San Anton School and later lecturing at St. Aloysius College Sixth Form, St. Martin’s Sixth Form, and the University of Malta Junior College. In 2007, she became a Commission Officer for Student Affairs at the NCFHE, contributing to the development of student policies through the ESF-funded STEPS scholarships and the Malta Government Scholarship Undergraduate Scheme.
Currently, Ritienne is a Senior Lecturer in Geography at the University of Malta. She actively collaborates with the MATSEC Board of Examiners and sits on the Faculty of Arts Research Ethics Committee.
A Sacred Heart College community member since 2013, she joined the Board of Governors in 2023. She is married to Patrick and has two children.
Elected Members
Senior School Teacher Governor
Ms Lilian Grech
Lilian holds a BA in Religious Studies and a postgraduate degree in Education. She began her teaching career in primary schools before joining Sacred Heart College in 2002 as a teacher of Religion and Maltese and subsequently as a Guidance Teacher. For several years, she was the Goals Coordinator in the Senior School for the Sacred Heart Schools Network.
Since becoming Deputy Head in April 2016, she has taken on numerous responsibilities, among which managing the Year 7 students, student enrolments, inclusion initiatives, staff mentoring, human resources, and other aspects of the School’s daily operations. As a mother of five, Lilian brings a valuable parental perspective to her leadership role.
Lilian joined the Board of Governors in 2024 as Teacher Governor.
Junior School Teacher Governor
Ms Angela Formosa Melillo
Angela attended Sacred Heart College as a student between the years 1977 and 1988. She pursued her further education at St. Aloysius College Sixth Form and the University of Malta. She has worked in the Junior School at Sacred Heart College since January 1995.
Angela sits on the the Board of Governors as Teacher Governor. She brings with her a vast experience working actively within the College, fostering a love of learning and a holistic formative experience for her students. Angela keenly promotes the school’s goals within her class and across the school community.
Angela is married to Oliver and has a son.
Senior School Parent Governor
Ms Charisse Gatt
Charisse, a Sacred Heart Convent alumna, has over 20 years experience in senior management and education roles.
Alongside her further studies in management, health, and beauty, Charisse also lectures adult learners in these fields, emphasizing essential life skills. With over 25 years as a Cub Scout leader, she has led a section in the world’s largest NGO, contributing significantly to educational and community development.
Charisse joined the Board of Governors in 2021as Junior School Parent Governor and following her daughters’ transition to Senior School, now sits on the Board as Senior School Parent Governor.
Charisse is married to Christian and has two children.
Junior School Parent Governor
Dr Janice Sant Balzan
Janice Sant Balzan is an educator with over 20 years’ experience teaching English language and literature. She currently lectures at G. F. Abela Junior College, Msida.
She joined the Board of Governors in 2023 having been elected by the Sacred Heart College Junior School parents. Her affinity with the College has its roots in her own student days, which she remembers with great fondness. As Governor, she is committed to ensure that the College continues to provide its students with a formative and fulfilling educational journey.