(IUS, Rome) – On the last day of the General Assembly of the Salesian Institutions of Higher Education, Fr. Oscar Lozano conducted the sessions which would be focused on the approval of three fundamental documents, the election of continental coordinators for the next terms, scheduling the dates for the next continental meetings which will take place in 2022 and 2023, presentation of coordinating teams. And finally a concluding Eucharist presided by the Rector Major.
Through a voting system, the members of the assembly which included Directors, Regional Councilors, and Provincials of the Salesian institutions gathered to approve the documents, “Policies 2022-2026” and “Common Program 6” that have been discussed on and reflected on during the week of the assembly. Both documents contain, lines of actions, approaches, policies, and guidelines, based on the reality of the institutions and the objectives issued by the rector Major in the last 28th General Chapter. An important document based on Pastoral Programs in Higher education was also approved, the “Guidelines for a Pastoral Care in the IUS” document which has been worked in synchronization with the Salesian Youth Ministry Department will seek to implement pastoral work inside the institutions.
Following the approval of documents, the new continental coordinators for the next term were also announced along with potential dates for the next contiental meetings which will take place during the current year and 2023. As new Coordinator of Europe, Alessio Rochhi, from Istituto Universitario Salesiano Torino Rebaudengo (IUSTO) was elected for the next term, the Coordinator of America will be Mario Olmos, Rector of Universidad Don Bosco from El Salvador, the Coordinator of Africa will be Fr. Dieudonne OTEKPO from Institut Supérieur Don Bosco (ISDB), Fr. Thaddeus Singarayan, South Asia Coordinator and new East Asia & Oceania Coordinator will be Fr. Joel Camaya from Don Bosco College Canlubang.
The Dates for the next contiental meetings were also established as follows, Europe Continental Meeting will take place in Prague, Czech Republic at the Jabok institute in the third week of May in 2023. The America Contiental meeting will in be in Vitória, Brasil at the Unisales University from 19 to 22 of September 2022 followed by the IUS Directives Course in Campo Grande Brazil at the UCDB university from the 24th – 30th of the same month. The East Asia & Oceania Continental meeting will take place in in Manila, Philipines in the 3rd or 4th week of June 2023 as a date that has yet to be confirmed. The South Asia Continental meeting will take place on the thrid week of November 2022 also followed by the IUS Directives Course. The Africa Contiental meeting will take place in Maputo, Mozambique at Instituto Superior Dom Bosco (ISDB) from the 24th – 26th of October 2022.
Finally, all the participants took part in the Concluding Eucharist that was celebrated by Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime the Rector Major. In conclusion, the VIII assembly leaves the IUS with a message of resilience and hope, the oportunity to reflect on how the pandemic has affected the institutions from several aspects generated dialogues of how as a network responses can be made throught cooperation.