(Rome) – On the occasion of the feast day of Don Bosco, Sunday 31 January, Fr Marcelo Farfan, General Coordinator of the Salesian Institutions of Higher Education (IUS), convened the VIII General Assembly of the IUS, which will be held from 13 to 19 July 2021 at the Salesian Pontifical University of Rome.
The decision to hold the Assembly in a context still marked by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic is intended to be a sign of hope for the Salesian higher education communities to the extent that it will allow the various members to meet, share opinions and renew together the choices in favor of the life of young people.
The very objective of the assembly will be to reflect and plan the process of the IUS so that they are ever more faithful to their identity as a sector of the Salesian mission in the world.
The Assembly should offer concrete results such as the definition of policies and the common program for the period 2021-2025, the approval of the document on “Guidelines for pastoral care in the IUS“, and the election of continental and regional coordination teams for the forthcoming years.
“The Assembly will certainly be an opportunity to rethink our institutions not only starting from the challenges of the 28th General Chapter of the Congregation, but also from the post-pandemic context that is reshaping society and influencing the lives of young people, especially the poorest,”
– Fr Marcelo Farfan, General Coordinator of the IUS
Participation in the General Assembly is a right and a responsibility of the Provincials and Rectors and/or Directors of the IUS, as the guidelines and planning that guide the development of the Salesian presence in the higher educational institutions are established together during the Assembly for subsequent years.
During the Assembly, the presence of the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, of the Councilor for Youth Ministry, Fr Miguel Angel García Morcuende, and of the Regional Councilors who host IUS in their respective regions, are expected.