Fr Marcelo Farfán
Coordinator General of the IUS
His message was heard by the Delegates of the IUS in America, Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia and East Asia-Oceania, who met in Rome, 5 to 7 April. This was the first meeting of the Board of IUS. Their aim was to continue the process to render effective the policies defined by the Rector Major and his Council for the 2016-2021 period.
The work to be done by IUS has to face five elements: identity and mission, sustainable institutional development, training and socio-cultural impact, implementation of the Salesian model of campus ministry, and networking among the IUS and within provinces.
In this effort, the Board has paid special attention to proposing some concrete initiatives that are part of the Common Programme: the training of senior executives of the IUS, the formation of pastoral animators, reflection on the Salesian charism and higher education, the strengthening of regional coordination structures at continental and global levels and the setting up of a web page.
Twenty years from the start of the coordination process as IUS, the Salesians are increasingly aware that we have in our hands a mission field that requires us to work together in the service of what could be considered a frontier of the Salesian charism: youth in university.
