Advisory Team for Salesian Missionary Volunteers Meets

Advisory Team for Salesian Missionary Volunteers Meets

JC Montenegro, Lauren Hichaaba, Marco Fulgaro,
Fr. Christopher Kunda, & Adam Rudin

(ANS – Rome – October 26, 2026) – On Saturday, October 24, the annual meeting of the advisory team for Salesian missionary volunteer programs (SMV) began at the Sacred Heart complex in Rome. This mixed team coordinates and leads the SMV at the level of the Salesian Congregation.

Lauren Hichaaba (Australia), Juan Carlos Montenegro (USA West), Adam Rudin (USA East), Fr. Christopher Kunda SDB (Zambia), and Marco Fulgaro (Missions Department, SDB headquarters) began the meeting with a planning session and briefing on the week’s program, followed by Mass in the “Letter from Rome” chapel on Sunday, October 25, and a sharing session, led by Fr. Christopher, at Villa Borghese.

Sunday afternoon was devoted to a mid-term review of the strategic plan drawn up last year. On Sunday evening, Fr. Carlos Mendez (Youth Ministry Department, SDB HQ) will join the group. Over the coming days, the team will meet with several general councilors and the Rector Major; they will work on a documentary to highlight the potential of the SMV; continue organizing the World SMV Meeting in Madrid, October 17–22, 2027; and present the new guidelines for Salesian communities hosting volunteers (Thursday, October 29).

The meeting will then continue in Würzburg, Germany, where the team will have the opportunity to meet and get to know some German volunteers as they complete their placement.

(ANS – Rome) – From 24 to 30 October 2026, the Advisory Team for Salesian Missionary Volunteering (SMV) met in Rome to promote strategic priorities, strengthen international collaboration and reaffirm Missionary Volunteering as a vital expression of Don Bosco’s charism.

During the meetings, the group had the opportunity to engage in an exchange with Fr Jorge Crisafulli, General Teamlor for the Missions, Fr Rafael Bejarano, General Teamlor for Youth Ministry, Fr Silvio Roggia, General Teamlor for Formation, Fr Fidel Orendain, General Teamlor for Social Communication, and other representatives from the various sectors of the Congregation. Discussions focused on the formation of volunteers, the protection of minors and vulnerable persons (safeguarding), mental health, accompaniment, and shared responsibility between Salesians and lay collaborators in carrying out the Salesian mission.

A significant moment was the international launch of the “Guidelines for Salesian communities hosting volunteers”, presented in English with simultaneous translation into Italian and Spanish. The event was attended by Fr Jorge Crisafulli, Fr Rafael Bejarano and Fr Fidel Orendain; the meeting was moderated by Lauren Hichaaba, representing the Advisory Team. The dialogue-based format emphasized the importance of creating welcoming communities where volunteers can grow personally, spiritually and vocationally.

The Rector Major himself, Fr Fabio Attard, also encouraged the Team over the course of the days, urging the group to “prioritize depth over numerical growth, to foster authentic collaboration and to remain attentive to the evolving realities that young people face”.

Reflecting on Don Bosco’s vision, which sees the mission as a shared responsibility, the Rector Major went on to emphasize that effective leadership requires prayer, listening, discernment and a clear pastoral vision. He also highlighted the growing challenges related to mental health and safeguarding, stressing the need to create communities where young people can experience a genuine sense of belonging and personal accompaniment.

The Advisory Team also continued preparations for an International Meeting of Salesian Missionary Volunteer Coordinators, scheduled to take place from 17 to 22 October 2027 in Madrid. The initiative aims to foster greater collaboration and promote a shared vision of Missionary Volunteering throughout the Salesian world.

The Advisory Team has continued to develop a documentary highlighting the joint commitment of missionary volunteers and Salesians to new frontiers. Through authentic testimonies from different continents, the project aims to inspire young people to embrace missionary service as a concrete response to God’s call.

The meeting thus reaffirmed a fundamental conviction: Salesian Missionary Volunteering is much more than a simple opportunity for service. It is a journey of faith, encounter and vocational discernment, through which young people become active protagonists of Don Bosco’s mission and witnesses of hope throughout the world.

In the coming days, the Advisory Team will then travel to Würzburg, Germany, to take part in a gathering of volunteers.