NEWS

Don Rafael Bejarano, the New General Councillor for Youth Ministry
The 29th General Chapter of the Salesian Congregation elected Fr. Rafael Bejarano as the new General Councillor for the Youth Ministry. Fr. Rafael Bejarano Rivera, a Salesian from the San Luis Bertrán Province of Colombia-Medellín (COM), was born on December 1, 1977, in Buga, Colombia.
After studying at the San Juan Bosco Institute in Cali, Fr. Bejarano began his Salesian formation in the pre-novitiate in Rionegro (1995) and continued with his novitiate in La Ceja (1996), where he made his first religious profession on January 24, 1997. He professed perpetual vows on January 12, 2003, in Medellín and was ordained a priest on December 2, 2006, in Cali.
He completed his philosophical and theological formation at the Pontifical Bolivarian University in Medellín and the Pontifical Javeriana University in Bogotá. He also earned a Master's Degree in Social Enterprise Administration for Innovation and Local Development and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in International Cooperation for Development at the Pontifical Comillas University in Madrid.
Throughout his ministry, Fr. Bejarano has held various roles:
• Pastoral Coordinator at the "Hogar Jesús Adolescente" center in Buenaventura (2005)
• Vice Rector and Pastoral Coordinator at the "Don Bosco" Social Center in Barranquilla (2007)
• Provincial Delegate for Youth Ministry in COM (2010)
• Rector of the "Ciudad Don Bosco" social work in Medellín (2013-2015, 2016-2018)
• Provincial Councilor in COM for three consecutive terms (2013-2019)
• Rector of the "San Juan Bosco" Institute in Dosquebradas (2019)
Since 2020, he has been collaborating in the Youth Ministry Sector at the Salesian Generalate in Rome, where he has primarily worked on coordinating Salesian Social Works and Services.