General Assembly 2026

The 22nd General Assembly of the UCESM will be held from 20 to 25 April 2026 in the town of Marija Bistrica, a well-known place of pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary in Croatia, some forty kilometres north of Zagreb. The venue chosen for the meeting is the Hotel Kaj****, a small establishment with around sixty rooms reserved exclusively for the holding of this Assembly.

The theme of this year is

Religious Life and the Cultures – the Consequences for our Life and our Mission

Under this overarching theme, the members of the Executive Committee have chosen to address four very specific cultures:

• the digital world (AI, games, social media, etc.) – challenges and tensions, consequences for religious life
• youth culture: how do we reach young people and how can we be attractive to them?
• multiculturalism within our communities
• a culture of safety in our (often small) communities.

The speakers on these various topics will be announced in the autumn.

The conference languages will be English and Italian, with simultaneous translation. A third language will be added if required.
We look forward to meeting many international people!