(ANS - Rome) - In the winter session of the General Council, the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, having heard the opinion of his Council, appointed Fr Joseph Nguyen Van Quang new provincial of Vietnam, and Fr Godofredo Atienza new Provincial of the Southern Philippines.

Joseph Nguyen Van Quang was born 66 years ago in Nam Dinh, south of Hanoi. He completed his novitiate at Tram Hanh in 1968, having as Novice Master the Servant of God Fr Andrej Majcen (1905-1999). He made his first profession on 14 August 1969, and was ordained in Dalat on 1 September 1976.

In 1991, when conditions made it possible, a Salesian House was erected in Phuoc Loc, and Fr Nguyen Van Quang became its first Rector – subsequently he became parish priest and Vice-Rector of the community. In 2000, the Committee of the District of Tan Thanh gave permission to the Salesians to run a training centre to prepare the youth of the place as technicians for factories in the area. Fr Van Quang was and still is the Director of this work. He also serves as a member of the Provincial Council.

His inauguration is scheduled for 26 May.

Atienza Godofredo was born in Manila on 8 November 1957 and entered the novitiate of Canlubang in 1977. He made his first profession as a Salesian on 1 April 1978 and his final profession on 24 March 1986. He was ordained priest in Makati on 31 January 1988.

He was Vice-Rector of the Salesian House of Victorias, and subsequently at different times Rector, Master of Novices, Vice-Rector and Economer in the community of Talisay-Lawaan; and Rector at Cebu-Tambalan. Currently he is back in Victorias as Rector.

At provincial level he has held the positions of Delegate for Education (2004-2012), Provincial Secretary (2005-2008) and Delegate for the Volunteers of Don Bosco and the Association of Devotees of Mary Help of Christians (from 2007 until now). In the month of March he took on the role of Vice-Provincial.

His inauguration will take place on 11 April.

Published 12/01/2015