(ANS – Rome) – The work of the General Council does not stop even during the Spirituality Days of the Salesian Family. The Rector Major, Fr Pascual Chávez, with the consent of his Council, has today announced the appointment of Fr Janez Potočnik as the new Superior of the Salesians in Slovenia and Fr Mounir El Rai as the new Superior of the Middle East Province.

Fr Janez Potočnik was born on 24 December 1959 at Florjan near Gornji Grad, Slovenia. In 1976 he made his novitiate in Želimlje, and was perpetually professed on 25 September 1983. After theological studies  at the Faculty of Theology in Ljubljana, he was ordained priest on 29 June 1987.

In 25 years of priesthood he has been Editor of the  “Ministrant” magazine and of the Salesian Bulletin. Between 1995 and 2004 he led the Salesian Summer Oratory Project. Since 2005 he has been Director of Zavod Salesianum, a Salesian educational institute for young people especially those at risk. He has collaborated in various areas of animation in the “Saints Cyril and Methodius” Province of Ljubljana: as Director of Novices, Vice Provincial, Provincial Councillor, Delegate for the Missions, for Youth Ministry and for Formation. He has been Rector of the Mother House of the Salesians in Slovenia – with some breaks – since 1994.

His installation is planned for 24 May 2012 in Ljubljana.

Fr Mounir El Ra'i was born in 1968 at Aleppo, in Syria. He has been a Salesian since 1988 and a priest since 1996. For six years he was Rector of the community in Aleppo and for 2 years that in Damascus. He has been a member of the Provincial Council for 7 years and at present is Delegate for Formation, Youth Ministry and Vocations. In 2008 he became Vice Provincial.

Fr El Ra'i takes over from Fr Maurizio Spreafico who, after a three year period in charge of the “Jesus Adolescent” Province of the Middle East, considered it opportune to offer his resignation to the Rector Major.

Published  20/01/2012