(ANS - Madrid) - The members of the General Assembly of Catholic Schools in Spain yesterday, Monday 23 March, unanimously elected the Salesian Fr Juan Carlos Pérez Godoy as its new President. He succeeds Sr. Inmaculada Tuset, who leaves office after eight years, having completed her mandate.

Fr Pérez Godoy, 55, has been a Salesian since 1978 and is currently Provincial of the St James the Greater Province in Spain.

The assembly is taking place yesterday and today, at Santa Luisa, the Provincial House of the Sisters of the Love of God.  Sr. Inmaculada Tuset of the religious order of Jesús María handed over office thanking the members of the organization, the members of the different committees, the secretaries and the Vice-President for "their welcome, support and unconditional cooperation. I have always felt at home," she said.

The Assembly also elected four spokespersons: Ángel Arenas, Jesuit; Ángel Camuñas, from the office of the Archbishop of Toledo; Jesús Félix Martínez of the De La Salle brothers, and Fausto Marin from the San Bernardo Foundation.

Catholic schools in Spain have been represented by the Spanish Federation of Religious and Teachers which brings together the heads of the Catholic Educational Centres since 1957, and the Confederation of Educational Centres and Management which is the entrepreneurial organization of these centres, since 1989.

Today the Catholic Schools in Spain number 2048 educational centres, frequented by 1,207,527 pupils and staffed by 100,400 people, including 84,252 teachers. These figures mean that the Catholic schools in the country represent 14.9% of the total education system and 59% of private education.

Another Salesian, Fr Manuel de Castro, worked at the organization from 2001 to 2009 as Secretary-General.

More information on the General Assembly of Catholic Schools is available at: salesianos.es.

Published 24/03/2015