(ANS - Rome)- The Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, with the consent of the members of his Council, appointed Fr Achille Loro Piana as Superior of the Saint Francis Xavier Province in Japan for the six years from 2014-2020.

Achille Loro Piana was born in Trivero on 13  May 1944. He entered the Salesian novitiate at Pinerolo in 1962 and made ​​his first profession in Pinerolo on 16 August 1963. When he was just 19 years of age, he left for Hong Kong as a missionary.  He studied philosophy and did his post-novitiate in Hong Kong. He made his final profession on 25 March 1969 and was ordained priest on 7 October 1972 in Tokyo.

He has held numerous positions in different communities and  in the Province: Rector and Parish Priest in the communities of Tokyo-Yotsuya and Tokyo-Meguro, Master of Novices in the formation house in Tokyo-Chofu, as well as Vice-Provincial and Provincial Secretary and Delegate for the Missions and for the Salesian Cooperators.

For nine years he was responsible for the programme of the international volunteer missionary group "Don Bosco Young Overseas Volunteer Group" and member of the Advisory Council of the Salesian Missions.

Fr Loro Piana succeeds Fr Aldo Cipriani and will assume his new role from 25 October.

Published 08/07/2014