(ANS – Rome) – The work of the General Council continues as in recent days the Rector Major with his Council appointed new Superiors for the Province of India-Dimapur and the Vice Province of Africa Great Lakes respectively Fr Nestor Guria and Fr Camiel Swertvagher.

Fr Guria was born the son of Augustine and Philomina Guria on 7 October 1953 at Torpa-Ranchi, in the Indian State of Bihar. After making his first profession as a Salesian in 1976 at Shillong, he was ordained priest in 1985. He did further studies at the UPS in Rome and has a broad experienced of teaching in seminaries. He was Rector and parish priest of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh. In 2006 he was appointed Vice Provincial, Delegate for Youth Ministry and for Formation, to which were added that Delegate for the Salesian Family (between 2009 and 2011) and  for Evangelisation and Catechetics (from 2011 until the present).

He knows Hindi, English, Italian and various local dialects and on account of the roles he has filled in the Province he has a very good knowledge of the confreres and of the works in Dimapur. He will take over from  Fr James Poonthuruthil on 7 August when his installation will take place at which the Councillor for the South Asia  Region Fr Maria Arokiam Kanaga will preside.

Fr Swertvagher has been a missionary in Africa for over thirty years. Born on 27 March 1952 at Veurne, Belgium, he made his perpetual profession in 1979 at Oud-Heverlee, after having done his practical training at Ngozi, Burundi. Ordained priest in 1981, he continued his work as a missionary in Africa, between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has been Rector, Economer and Principal in Kigali.

He was Vice Provincial of Central Africa between 1996 and 1999 and of the Vice Province of Africa Great Lakes (AGL) from 2006 until the present. He is also Delegate for Formation and for the Salesian Family. With his appointment Fr Swertvagher becomes the second Superior of the AGL Vice Province. He will be installed on 15 August at the Provincial House in Kigali, at a ceremony at which the Councillor for the Africa Madagascar Region Fr Guillermo Basañes will preside.

Published 18/06/2012