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15th General Chapter of the Xaverian Missionaries elected the Congregation’s new General Direction.
Fr. Rino Benzoni was re-elected as Superior General and Fr. Luigi Menegazzo was re-elected as Vicar General for a second six-year term.
The new Councilors, in order of election, are: Fr. Carlo Girola (Italy),
Fr. Armando Germán (Mexico) and Fr. Katindi Ramazani
(Congo).
The new General Direction of the Xaverians has an international flavor that reflects the enrichment of the Founder’s missionary charism in the confreres who hail from the four continents, and who renew the face of the Congregation that is inspired by St. Francis Xavier, the great missionary of Asia.
In a particular way, the Mexican, Fr. Germán represents the second largest group of Xaverians (after the Italians) from Latin America (Amazons, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico); the Congolese, Fr. Ramazani represents the growing presence of Xaverians on the Congregation’s African continent (Burundi, Cameron, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Sierra Leone).
Asia too is giving us gifts of new Xaverian vocations (Bangladesh, China/Taiwan, Philippines, Japan, Indonesia); these are represented by the Vicar General, Fr. Menegazzo, who has missionary experience in Japan.
The 15th General Chapter of the Xaverians began on 18 June in the Xaverian house of Tavernerio (Como), with the participation of the five confreres of the General Direction and 42 Delegates from 20 countries on the four continents where the Xaverians live and work. After listening to the “reports” of the various
mission Provinces and of the outgoing General Direction – which helped the Delegates to know the Congregation’s situation better -, the Chapter dealt with the major issues of “Xaverian spirituality”, “the mission today”, “Xaverian formation” and the “strategies” for the next six years.
All the work was carried out in three intersecting ways: in the assembly, group work and
committees. Every document is prepared, assessed and voted before being made available to the Congregation for its implementation. The
15th General Chapter of the Xaverians is scheduled to end on Saturday,
July 21st.
(From Xaverian News)