austraLasia #2467

Holy Father's appointments involve three Salesians from EAO Region

VATICAN CITY: 29th July 2009 -- Despite an injured wrist and his relocation from Vatican City for the holiday period, it seems Pope Benedict XVI is still able to sign a few appointments! The Vatican City daily, L'Osservatore Romano's Sunday 26th July edition indicated a number of Salesian appointments or re-appointments in some cases, three of which involve Salesians from the EAO Region.
    The first to note is that Bishop Peter De, until now the Auxiliary Bishop of Bùi Chu, has received his own diocese.  He has been appointed as Bishop of Thài Bình, which is effectively a neighbouring diocese to Bùi Chu, where Bishop Tiem, also a Salesian, is the incumbent. It is interesting to note that Thài Bình is named after the Vietnamese name for the Pacific Ocean. The diocese has been in existence since 1960, elevated to that status from a Vicariate Apostolic (created in 1936).  By 2004, the diocese of Thai Binh had about 116,399 believers (4.1% of the population), 42 priests and 64 parishes, and still growing. Sacred Heart Cathedral in Thai Binh town has been assigned as the Cathedral of the diocese. In May, 2008, the authorities returned the two-building compound, My Duc seminary, built in 1936,  to the diocese. The seminary, which now bears the name of the Sacred Heart, provides education for 33 seminarians.
    A second new appointment, this time to the International Theological Commission, is that of Fr Francis Gustilo, former Provincial of FIN and now, amongst other things, heading up the EAO Mobile Formation Team, along with his regular seminary teaching in the Philippines (Don Bosco Center of Studies) and elsewhere (he has taught at Ratisbonne, for instance).  Francis joins three other Salesians whose appointments to the ITC were reconfirmed in the Sunday announcement: Fr Antonio Castellano, a Chilean but teaching at the UPS, Rome, Fr Savio Hon Tai Fai, Hong Kong, and Fr Dominic Veliath, Bangalore.
    Reacting to the news of Fr Gustilo's appointment, the current FIN provincial, Fr Eli Cruz, said "We are humbled by this trust of our Holy Father not only in the person of our confrere but in us Salesians as a whole. We increases our quota of prayers for Fr. Francis Gustilo as this appointment from the Holy Father is a bigger load added to his big responsibilities as head of the formation team of the EAO Region and as professor to our students of theology.  Likewise, we are honored by this appointment of Fr. Francis Gustilo, one of our theology professors, especially during this year of the silver anniversary of the foundation of the Don Bosco Center of Studies. This is also a recognition of the fidelity of our school of theology to Catholic doctrine and the Church’s magisterium".

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Title: australasia 2467
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces: VIE (Bishop De), FIN (F. Gustilo)
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2467