#578
(ANS
– Rome, 3 april 2002) - Fr.Luc
Van Looy has been reconfirmed as vicar of the Rector Majorof the Salesians of
Don Bosco. After two rounds of voting the Assembly chose him by a significant
majority to be at the side of Fr. Pascual Chavez, elected yesterday as the
Rector Major..
Fr. Van Looy is
a Belgian (Flemish-speaking) born in Tielen (Antwerp) on the 28th
September 1941. He made his first profession in1962 at Groot-Bijgaerden and his
final professions at Oud-Heverlee in1968. From 1964, for 15 years, he was a
missionary in Korea. On 26 March1970 he was ordained deacon at
Oud-Heverlee and a priest the same year. From 1976 to 1978 he was a provincial
councillor in Korea and then from 1978 to 1984, provincial. At that stage he
was also the national president of Religious Superiors..
In 1984 he took part in GC22 and was elected General Councillor for the
Missions then in the following sessennium (1990-1996) he became General
Councillor for Youth Pastoral Ministry. In1993 he was nominted a councillor ad
quinquennium to the Congregation for Evangelization of the Peoples. From
1995 he has been an Ecclesiastical Assistant
to UMEC (World Union of Catholic Teachers). In 1996 GC 24 elected him as
Vicar of the Rector Major.
The Recto Major's Vicar
is a polyglot. His mother-tongue is Flemish, But he
speaks and understands English, Italian, French, Spanish, Portughese, Korean
and German. With a Licence in Missiology and specialising in music, Fr. Van
Looy has done much towards the animation of youth groups and retreats for young
people. Before becoming Provincial in Korea he had been coordinator in the
Seoul Archdiocese for youth ministry for some time.
As animaotr of Salesian Missions, he gave
himself to the development of a typical Salesian missionary spirituality, and
as Councillor for Youth Ministry he worked hard to spread and develop a
specifically Salesian youthful spirituality whether it be
amongst young people or amongst Religious.
He is author of a number of texts on youthful
spirituality.
