SAN FRANCISCO: 15th January-- Fr Pascual Chávez announced today that Fr David Purdy has been named as provincial of the USA Western province today, and that he will succeed Fr Nicholas Reina on 1 July 2003.

David Purdy was born in Long Beach, California, on 7 February 1940. He attended the Salesian Junior Seminary in Richmond (California) from 1954, and
entered the novitiate after high school. He made his first profession in Newton (New Jersey) on 8 September 1959.

Upon completing a B.A. in Philosophy from Don Bosco College in 1963, David spent three  years of practical training at St Francis High School in
Watsonville. In 1966 he began theological studies in preparation for priesthood, spending the first year at Monteortone, near Padua in Italy, and
continuing at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Worthington, Ohio. He was ordained to the priesthood in March 1970 in Columbus, Ohio, and returned to
Watsonville in the Fall of that year to take up the position of Vice Principal of St Francis School.

In the years that followed, David served in all of the Salesian schools of California, first in the capacity of Director of Religious Education (St John Bosco Bellflower; Bosco Tech Rosemead), and later in areas of administration as Vice Principal (Salesian Los Angeles) and Principal (Salesian Richmond). In 1993 he became Director of Don Bosco Technical Institute in Rosemead, and in 1995, Pastor of the historic SS Peter & Paul's Parish in the North Beach district of San Francisco.

SS Peter & Paul's in San Francisco is the first work of the Salesians in North America. The parish had been founded for Italian immigrants in 1884, and the Salesians came to San Francisco on 11 March 1897 under the guidance of don Raffaele Piperni. 100 years later is was Fr Dave Purdy to spearheaded the centenary celebrations of the Salesian arrival in the City and in the USA - celebrations that recalled the past but which looked to the future, to make a difference for young people.

In the summer of 2001, Fr Dave made another move: a return to Watsonville, and to a new St Francis Central Coast Catholic High School, on the site of
the old St Francis that had been destroyed in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Here he serves as director of the Salesian community, and president of the school - helping the principal of the new school, Bro Michael Touchstone, to renew contact with many groups, families and individuals who have known the Salesians working in Watsonville for over 80 years.

Dave Purdy has a strong organizational sense and is an able administrator. At the same time, he is a trained religious educator and master catechist, and
brings practical skills to his strongly pastoral sense in animating communities. But perhaps he is best known as a "people person", and is a strong believer in team work and building community.

In announcing the nomination of the new provincial, Fr Nicholas Reina asked for the prayers and support of the Salesians and Salesian Family in the USA-West as he and Dave work together for a smooth transition. BoscoLink offers its support to both, with a congratulations to Dave Purdy and heart-felt thanks to Nick Reina for his leadership during these last 5 and a half years.