By Fr. Joseph Phuoc, EAO Regional

       Valdocco, 24 June 2022 -- On June 22, 2022, the Rector Major appointed Fr. Pires Guterres Anacleto as the Superior of the Vice-Province of Timor Leste for the six year term: 2022-2028.

       Fr. Anaclito is 54 years old, 30 years as a Salesian and 21 years as priest. He did his post-novitiate in Jakarta, Indonesia (1993-1995) and Specific Formation in Paranaque, the Philippines (1998-2001). In 2013, the Superior sent him to Italy for 2 years to the Salesian University (UPS) for specialization in Theology of Spirituality.

       At local level, he has served with various responsibilities (Economer, Rector of local communities, Master of Novices) and at provincial level he has been on the Council and in charge of vocation ministries. Before being appointed as the new Superior, he was the Rector of the Post-novitiate.

       The Vice-Province of Timor Leste thanks him for his readiness to obey God’s will expressed through the Rector Major and pledges to collaborate with him to make the Vice-Province grow as Don Bosco and the first missionaries wished.

       Presently, Timor Leste (TLS) is a Vice-Province which is blessed by God with many vocations and young confreres (81 priests, 1 deacon, 15 perpetually Salesian lay brothers, 25 perpetually professed students of theology, 62 temporally professes students and 12 temporarily professed brothers and 15 novices). The Vice-Province has a variety of works to serve poor young people in the cities, towns, and in many poor villages with acadaemic schools, technical schools, boarding residences and many parishes and sub-parishes. The Salesian presence and services to poor youth and the ordinary people, both in education and in evangelization have gained the appreciation of the civil society and the Church. In fact, one of the Timorese confrere, the former Provincial of 2015-1016, was ordained Archbishop of Dili and the Pope has raised him to the rank of Cardinal.

       United in prayers with the confreres of Timor Leste and the members of Salesian Family, we pray for the new Superior that under his leadership, the Vice-province will grow to celebrate the first Centenary of the Salesian presence in Timor Leste (2027) with numerous dedicated and saintly Salesian educators and pastors.

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