Assam Don Bosco University conveys its sincere and heartiest congratulations to the newly elected Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB.
The 27th General Chapter on 25th March, 2014 elected Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime to be the 10th successor of Don Bosco on the first ballot. When Fr Pascual Chávez, President of the Assembly, invited Fr Angel to come beside him, and said: “Dear Fr Ángel, through your confreres God has called you today to be the successor of Don Bosco….. So, on behalf of the Chapter, I ask you if you accept.” Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime replied, “I abandon myself to the Lord. We ask Don Bosco and Mary Help of Christians to accompany us and to accompany me, with my brother Salesians and with the Congregation, and I accept with faith.”
Fr Ángel Fernández Artime , 53 years of age was born on 21 August 1960, at Gozon-Luanco, Spain. He made his first profession on 3 September 1978, his perpetual profession on 17 June 1984 and was ordained priest on 4 July 1987. Originally from Leon Province, he has been Youth Ministry Delegate, Rector of the Salesian school at Ourense, member of the Provincial Council and Vice Provincial, and from 2000 to 2006, Provincial of Leon.
He was a member of the technical commission in preparation for General Chapter 26. In 2009, he was appointed Provincial in Argentine South, a task he has carried out until now. In this capacity he got to know the then Archbishop of
Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, and had the opportunity of working with him.