ASIA/ EAST TIMOR - Appointment of first National Director of Pontifical Mission Societies

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On 7 April 2006 Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, appointed Rev Filomeno Jacob, of the Society of Jesus, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in East Timor for a five year term (2006-2011),
Rev Filomeno Jacob was born in Dili 11 March 1960. After secondary school at the Seminary of Our Lady of Fatima at Dare, he started preparation for the priesthood with studies in spirituality in Flores (1977/78), philosophy at Ritapiret, Flores (1979/82), at the Jesuit Novitiate at Girisonta, Central Java (1982/84), and then studies in theology at Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (1985/88). He was ordained a priest in Dili on 25 September 1988. He studied moral theology in Brussels (1990/92) and anthropology at Oxford (1992/1997). He has been: Director of the Fundação S.Paulo in Dili; teacher; pastoral ministry in Dili, Brussels, Oxford, Kizar, Indonesia; East Timor Catholic University project coordinator; secretary to the Bishop of Dili; chairman of Jesuit High School Board in Dili; advisor to Jesuit Superiors. He held various responsibilities on the occasion of the independence referendum in East Timor and the successive transition period. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 7/6/2006 - 16 righe, 220 parole)