EUROPE/ITALY - New National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples on 5 October 2006 appointed a new National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Italy for a five year term (2006-2011), Mgr. Giuseppe Pellegrini, of the diocesan clergy of Verona.
Mgr Pellegrini was born in Monteforte d’Alpone, Verona, on 10 November 1953. He studied at Verona major seminary and was ordained a priest on 2 June 1979. He has ministered as follows: assistance priest, middle school and high school religious education teacher (1979/1983); vice rector of the major diocesan seminary (1983/1993); member of the formation team for permanent deaconate (1988/1994); docent in Sociology at Studio Teologico S. Zeno, Verona (since1991); docent in Sociology of Religion at Istituto Superiore di Scienze Religiose S. Pietro martire (1993/1999); diocesan Catholic Action assistant (1993/1996) Vice assistant youth sector (1993/1998); diocesan centre for youth pastoral (1994/1998); CEI (Italian Bishops’ Conference) national service for youth pastoral delegate for 15th World Youth Day (1998/2000); Vice director of CEI national office for missionary cooperation among Churches and vice national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies(2000/2006); national assistance of Movimento Giovanile Missionario. In 2001 he obtained a degree in Social Sciences at the Pontifical Angelicum University. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 10/11/2006 - righe 19, parole 227)