The leadership of the Society of Jesus, most commonly known as the Jesuits, named Father Xavier Olin as the new head of the religious order in the Philippines.
The appointment was made by Venezuelan-born Father Arturo Sosa, the superior general of the Jesuits, making Father Olin the 13th provincial superior of the Philippines.
The 49-year-old priest was born in the Naga, a region in the Philippines known for its deep Marian devotion, particularly to the centuries-old image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree in literature at Ateneo de Naga University in 1994 and entered the Society of Jesus in 1997.
In 2008, Father Olin completed his bachelor’s degree in theology and master’s degree in pastoral ministry at Loyola School of Theology.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, another Filipino, and a Jesuit, also in 2008.
Mostly assigned to formation work, Father Olin is currently the rector of the Loyola House of Studies based in the Ateneo de Manila University, as well as executive director of the Center for Ignatian Spirituality.
Father Primitivo Viray Jr, the outgoing head of the Jesuits in the Philippines, thanked Father Olin for “his generosity and availability to serve the Province and the Society.”
He also called the faithful to pray for his successor and the entire Province as well.
Last June, Father Viray was appointed as the president of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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