The Order of Saint Augustine in Asia and the Pacific (OSAAP) has elected a new President and Vice-president. Rev. Fr. Wilson Viswanath Injarapu, OSA, Vicar Superior of the Vicariate of India was elected as the new OSAAP President while Rev. Fr. Futoshi Matsuo, OSA, Superior of the Delegation of Japan, was chosen as the new Vice-president.
The election was held during the meeting of the immediate superiors of OSAAP today, January 14, 2024 at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu, wherein the Prior General, Very Rev. Fr. Alejandro Moral Anton, OSA, and Assistant General, Very Rev. Fr. Antony Banks, OSA, were present.
Fr. Injarapu replaces Fr. Peter Jones, OSA, Prior Provincial of the Province of Australasia, who held the office for over three years whose primary role is coordinating all members of the organization, a union of all circumscriptions of the Order of Saint Augustine in Asia and the Pacific regions.
The two new leaders of OSAAP, Fr. Injarapu and Fr. Matsuo are considered young among the leaders. According to Fr. Jones, their election entails the need for young and vigorous leadership that could respond to the Order’s approach to evangelization in the region.
Other agenda of the meeting include the review of the circumscriptions, reactivation of the renewal team, committee works, support to the work on Synodality consultation, and the report on the joint novitiate program- the Asia Pacific Augustinian Novitiate (APAN).
Present in the meeting were Rev. Fr. Jan Pieter Fatem (Vicar Superior, Vicariate of Indonesia), Rev. Fr. Pacifico Nohara Jr., OSA (Vicar Counselor of the Delegation of Korea), Rev. Fr. Dante Bendoy, OSA (Prior Provincial of the Province of the Most Holy Name of the Philippines), Rev. Fr. Andrew Batayola, OSA and Fr. Andres Rivera Jr., OSA, the incoming and outgoing Prior Provincials of the Province of Santo Niño de Cebu-Philippines.
The Prior General Fr. Alejandro is in Cebu to preside over the holy mass of the 40th Anniversary of the Inauguration of the Province of Santo Niño de Cebu-Philippines.
