After The "Chapter 2004" : The General Council

Gérard Chabanon Superior Général

Father Gérard Chabanon, the new Superior General, who hails from Vals-près Le Puy, Haute-Loire, France, was born on the 5th March 1948. He did his noviciate in Fribourg, Switzerland, in 1970-71. He studied Theology at Totteridge, London, and took his Missionary Oath on the 17th April 1976. He was ordained to the priesthood at Le Puy, France, on the 27th June 1976. He did missionary service in Tanzania from 1976 till 1996 as curate, parish priest, Assistant Regional, then Regional. In 1981, he went for studies in Social Development to the St-Francis Xavier University, in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. For two years, he was a member of the Formation Team for missionary candidates in London, after which, in 1998, he was called to France as Provincial. It is in this capacity that he participates in the Chapter whose members have just elected him Superior General of the whole Society.

 

Richard Baawobr (1st Assistant)

Father Richard Baawobr was born in Nandom-Lawra, Ghana, on the 21st June 1959. He joined the Society of Missionaries of Africa, making his noviciate at Fribourg in 1981-1982. He was then sent to Totteridge, London, for theology. He took his Missionary Oath on the 5th December 1986 and was ordained to the priesthood at Ko, Ghana, on the 18th July 1987. His first appointment in Africa was to Livulu, Kinshasa diocese, Congo. He stayed there for four years.
He then went to Rome for Scripture studies (4 years), then to Châtelard, Lyons, France, for training in Ignatian spirituality. He was appointed as " socius " to the Kahangala noviciate, Tanzania (1996-1999).

In 1998, Father Baawobr participated in the General Chapter as delegate for Tanzania. From October 1999, he was in charge of M.Afr. students doing theology in Toulouse. He took a Sabbatical in 2002-2003 to continue work on his doctorate in Holy Scripture. He came to the 2004 Chapter as delegate of the French Province. The appointments of June 2004 had made official his departure for Abidjan this summer as Rector of the Society's new house there, for students in Theology.

 

Raphaël Deillon

Father Rapahël Deillon was born in Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, in France, although he is Swiss by nationality. He joined the Society of Missionaries of Africa and did his noviciate in Gap in 1968-1969. He took his Missionary Oath on the First of March 1975 in Strasbourg where he was studying. He had been ordained to priesthood in Viry, France, on the 11th of July 1970.

Father Raphaël Deillon worked mostly in Algeria, in the diocese of Laghouat, in El Bayadh, Ourgla and Ghardaïa. He also worked one year in Yemen, in the town of Sana'a. During two years (1971-1973) he had followed the courses given in Rome at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic Studies (IPEA, now PISAI). He came back there for further studies in 1979.

Since 1998, he has done promotion work for the Mission in Switzerland. He organised many treks into the desert (like in Tunisia, in Niger…) where he guides travellers towards a spiritual experience. He has published (in French) "Roses in the sand, diary of a priest in the Sahara". He was appointed as Provincial of Switzerland in the year 2000. In that quality, he came to the 2004 Chapter.

Georges Jacques

Father Georges Jacques (Jacques is the family name) was born on the 21st June 1949 in Anderlecht, Diocese of Mechelen-Brussels, Belgium. He joined the Society of Missionaries of Africa and did his noviciate in Ottawa in 1976-1977. He took his Missionary Oath on the 8th of December 1979 in Strasbourg, France, where he was studying. He has been ordained to priesthood in Brussels, on the 21st of June 1980.

Father Georges Jacques has been working in Burkina Faso, before his noviciate, from November 1973 to Mai 1976. After his ordination, he returned to Burkina as curate at the Cathedral of Koudougou (September 1980 to December 1984), curate at Yako (January 1984 to July 1987), and Parish Priest of Temnaore (August 1987 to May 1990).

He was then sent to the Philippines where, after a course in English in Great-Britain, he arrived in June 1991. He took charge of the Cebu house of formation in January 1996. In 1998-1999, he was on Sabbatical in France.
From April 1999, he was appointed back to Burkina Faso and was named Rector of the M.Afr. Seminary in July of that year. He came to the General Chapter as Delegate of the Province of Burkina.

Jim Greene

Father Jim Greene was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, on the 27th July 1960. He joined the Society of Missionaries of Africa, making his noviciate at Fribourg in 1982-1983. He was then sent to Totteridge, London, for theology. He took his Missionary Oath on the 4th December 1987 and was ordained to the priesthood at Callan, Ireland, on the 2nd July 1988.

 

His first appointment in Africa was to Chiwamba, Lilongwe diocese, Malawi. In 1990, he then went to Nankhanga Parish and in 1991 to Nkhotakota where was appointed Parish Priest in 1995.

He stayed there until his appointment in 1997 as the Provincial Treasurer of the Irish Province. He took a Sabbatical in 2001-2002. He went back to Africa in 2002 and is now working at the Centre for Social Concern in Kanengo, Malawi.

He came to the 2004 General Chapter as delegate of the Southern Africa Province.