Starting on November 17 Fr Primitivo (Jun) E Viray Jr SJ officially becomes Provincial of the Philippine Jesuit Province. He takes over from Fr Antonio Moreno SJ who has been appointed as President of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific.
Fr Viray did basic education at the Jesuit-run Sacred Heart School for Boys in Cebu and obtained a BS in Business Economics at the University of the Philippines before entering the Society in 1984. He has an MA in Rural Development Studies from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, as well as a doctorate in Development Studies.
Fr Viray enters into his work as Provincial with a wide range of apostolic engagements. He was Assistant Director and later Director of the Prenovitiate programme in Haggerty Hall from 1989 to 1991 and Arvisu House from 1992 to 1994. After being ordained to the priesthood in 1995, he served as Assistant Parish Priest and Parish Priest in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. He then taught Economics at Ateneo de Zamboanga University, where he became Local Superior and, from 2006 to 2009, was Delegate of Regents.
After Zamboanga, Fr Viray served as Rector of the Loyola House of Studies, functioning too as Delegate for Formation and Vice-Superior of the Theologians subcommunity. In 2011, he was elected President of Ateneo de Naga University (AdNU) and made Superior of the Jesuits in Naga. Currently, he is President of AdNU and Chair of the Jesuit Higher Education Commission.
Source: JCAP NewsÂ
