By Paschal Norbert
BAGAMOYO, OCTOBER 26, 2021 (CISA) – “The General Chapter of the Spiritans, taking place in Bagamoyo, Tanzania since October 3, has elected, on October 18, 2021, as its new Superior General, Fr. Alain Mayama, a member of the province of Congo Brazzaville and presently General Assistant in Rome,” read an excerpt from the General Chapter Bagamoyo 2021 Newsflash No. 7, on October 18.
Fr Alain Mayama, C.S.Sp. is the first African Spiritan to be elected as Superior General. He was born in Congo Brazzaville in 1971 and made his Perpetual Religious Profession in 1990. In 2000, he was ordained a priest.
Fr Mayama began his missionary life as a formator in Cameroon. Having studied in the USA, he was responsible for the Chaplaincy of the Hospital in Port Huron, Detroit, from 2007 to 2008. And from 2008 to 2010, he continued his mission as a formator in Libreville, Gabon.
In 2010, the same year, Fr Mayama returned to Congo Brazzaville to serve as the Provincial Superior. In 2012, at the General Chapter held in Bagamoyo, he was
elected General Assistant, a position he has held in Rome until his election as Superior General.
“It was providential to be elected on this October 18th when the church celebrates the feast of St. Luke, the Evangelist of Mercy. His are the opening words of the Spiritan Rule of Life: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, for He has anointed me, to bring the good news to the afflicted. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord” (Lk 4:18-19),” read in part the excerpt from the General Chapter Bagamoyo 2021.
Fr. Alain Mayama will have the mission of animating the more than 2500 Spiritan Missionaries working in more than 60 countries on five continents. He will also have to welcome and animate the thousands of lay people who share Spiritan Spirituality and Mission.
The General Chapter of the Spiritans also has elected: Fr. Jude Nnorom, C.S.Sp., Fr. Philip Massawe, C.S.Sp., Fr. Tony Neves, C.S.Sp., Fr. Jeffrey Duaime, C.S.Sp. Fr. Marc Botzung, C.S.Sp., and Fr. Albert Ndongo Assamba, C.S.Sp. to the General Council.
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit also known as Spiritans is a Catholic religious congregation founded in France in 1703. The Spiritans’ mission for over 300 years has been to evangelize the poor and marginalized all over the world.
