Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ has appointed Fr Francis Xavier Manasan Wongvarn SJ as the next regional superior of Thailand, taking over from Fr Miguel Garaizabal SJ, who has served in the role since 2020.

At 44 years old, Fr Manasan is one of the youngest Jesuits to serve as a major superior, succeeding one of the oldest, Fr Garaizabal, who turns 84 in July.

Born in Bangkok, Fr Manasan entered the Society of Jesus on 23 May 2001 at the age of 19. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Ateneo de Manila University in 2007, followed by theological studies at Loyola School of Theology and Ateneo de Manila. He completed a master’s degree in international hospitality management at Mahidol University International College in 2017, and in 2022 earned a licentiate in psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Over the years, Fr Manasan’s ministry has taken him through some of the most demanding and compassionate corners of Jesuit work. During his Regency, he served with the Jesuit Refugee Service at an immigration detention centre in Bangkok and later became chaplain to Catholic students in Chiang Mai.

Following his ordination on 24 May 2014, he went on to pastoral leadership at Xavier Hall Church in Bangkok, where he worked as assistant pastor and later pastor, as well as minister of the Xavier Hall Jesuit Residence.

In 2019, he joined the staff of Seven Fountains Spirituality Center in Chiang Mai as a retreat giver. Since August 2023, he has served as director of the centre and regional treasurer, continuing to guide retreatants while helping steward the Society’s temporal goods.

He was sent to Melbourne, Australia in 2025 for Tertianship and professed his Final Vows on 6 April this year.

Fr Manasan will begin his new mission as regional superior on 21 June.