Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ has appointed Spanish Jesuit Fr Miguel Garaizábal Fontenla SJ as the new Superior of the Thai Jesuit Region. He succeeds Fr Agustinus Sugiyo Pitoyo SJ who has been Regional Superior since 2012.
Born on 10 July 1942 in La Coruña, Spain, Fr Garaizábal entered the Society of Jesus in 1959 and in 1966 was sent to Thailand, where he has spent his life as a missionary. He was ordained in Bangkok in 1972 after finishing theology at De Nobili College, Pune, India, and spirituality studies at the Gregorian University in Rome. In 1976, he went to the Philippines for Tertianship in Novaliches.
In his 61 years as a Jesuit, Fr Garaizábal has held various roles in the Society, including as Regional Superior of Thailand from 1984 to 1990. In the past he has also been a student chaplain, local superior, retreat giver, spiritual director, and pastor.
Besides currently being Socius to the Major Superior of Thailand, Fr Garaizábal continues to be involved in the local church through the spiritual guidance of seminarians, ongoing formation of the clergy, and the child protection and theological commissions of the Church.
Fr Garaizábal assumes his new role as Regional Superior beginning 1 January 2021.
