Pope Francis named Fr. Rafael Rodríguez, MSC, the First Assistant General, Bishop of the Diocese of La Vega in the Dominican Republic. Our sincere congratulations and best wishes to Bishop elect Rafael! This is a great honor for our Congregation and a further confirmation (with the appointment of Bishop Plinio in 2007 to be auxiliary bishop of Santiago) of the missionary zeal and dedication of our Canadian and Dominican confreres who for eighty years have sacrificed so much to build up the Church in the Dominican Republic.

Today Fr. General appointed Fr. Franciscus Xaverius Wahyudi, MSC, of the Indonesian Province, First Assistant General and Vicar for the Congregation.

Fr. Hector Rafael Rodriguez Rodriguez M.S.C., as bishop of La Vega (area 4,919, population 977,000, Catholics 801,000, priests 92, permanent deacons 65, religious 223), Dominican Republic. The bishop-elect was born in Sanchez, Dominican Republic in 1961, gave his solemn vows in 1984 and was ordained a priest in 1989. He holds a licentiate in spiritual theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. During his pastoral ministry he has served as parish vicar and, within his community, director for aspirants at the Vocational Centre, director of the post-novitiate, master of novices, Provincial. He has also served as member of the Managing Body of the Dominican Conference of Religious. He is currently first adviser of the Congregation of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. He succeeds Bishop Antonio Camilo Gonzalez, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.