General Chapter
NEW FATHER GENERAL
Rome. During the morning session of 5 September 2015, Saturday, the General Chapter elected Fr. Mathew Vattamattam CMF, as the 13th Superior General of the Congregation of the Claretian Missionaries.
The day of election began at 7: 00 hrs with the Eucharistic celebration. We invoked the light of the Holy Spirit in the Mass to guide this transcendental discernment for the Institute.
The formal session in chapter hall began at 9:00 hrs and it was prolonged till 10:00 hrs, the moment in which, the absolute majority was obtained in the third voting
.
Fr. Josep M. Abella who moderated the session asked him, as per the custom, about his acceptance. Fr. Mathew asked for a few minutes to express his sentiments, beginning with the expression “We are missionaries” and referring to the availability of former Superior Generals, Frs. Gustavo Alonso, AquilinoBocos and Josep M. Abella, and thus, he concluded accepting this great responsibility. His message was welcomed with a warm applause by the chapter members who got up spontaneously to manifest to him the first greeting and felicitation.
Fr. Mathew VattamattamCMF, was born on Mai 30th 1959 at Kalathoor, Kerala, India in the Parish of St. Mary’s Church, Kalathoor. He had his basic education at St. Mary’s School, Kalathoor, his high school at St. John’s High School, Kanjirathanam. He joined the congregation at Claret Bhavan, Kuravilangad on the 3rd July, 1974. He made his first profession on the 31st May, 1978 and took his final vows on the 31st May, 1984. He was ordained as priest on the 10th May, 1986.
Between 1986-87 he served as the assistant vocation promoter and assistant formator of aspirants at the Claret BhavanKuravilangad. In 1987-88 he was appointed as Vocation Promoter and assistant formator at the Minor Seminary, in Belgaum. In 1988-89 he was assigned as assistant parish priest at St. Mary’s Church, Champakulam, Kerala.
In 1989-1994 he did in Rome his Licentiates in Systematic Theology and Psychology at the Gregorian University.
In 1994-96 he was appointed as Director of Claret Nivas Retreat House in Bangalore and as assistant Novice Master. And in 1996-2003 he became the Novice Master of the Province of Bangalore.
In 2003 he as was elected as General consultor and Prefect of Formation and reelected in 2009 for the same office and continued in it till now.