Guwahati (BIS) The Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Fr. Pascual Chavez V. has appointed Fr. Joseph Almeida SDB as the head of the Don Bosco institutions in Lower Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. December 15. Fr. Almeida succeeds Fr. Philip Barjo as the Provincial to lead the Province of Guwahati which has 67 centres with over 380 Salesians and 33 novices spread across the states of Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram and Tripura Fr. Joseph Almeida, 50, was born in Goa and did his studies in Don Bosco, Lonavala, Maharastra, Yercaud, Tamil Nadu, Salesian College, Sonada, Darjeeling and Shillong. He made his first profession in 1976, and was ordained a priest in 1984. Fr. Almeida has licentiates in Missiology and Spirituality and a doctorate in Spirituality from the Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. His thesis is on the content and method in prayer according to Thomas Merton. Fr. Almeida has served in the Northeast as a teacher and assistant in Don Bosco Maligaon, Guwahati, Don Bosco Dibrugarh. After his ordination he served as provincial secretary, novice master, Rector of St. Anthony’s Higher Secondary School, Shillong. He was the Vice-Provincial of the Province of Guwahati at the time of his appointment as Provincial. The provincial-elect told Bosco Information Service (BIS) that his priorities as provincial include paying greater attention to Salesian parishes, schools and boardings. He said he would like to strengthen the Salesian thrust for youth pastoral service and emphasise the focus of every Salesian centre in the province in favour of the young. He underlined the importance of effective networking and coordination among the Salesian Family members. He said he intends to pay particular attention to Salesian centres which are distant, and provide attention to education, youth pastoral, catechesis and discernment of vocation. George Plathottam sdb Bosco Information Service (BIS)