Br. Allan de Castro appointed Provincial for a second term
Brother Ernesto Sánchez, Superior General, on 20th November 2024 wrote a letter to the Brothers of the Province of East Asia to announce that the General Council, after studying the results of the survey for Provincial, has decided to appoint Br. Allan Jopson de Castro as Provincial of East Asia for a second three-year term. The letter says: “Thank you, Brother Allan, for the three years of Provincial leadership service you have provided, accompanying and encouraging Marist life and mission with excellent listening and organization. Your closeness to the people, brothers and laypeople, your organisational skills, your teamwork with the Council and the Provincial animation groups, are of great help for your service of provincial leadership, and for dealing with some challenges. We thank the Council and the Provincial animation teams for their service.”
The mandate of Brother Allan will begin with the celebration of the next Provincial Chapter which will take place from the 21st to 23rd April 2025 in The Centre of Spirituality in Lake Sebu, Philippines.
The Province of East Asia lives the dream of Saint Marcellin Champagnat in communities, schools and Marist mission, in South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, China and the Philippines.
Br. Allan Jopson de Castro
Br. Allan was born on 2nd May 1977 in Dadiangas, General Santos City, Philippines. His parents, Mr. Arturo Torino De Castro and Maria Fe Agravante Jopson De Castro (deceased) went to Marist School Notre Dame of Dadiangas College to complete their tertiary courses.
He finished his basic education in General Santos City namely grade school education in 1990 at the public school Balite Elementary School and high school education in 1994 at Marist Brothers School Notre Dame of Dadiangas College High School Department Lagao Campus.
Recruited by the Marist Brothers after high school, he joined the pre-novitiate as an aspirant in 1994. Then, he entered the Novitiate in 1997 and professed his first vows in 1999. He went to Marist Asia Pacific Center (MAPAC) for his scholasticate from 1999 to 2002 and took his perpetual vows in 2006.
As a professed Marist Brother, Br. Allan was assigned in various ministries. He was a Religious Education High School Teacher in 2002 at Notre Dame of Cotabato, Cotabato City. In 2003, he was a house parent and a street children educator at Marcellin Homes Incorporated, General Santos City. From 2003 to 2005, he was sent to a Moslem mission school of the Brothers called Notre Dame of Jolo High School Kasulutan in Jolo, Sulu as High School Teacher. Then from 2005 to 2009, he was a Religion High School Teacher and a Prefect of Discipline at Marist School Marikina.
Invited by then Superior General Br. Seán Sammon, Br. Allan responded positively to be part of Marist Intercultural and Mixed Community at Notre Dame de l’Hermitage, France from 2009 to 2016. He returned to the Philippines in 2016 and became the Campus Ministry Director for three years in Notre Dame of Marbel University until 2019. Furthermore, he served as the School Director at Notre Dame of Cotabato from 2019-2020 and President of Marist School- Marikina from 2020 till 2022, when begun his first term as Provincial.