New Provincial of México Occidental

In its meeting of 3 November 2009, the General Council decided to appoint Br. Eduardo Navarro de la Torre as Provincial of México Occidental for the next three years. His mandate will commence on 23 December 2009.

Brother Eduardo, known familiarly as ?Lalo?, was born in Tepatitlán, Jalisco (1950). His father, Domitilo, died in 1963, and his mother, Francisca de la Torre, who is still living, enrolled him in the Colegio Morelos of Tepatitlán (Jalisco), where he began his studies. This college holds a place of honour in the Marist history of Mexico, because it has contributed forty vocations to the Marist Brothers.

Eduardo entered the juniorate on 15 August 1962 in Loma Bonita, Guadalajara (Jalisco). He made his postulancy in 1965, took the habit in 1966 and made his first profession in 1967 in Morelia. He then did three years of scholasticate in Loma Bonita as a student at the Normal School Anáhuac.

The apostolic activity of Br. Eduardo as a Marist can be summarised as follows: eight years teaching in Aguascalientes, Tepic, Monterrey and Tepatitlán; seven years as formator in the juniorate of Guadalajara, first as teacher and then four years as director; four years as student of religious psychology at the Gregorian University of Rome; nine years as formator in the Novitiate, with some as master and two as sub-master, working in a team with Brother Basilio Rueda; followed immediately by five years as vice-provincial and superior of the provincial house. Recently he completed his term of six years as superior and director general of the Instituto México in Tijuana. In the course of these years, he has been elected at least four times to the Provincial Council, of which he was a current member.

The General Council recently asked him to take over direction of the International Centre of Spirituality of El Escorial (Madrid). He was preparing for this at this time after having participated as a delegate of his Province at the XXI General Chapter. Brother Emili Turú, Superior General, in the letter presenting Brother Eduardo to the Province writes: ?I can testify to the openness, availability and spirit of faith Brother Lalo has shown in accepting this mission, and which he has shown anew in agreeing to respond to this new call which the Lord is making him to animate his province for three years?. His Brothers are in admiration at his memory and his ability to imitate ways of speaking and tones of voice.