The confreres of this Central American nation held their election assembly on December 13-14 during which Father William was elected as Vice-Visitor for three years (in accord with the norms of the Vice-Province).
William Benavides was born on February 7th, 1965 in Fortuna de San Carlos, a campesino and touristic village in the northern part of Costa Rica. He entered the Congregation of the Mission on January 27th, 1989 and was ordained on December 3rd, 1994.
During his first years of ministry, he served as a parish assistant at the indigenous mission of Alta Talamanca and in 1998 was appointed pastor there. Two years later he was appointed to the Seminario San Vicente de Paúl (St. Vincent de Paul Seminary) in San Jose where he took on the ministry of Vocational Promotion. In 2004 he returned as pastor to the mission in Talamanca and remained there until 2010 when he was appointed superior of the Formation House of the Vice-Province. He continued in that position until the time of his election.
The new Vice-Visitor has received certificates from ITEPAL in Ministry of Vocational Promotion and Priestly Formation. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology and a Degree in Priestly Formation from the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac de Jalisco (Mexico).
Let us accompany the new Vice-Visitor of Costa Rica with our prayers.
Translated: Charles T. Plock, CM
