General Council

Fr. Gregorio L. Bañaga, Jr., CM

Fr. Gregorio L. Bañaga, Jr., CM

Assistent General

Father Gregg was born in the Philippines on October 31, 1953. He entered the Congregation of the Mission in 1973 and ordained a priest in 1979. The first 8 years of his priesthood were spent in the conducting popular missions in the far flung rural areas of the Philippines. In 1988, he was assigned as a formator at the Major Seminary of the Vincentians. He was sent to the United States to pursue graduate studies and obtained a doctoral degree in Organizational Behavior in 1999. Upon his return, he was assigned as Vice-President of Adamson University in Manila and in 2003, he was elected as the President (2003-15). He also became the President of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines and the Association of Catholic Universities in the Philippines. He was elected as the Provincial Visitor from 2017 to 2022. At the 43rd General Assembly he was elected the Vicar-General (July 2022).

Father is responsible for visiting and accompanying the confreres in the Provinces of China, Vietnam, Indonesia, South and North India, Oceania, Congo and the community of Panningen (Netherlands); besides these, he will also accompany the International Missions of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

He is will be the liaison for Formation, the Vincentian Family, representation at the United Nations, Centers of Vincentian Formation and the collaboration between the Vincentian Executive Council (VFEC) and the Vincentian Family Office (VFO).

Fr. Dominique Iyolo Iyombe, C.M.

Fr. Dominique Iyolo Iyombe, C.M.

Assistant General

Father Dominique Iyolo was born in Bikoro, on December 8, 1961, in DR Congo. He did his primary, secondary and humanities studies in Bikoro; his Internal Seminary in 1979, his philosophy with the Jesuit Fathers at the University of St. Peter Canisius, and his theology with the Oblate Fathers of Mary at the University of St. Eugene de Mazenod in Kinshasa. He made his perpetual vows in Bolobo in 1986, and was ordained a deacon and a priest in 1987 and 1988 respectively, in Kinshasa. A year after his ordination, he went to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. After obtaining his degree in Dogmatic Theology, he returned to the country where he assumed the responsibility of Rector of our Major Seminary Saint Vincent de Paul of Kimwenza, for more than 8 years. During this period, he was also a professor at St. Eugene de Mazenod University of the Oblate Fathers. He worked for a year as pastor at the parish of Our Lady of the Congo in Air-Congo, Mbandaka, where he was also the spiritual director of the Sisters Servants of the Sacred Heart.
He assumed the responsibility of Visitor of Congo from 2000 to 2009. At the end of his mandate, he worked for another year as Rector in our Major Seminary of Kimwenza, before being sent as a missionary to Belgium where he was Superior of the canonical house of Leuven for six years, and Procurator of the Congo in Belgium. As a missionary in Belgium, he was also asked to write a doctoral thesis. He defended it, at the Gregorian, in 2018. He was elected Assistant General at the last General Assembly in 2022.

Father General entrusted him with the mission of taking care of the following Provinces and Vice-Provinces: Eritrea, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Italy, France, Orient and Tunisia. He also accompanies Coviam, CM students in Rome, the Enugu Theologate and is called to participate in the annual Solidarity Assembly with Southern Sudan.

Fr. Rafal Kopystynski C.M.

Fr. Rafal Kopystynski C.M.

Assistant General

Father was born in Grodkow, Poland in 1963. He studied at the Seminary run by the Vincentian Fathers in Krakow and was ordained in 1988. Father ministered in two parishes in Poland: St. Vincent de Paul in Bydgoszcz and Holy Cross in Warszawa. In 1994 he came to the United States and became a member of the New England Province. Father ministered in various parishes run by the Province. In the Congregation he served as Vocation Director, Provincial Treasurer and Visitor. He was elected in 2022 to the position of assistant general.

Fr. Nélio Pereira Pita, C.M.

Fr. Nélio Pereira Pita, C.M.

Assistant General

Nélio Pereira Pita was born in Madeira – Portugal on October 11, 1973, took his perpetual vows on March 25, 1999 and was ordained priest on July 29, 2000, in the Cathedral of Funchal.
He has a degree in Theology from the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, (Lisbon, 1999), and also has a canonical degree in Spiritual Theology conferred by the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (Madrid, 2003). He holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology (ISPA, Lisbon, 2010) and is an effective member of the Order of Psychologists of Portugal (professional card no. 021258).
He was director of the Major Seminary of the Portuguese Province of the Congregation of the Mission, from 2003 to 2008; Pastor of the Parish Church of St. Thomas Aquinas, Lisbon, from 2008 to 2020 Councilor of the Portuguese Province of the Congregation of the Mission for various mandates Member of SIEV from 2014 to 2020 Regular contributor to the Ecclesia Agency, as a commentator on religious and pastoral current affairs, with occasional participation in the programming of RTP Visitor of the Portuguese Province of the Congregation of the Mission 2020-22.
He is currently Assistant General. He accompanies the provinces of Fortaleza, Curitiba and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, as well as Mexico, the Vice-Province of Mozambique, Austria-Germany (Turkey), St. Vincent de Paul and Zaragoza in Spain. 
He is also in charge of the missions under the direct responsibility of the Curia, namely Tefé and Angola. 
Fr. Nélio is responsible for the accompaniment of CEVIM, SIEV, CIF, Vocation Ministry (Priests and Brothers), Formation of Formators (with the General Treasurer) and for undertaking initiatives to revitalize the formation of the Clergy.

Fr. Aarón Gutiérrez Nava, C.M.

Fr. Aarón Gutiérrez Nava, C.M.

Assistant General

Was born in Mexico on June 30th, 1951 and entered the Congregation of the Mission in 1973 and was ordained in 1978.  He has been involved in parish ministry, formational ministry, popular missions for indigenous groups from Mexico and for Hispanic immigrants.  He served at the International Mission in El Alto, Bolivia and was Director of the Daughters of Charity and Visitor. During the General Assembly of 2016, he was elected to his current position as Assistant General.  He now visits and accompanies the confreres ministering in the Provinces of Ecuador, Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama and Nicaragua), Argentina (Paraguay and Uruguay), Chile, Cuba, Colombia (Venezuela, Rwanda-Burundi), San Vicente/Spain (Honduras), Zaragoza (Honduras) and the International Missions of Bolivia (El Alto, Cochabamba) Angola and Punta Arenas in Chile.  He is the liaison between CLAPVI and the General Curia and is the represents the General Council to the Vincentian Family.