Father Ngoa Ya Tshihemba was elected 11th Superior General of the Assumptonists

34TH GENERAL CHAPTER OF THE ASSUMPTIONISTS - JUNE 01-25, 2023

The new elected  Superior General,  Father Ngoa Ya Tshihemba (DR Congo), aged 52, succeeds Father Benoît Grière (France), who has just completed two six-year terms at the head of this Congregation.

Fr.  Ngoa was born on October 16, 1970 in Mbau (North Kivu), DR Congo. Born into a family of farmers and the eldest of 8 children, he attended primary and secondary school in Mbau.

He did his postulancy at Collège Kambali and his novitiate (1995-1996) at Maison Charles Lwanga in Butembo (North Kivu). He made his first vows on August 28, 1996. He was then appointed to Kinshasa (1996-2001), where he obtained a degree in philosophy.

From 2003 to 2007, he studied theology at the Institut de Formation Inter-Congrégations in Mexico City, where he obtained a canonical bachelor's degree in theology.

He was ordained a priest in Butembo (North Kivu) on January 24, 2008. He returned to Mexico for four years of pedagogical studies (2009-2013), graduating with a degree in Pedagogy. He took on the responsibility of formator, replacing the parish priest of the «Maria, Maria, Emperatriz de América» parish for a year.

In 2013, he was appointed to Manila (Philippines), where he was until now novice master as well as responsible for formation in the Philippines and superior of a formation house.

A polyglot (in addition to Kinande, his mother tongue, he speaks Swahili, Lingala, French, Spanish and English), he is well acquainted with Africa, Central America and Asia.

He enjoys reading, listening to music and walking in nature.

The Assumptionists today number 915 religious and 45 novices, spread across 128 communities in 33 countries across all continents.