The Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP), formerly the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines, has named a Carmelite priest and a Dominican nun as its new executive secretaries.
Father Christian Buenafe, O. Carm, and Sister Cleofe Trance, OP, will succeed Franciscan priest Angel Cortez and Sister Happy Montecillo of the Daughters of St. Anne, who served the posts for three years.
Father Cortez left Manila on Sunday, May 9, to assume his new post as vice director of the Franciscan’s Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Office in Rome.
The CMSP appointments were made public by the Order of Carmelites in an article posted on its website.
The Carmelites said Father Buenafe and Sister Trance were appointed during the recent board meeting of the religious superiors.
The appointments were earlier announced during the recent online convention of the religious superiors that approved the change of the association’s name to CMSP.
The co-executive secretaries will supervise the day-to-day operations of the CMSP Secretariat and coordinate with member institutes and congregations.
Father Buenafe and Sister Trance will also serve as the conference’s representative to its partners and networks.
Prior to her appointment, Sister Trance served as Religious Coordinator for Junior and Senior High School at the University of Santo Tomas in Legazpi.
The CMSP also appointed Father Buenafe as national coordinator of its JPIC commission whose task is to facilitate, coordinate, and establish networks and partnership for the office’s advocacies.
The priest is also convenor of the Philippine Carmelite’s JPIC-Social Action Commission and a member of the International General Commission on JPIC of the Order of Carmelites in Rome.
Father Buenafe chairs the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines, a mission partner of the CMSP.
The CMSP is currently led by co-chairpersons Sister Marilyn Java, RC, and Father Cielito Almazan, OFM.
The Conference’s executive secretaries are co-terminus with the current leadership and the JPICC national coordinator office serves a term of three years.
