Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples on 10 November 2006 appointed Fr Martin Kmetec of the Order of Friars Minor OFM Conv. National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Turkey for a five year term 2006-2011.
The new National Director was born on 10 November 1956 at Ptuj, Slovenia. In 1971 he entered the minor seminary of the Conventual Friars Minor at Zagreb and then at Ptuj. After military service in the Serbian Army, in 1976 entered the OFM Conv. Novitiate at Cres, Croatia. He obtained a diploma in Theology at the Theology Faculty in Ljubljanain 1982 and then continued his studies in the United States of America. He was ordained a priest in 1983 at Ptujska Gora. Since then he has ministered as follows: rector of the OFM Conv minor seminary of the Slovenian Province (1983-1989), in Paris for a period of preparation for mission in Lebanon (1989-1990), where he served from 1990 to 2001 in the Sin-el-Fil Community, acting as Chaplain to Youth, Scouts and the Faith and Light Movement. Since 2001 he has been in Turkey, after four years at Izmir, Smirne, he is presently at Iskenderun. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 3/2/2007 - 14 righe, 199 parole)
