Brazil’s Province of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas re-elects Prior Provincial
BRAZIL — On January 30, 2026, the friars of the Province of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas in Brazil, gathered in Chapter, re-elected fr. André Luís Tavares, OP, to a second four-year term as Prior Provincial. The Master of the Order, fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner, OP, confirmed the election on January 31, 2026.
Fr. André, 44, was born in Jaboticabal, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. He holds a doctorate in Philosophy from Université Paris IV and the Federal University of São Paulo, and he also defended a doctoral dissertation in Dogmatic Theology at the Institut Catholique de Paris. During his studies in France, he was assigned to the Couvent of Saint-Jacques.
Ordained a priest in 2010, he has served as a formator of friars in philosophy and theology studies, as Regent of Studies, and as a parochial vicar in São Paulo. In 2013, he participated in the General Chapter of Definitors in Trogir; as Provincial, he took part in the General Chapter of Kraków in 2025. Prior to his first election as Provincial in January 2022, Fr. André was dedicated to research and teaching, particularly in the field of medieval philosophy. In 2019, he was elected Prior of the Convent of Belo Horizonte, which at that time housed the house of studies of his Province.
Until recently an enthusiastic sportsman, fr. André also practiced martial arts, including fencing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He currently serves as National Religious Advisor to the Catholic Guides and Scouts Association of Brazil, and as Regional Advisor to the Teams of Our Lady movement (conjugal spirituality).
The Dominican presence in Brazil began with three foundations: French Dominicans from the Province of Toulouse in 1881, Italian Dominicans from the Province of Lombardy in 1936, and Dominicans from the Province of Malta beginning in 1961. Today, these foundations are united in the Province of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, which has nearly 60 friars serving in eight communities.
We assure our brother, fr. André, of our prayers as he begins his second term.
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