Father Richard Vega, pastor of La Purísima Concepción Church in Lompoc, will be installed later this month as the new president of the National Federation of Priests' Councils.

The installation will take place at the NFPC annual convention, April 24-27 in Minneapolis. Father Vega is the current vice president of the NFPC, which is composed of priests' councils from dioceses throughout the U.S.; his presidency is effecttive July 1.

Ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1982, Father Vega previously served 12 years on the archdiocesan presbyteral council, five as chairman, and during that time was elected chairman of the Region XI Council of Presbyteral Senates. He currently serves on the national advisory board of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and is a member of its executive committee.

The NFPC (www.nfpc.org), headquartered in Chicago, was formed in the late 1960s, and includes as its goals the following:

---to promote priestly unity and fraternity by facilitating communication among priests councils;
---to provide a national forum for priests to discuss pastoral matters;
---to enable priests councils to speak with a common voice;
---to promote and collaborate on programs of pastoral research;
---to further the spiritual renewal of priestly life;
---to collaborate with national groups of religious and laity in ways that will promote the renewal of the church in the United States;
---to collaborate with the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in addressing the needs of the church in the United States;
---to encourage and assist priests' councils to reflect on and promote justice in light of the social teachings of the church;
---to participate in developing a national and a universal perspective of church and ministry.