American Fr Joseph Farrell elected 98th Prior General of the Augustinians
The Catholic Herald • September 11, 2025
The Order of St Augustine has elected Father Joseph Lawrence Farrell, OSA, as its new Prior General. He is the 98th successor in a line stretching back more than 750 years within the Augustinian family, to which Pope Leo XIV himself belongs.
The election took place in Rome on Tuesday afternoon during the 188th General Chapter of the Order at the Pontifical Patristic Institute Augustinianum, where 73 capitular friars gathered to cast their votes.
Until now, Father Farrell had served as Vicar General and Assistant General for North America—roles which placed him at the heart of the Order’s international governance and pastoral mission.
His election follows the conclusion of Father Alejandro Moral Antón’s second term as Prior General, who offered his blessing to his successor.
Father Robert P. Hagan, OSA, Prior Provincial of the Province of St Thomas of Villanova, described the process as one marked by prayer and discernment. He praised Father Farrell’s humility, breadth of experience, and readiness to serve at a critical moment for the Augustinian family, offering prayers for wisdom, strength, and grace as he assumed leadership on behalf of the Order and the wider Church.
The Chapter, which convened in Rome with Augustinian representatives from across the world, sought not only to elect a new head but also to reflect on the life, mission, and spirituality of the Order in the present day.
In remarks delivered before his election, Father Farrell addressed his brothers at the opening of the General Chapter in words that now acquire fresh resonance. He described the gathering as the beginning of a new chapter in Augustinian history—one that would never be complete, because the Order’s story continues to unfold with each generation.
Father Farrell brings to this responsibility a wide-ranging academic and pastoral background. Born on 11 July 1963 in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, he entered the Province of St Thomas of Villanova and professed first vows in 1987, before being ordained to the priesthood in 1991.
His early studies were in business administration at Villanova University, followed by theology at the Washington Theological Union. He later completed a doctorate in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, focusing on the Augustinian spirituality of responsibility as expressed in the saint’s sermons. His career has included parish ministry, university chaplaincy, teaching, and formation work, together with a significant role in international commissions for education, spirituality, apostolate, and vocational formation.
Having served as Vicar General since 2013, he is no stranger to the governance of the Order at its highest levels.
Present in more than 50 countries, the Augustinians voiced prayers that their new Prior General may be strengthened in his mission and blessed in the service of the Church and the world.