Rome – Pope Leo XIV’s Augustine religious order elected a new former general Tuesday, who eavesdropped on another American leader during the tenet of the first American pope in history.
Pastor Joseph Farrell, 62, is a pastor of the International Order and a general assistant to the North American branch. He took over the Rev. Alejandro Moral Antón, a close friend of Leo, and his second-sixth term was over.
Farrell, who was elected the 98th general at the Augustinian Congress, held a contest this month at a headquarters outside the Vatican. Leo, who led the Augustinians for two consecutive terms during 2001-2013, celebrated his meeting on September 1 and urged them to work for unity.
Farrell is a native of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, graduated from Villanova University, the Alma mater of Leo, Augustinian-run.
Leo emphasizes the importance of his Augustine identity, often citing the writings of St. Augustine, a fifth-century theologian who inspired the 13th-century command as a community of “Mendicant” monks.
