The Rev. Joseph L. Farrell Elected as 98th Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine
The Order of St. Augustine has elected The Rev. Joseph L. Farrell, OSA, STL, STD, ’85 VSB, ’19 MS as its Prior General during the 188th General Chapter held on September 9, 2025, in Villanova, Pennsylvania. Father Farrell’s appointment marks him as the second individual from the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova to hold this prestigious position, becoming the 98th Prior General since the role’s inception in 1256.
Before this significant appointment, Father Farrell served as the Vicar General of the Order for 12 years, starting from 2013, and functioned as an assistant general for North America. His career within the Order is marked by a robust academic and religious background. A native of Drexel Hill, Pa., Father Farrell graduated from Monsignor Bonner High School and later received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Villanova School of Business in 1985. He subsequently entered the pre-novitiate program at St. Augustine Friary and completed a Master of Arts in Theology from the Washington Theological Union.
Father Farrell was ordained in 1991 at Our Mother of Good Counsel Church in Bryn Mawr, Pa. His early assignments included pastoral work at St. Augustine Parish in Lawrence, Mass., and a chaplaincy at Monsignor Bonner, alongside membership in the St. Ambrose Friary Community. His role expanded to campus ministry at Merrimack College, an Augustinian institution in Massachusetts from 1996 to 2003. Pursuing further theological education, he attained his Licentiate and Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
Upon returning to the United States, Father Farrell took on multiple roles at Villanova University, including directing Programming and Outreach in the Office for Mission Effectiveness and serving as an adjunct professor of Theology. His contributions to education involved engaging students with the teachings of St. Augustine.
Father Farrell’s leadership experience includes his prior role at Blessed Stephen Bellesini Friary in Ardmore, Pa., where he guided pre-novitiates from 2008 to 2010. He was also elected as a counselor of the Province during the 2010 Provincial Chapter. In 2019, he completed a Master of Church Management at Villanova, enhancing his administrative capabilities just before being re-elected as Vicar General.
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