Vicar general since 1993, Brother Sammon is the 12th successor of Marcelino Champagnat. He was elected Wednesday, replacing Brother Benito Arbues.
The new superior general was born in New York, the son of an Irish father and an English mother who migrated to the United States.
He made his first religious vows in 1967, and graduated from the Marist College of Poughkeepsie. While teaching in New York, he continued his studies at the Social Sciences Research School, and earned a bachelor´s degree in 1973. Nine years later, he obtained a degree in clinical psychologist from Fordham University.
Brother Sammon is the author of a dozen books and numerous articles on topics related to psychology and the consecrated life.
The Marist Brothers, who are dedicated to education worldwide, today number close to 5,000.
