Br. Patrick McNamara, new Superior of the General Administration community
The Superior General, Br. Ernesto Sánchez, and his Council have appointed Br. Patrick McNamara, United States Province, as Superior of the General Administration community. He will take up his three-year mandate on 1 January 2022, replacing Br Antonio Sancamillo, from the Province of Mediterránea, who has been responsible for the animation of the General Administration community since 2015.
Br. Patrick McNamara
A native of Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, United States of America, Br. Patrick is son of Mary Dantini and RG McNamara. Susquehanna’s population was nearly 3000 people, a railroad town, consisting of railroad workers like my family members, civil servants, small business owners, caregivers, and IBM’ers; most people in the town were Catholic or Christian. We were enclosed and surrounded literally and figuratively by the gentle Endless Mountains and lakes of Pennsylvania and local farmers and dairy cows. Family Spirit was the blessing of healthy parents, 2 brothers and 2 sisters, as well as grandmothers, aunts and uncles, and many cousins.
Br. Patrick grew up very Roman Catholic, always attending Catholic schools. After graduation from Laurel Hill Academy, an IHM school, he enrolled at Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY. Here he met the lively and attractive community of Marist Brothers. After completion of his studies at Marist, including a year of studies in Paris, France, he would begin his initial formation program in Chicago and eventually join their Novitiate and be invited to make his vows in the community.
In the next 40 years, Br. Patrick enjoyed being a lifelong learner, a pilgrim, a teacher, a coach, a spiritual director, a disciple, a social worker, a Pastor, a catechist, a Vocation Director, a musician, a Campus Minister, a Provincial, a Principal, a President, and a Provincial again and so much more. Many nouns to describe his very active and happy life, filled with many graces and blessings and many new beginnings; great communities, ministries, projects, and churches, cities and towns, brothers, strangers, friends, and partners.