ROME — Delegates to the International Union of Superiors General have elected a Maltese sister as their new president and a sister from the United States as their group's vice president.

Sr. Carmen Sammut, the Maltese superior general of the Missionaries of Our Lady of Africa, was elected to a three-year term as president May 9. She succeeds U.S. Sr. Mary Lou Wirtz, superior of the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
    
U.S. Sr. Sally M. Hodgdon, superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery, was elected vice president of the group, which includes the superiors of some 1,900 religious orders of women with a total membership of about 700,000 sisters around the world.
    
Other members of the UISG executive committee elected in early May are: Australian Sr. Oonah O'Shea, superior of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion; Japanese Sr. Filo Hirota of the Mercedarian Missionaries; Nigerian Sr. Veronica Openibo of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus; Irish Cenacle Sr. Patricia Byrne; Polish Pallottine Sr. Izabela Swierad; and Brazil Sr. Loiri Lazzarotto, superior of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady of Lourdes.