1. St. Alphonsus Liguori (1743-1780; 1780-1787)

After the death, on April 20, 1743, of Bishop Falcoia, the Director of the Congregation, St. Alphonsus, Founder of the Congregation, was elected Rector Major in the First General Congregation (General Chapter). The Rule of Benedict XIV having been approved, Saint Alphonsus was elected Rector Major in perpetuity. During the time of his episcopate in Saint Agatha of the Goths (1762-1775), Father Andrea Villani held the office of Vicar General. Alphonsus died in Pagni, August 1, 1787.

2. Andrea Villani (1787-1792)

Born on February 7, 1706 in San Severino, Italy, was accepted into the Congregation on May 15, 1737 and professed in 1740. He served as Vicar general for Saint Alphonsus (1762-1775); then from 1783, he was Coadjutor with the right of succession for the Congregation in the Kingdom of Naples. Upon the death of St. Alphonsus, Villani succeeded him at the age of 81. He died in Pagani, Italy on April 11, 1792.

 3. Francesco Antonio De Paola (1780-1793)

Born on October 10, 1736 in Ruvo, Italy, professed May 1, 1756, named President of the Redemptorist houses in the Pontifical States on September 25, 1780 and Rector Major for said houses on July 4, 1783, in which office he remained until March, 1793. In 1788, he named St. Clement Hofbauer Vicar General for the Transalpine Redemptorist houses. He died in Frosinone, Italy on November 8, 1814.

4. Pietro Paolo Blasucci (1793-1817)

Born on February 22, 1729 in Ruvo, Italy, professed on August 14, 1753. After the death of St. Alphonsus, he was elected Rector Major for the Redemptorists in Sicily. On March 12, 1793, he was elected Rector Major for the entire Institute. He died in Pagani on June 13, 1817.

5. Nicola Mansione (1817-1823)

Born on August 1, 1741 in Polla, Italy, professed on August 15, 1758. He was elected Rector Major on September 26, 1817. After the death of St. Clement Hofbauer (1820), he named Father Joseph Passerat Vicar General for the transalpine houses. He died in Pagani, Italy on December 13, 1823.

6. Celestino Maria Cocle (1824-1831)

Born November 22, 1783 in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, professed on Novembre 21, 1800. He was Rector of the Redemptorist House in Pagani then Consultor General. He was elected Rector Major on June 11, 1824; He resigned this office upon his nomination as Archbishop on Septembser 30, 1831. He died on March 2, 1857, in Naples, Italy.

7. Giancamillo Ripoli (1832-1850)
Born on October 9, 1780 in Corato, Italy, professed on July 21, 1799. He was elected Rector Major on May 29, 1832 in the Chapter in which he was present as Vocal of the Corligliano Community, and at which, of the 49 capitulars, 6 were Transalpine Redemptorists. In 1849, due to his physical inability to carry out his duties, The Holy See appointed Father Vincenzo Trapanese as his Vicar General. He died in Pagani, Italy on Februray 16, 1850.

8. Vincenzo Trapanese (1850-1853)
Born on March 13, 1801 in Aragona, (Sicily), Italy, professed on September 29, 1820. He was Vicar General to Father Ripoli. He was named Rector Major by Pope Pius IX on June 20, 1850. After a few days, The Holy See restored the Transalpine Vicariate and named Father Rudolph von Smetana as Vicar. Father Trapanese left his office by a Pontifical Decree of September 6, 1853. In this same decree, Father Trapanese’s manner of working was praised, Cardinal Cosenza was named Apostolic Visitor to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Transalpine Vicar was given the Faculties of Superior General. He died January 17, 1856 in Rome.

9. Giuseppe Lordi (1854)
Born on January 21, 1810 in Muro, Italy, professed on October 15, 1826. He was elected Rector Major on May 4, 1854, in the Chapter held by prescript of the Holy See to elect a Rector Major for the Congregation in The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. A few months after his election he died on December 15, 1854, in Pagani, Italy.

10. Celestino Berruti (1854-1869)

Born on August 24, 1804 in Cinaglia, Italy, professed on December 6, 1821. He was elected Rector Major for the Congragation in The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies on March 9, 1855. He sent the first missionaries to South America in 1859. In the meeting held between the two parts of the Congregation in 1869, he was named Provincial Superior with the title of Rector Major. He died on May 18, 1872 in Resina, Italy.

11. Nicolas Mauron (1855-1869; 1869-1893)

Born on January 7, 1818 in Sankt Silveter, Switzerland, professed on October 18, 1837. He was elected Superior General or Rector Major during the General Chapter of May 2, 1855, at which he was present as Superior of the Province of Gallico-Helvetica. During his administration the Holy See erected the house on Via Merulana in Rome as the central house of the Congregation and entrusted to it the original icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. After the reunification with the Redemptorists in the Kindgom of The Two Siclies in 1869, Father Mauron became Superior General of the entire Congregation. He died on July 13, 1893 in Rome.

12. Matthias Raus (1894-1909)

Born on August 9, 1829 in Aspelt, Luxembourg, professed on November 1, 1853. He was elected Rector Major on March 1, 1894. He resigned his office on April 27, 1909 and retired to the Redemptorist House in Bischenberg, France. He died on May 9, 1917 in Bertigny, Switzerland.

13. Patrick Murray (1909-1947)
Born on November 24, 1865 in Termon, Ireland, professed on October 23, 1889. He was elected Rector Major on May 1, 1909 in the General Chapter at which he was present as Provincial Superior of Ireland. He resigned his office on April 25, 1947 and retired to live in the Redemptorist House in Limerick, Ireland, where he died on June 4, 1959.

14. Leonardus Buys (1947-1953)

Born on December 8, 1896 in Sommelskijk, Holland, professed on September 29, 1916. He was elected Rector Major on April 30, 1947 in the General Chapter at which he was present as Vocal of the Dutch Province. He died on June 27, 1953 in Innsbruck, Austria.

15. William Gaudreau (1954-1967)

Born on September 24, 1897, in South Braintree, U.S.A, professed on August 2, 1922. He was elected Rector Major on February 6, 1954 in the General Chapter at which he was present as Vocal of the Baltimore Province. He died in Lewiston, Maine, U.S.A. on November 29, 1968.

16. Tarcisio Ariovaldo Amaral (1967-1973)

Born on December 23, 1919 in Tabatinga, Brasil, professed on February 2, 1938. He held a Doctorate in Civil and Canon Laws (Utroque Jure). He held the offices of Secretary, Consultor and Procurator General. He was elected Superior General for a term of six years in the General Chapter in 1967. In 1973, he returned to his native land and was named Bishop of Limeira. He was ordained bishop on June 25, 1976. He died on November 2, 1994 in Aparecida, Brazil.

17. Josef Georg Pfab (1973-1985)

Born on August 7, 1922 in Gebenbach, Germany, professed on September 2, 1948. He had a Doctorate in Canon Law. He was elected Consultor and Procurator General in the General Chapter held in 1967. He was elected Superior General at the 1973 General Chapter and re-elected at the 1979 General Chapter. He died on November 24, 2000 in Gars, Germany.

18. Juan Manuel Lasso de la Vega y Miranda (1985-1997)

Born July 25, 1936 in Madrid, Spain, professed on August 15, 1955. He had Licentiate Degrees in Canon Law and Moral Theology. He was elected Consultor General at the 1973 General Chapter and Vicar General at the 1979 General Chapter. He was elected Superior General at the 1985 General Chapter and re-elected at the 1991 General Chapter.

19. Joseph William Tobin (1997 – 2009)

Born on May 3, 1952 in Detroit, Michigan U.S.A., professed on August 5, 1973. He was elected Consultor General at the 1991 General Chapter. He was elected Superior General at the 1997 General Chapter and re-elected Superior General at the 2003 General Chapter.

20. Michael Brehl 2009

Born on January 7, 1955 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, professed on August 15, 1976. Served as Provincial Superior of the Edmonton-Toronto Province for eight years. He was elected Superior General at the 2009 General Chapter.