Sammut was born and raised in Malta.[2] In 1974, she joined the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa.[2] As a missionary sister, she spent 28 years as a teacher in Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania, all Muslim-majority countries.[2]
Carmen studied at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies[3] and speaks fluent Maltese, English, French and Arabic.
In 2011, she became Superior General of her order,[4] a role she held until at least 2019.[5]
In May 2013, Sammut was elected president of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), succeeding Mary Lou Wirtz, superior of the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.[4] Under her leadership, UISG pushed for the ordination of women as deacons, as well as a more culturally and ethnically diverse body of deacons.[6] She also spoke out about abuse within the Church, calling for accountability and prevention.[7][8] In 2015, Sammut was one of three sisters to audit the Vatican's Synod of Bishops on the family.[9] She stepped down from the position in 2019, having served two terms.[10]
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