Catholic Charities president: How service can become a habit

One of the 59,226 competitors to cross the finish line of the New York City Marathon last November was our son, Christopher Cappello, a first-time marathoner running to support Catholic Charities of New York. We were there to cheer him on and to be part of an iconic New York City experience, a snapshot of humankind at its best.

The diversity and determination were breathtaking. Runners hailed from 132 countries. More than two million people lined both sides of the 26.2-mile path to encourage the athletes. Every one of us cheered with our full hearts for people we had never met.

It reminded me of a recent conversation on the “Catholic Leaders Podcast” with my friend Timothy Shriver, who chairs the board of Special Olympics. We talked about the emotional joy so evident during the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics World Summer Games at the Yale Bowl in New Haven in 1995. Everyone cheering for everyone. We agreed: It’s what heaven must surely be like. 

Those of us on the sidelines were particularly solicitous of those runners who faltered, temporarily stopped because of a cramp, or needed to catch their breath or a second wind. It was to those who needed our encouragement and special care the most that our words of affirmation, reassurance and motivation were especially directed. And our exuberant admiration of them as they regained their pace toward the finish line was unrestrained. 

That generous spirit in Manhattan reminded me of why I love working for Catholic Charities USA. We care about every person, but it is those who need special attention, or need merciful encouragement in the moment, or don’t think they can continue, who are the focus of our mission. 

One day before the marathon, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits lapsed for 42 million Americans, a consequence of the federal government shutdown. Catholic Charities USA responded with alacrity, much as we do when there is a climate-related disaster. We launched an emergency, nationwide appeal to support families and individuals who had been forced deeper into food insecurity.

Support poured in from across the country. We used every dollar raised to purchase food from our food distribution partners, in bulk and at a generous discount, and shipped more than 2.5 million pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables, plus shelf-stable milk and other food, to 129 Catholic Charities agencies in 45 states to distribute to hungry, worried families. Every agency that requested emergency food received it.  

This inspiring response revealed the same truth that was on display at the marathon: When people know that others, even strangers, are in distress, they instinctively want to help. And there is joy in doing so together. While the upheaval and anxiety brought on by the SNAP lapse was truly terrible, a positive, unintended consequence was increased awareness about the unacceptable level of hunger in the richest country in the world. That awareness led to action. And that action was organized and purposeful.

In the face of human anguish and injustice it is tempting to protect our hearts and look away, or to believe that our individual acts of mercy or service cannot make a difference. But generosity inspires generosity. Service to others is habit-forming. It calls forth in us a desire to belong, to be part of what is right and just. My friend Mack McCarter quips, “Caring alone won’t heal the world, but caring together will.” This is why I love the Catholic Charities network, described by a colleague as “organized love.”

In “Dilexi Te,” his beautiful exhortation about how love and care for the poor is foundational to what it means to be Christian, Pope Leo XIV says: “By its very nature, Christian love is prophetic: it works miracles and knows no limits. It makes what was apparently impossible happen. Love is above all a way of looking at life and a way of living it. A church that sets no limits to love, that knows no enemies to fight but only men and women to love, is the church that the world needs today.” 

Cheering for our son and thousands of strangers at the marathon was joyous. So, too, is participating in making this a more merciful and loving world. Volunteer. Donate. Advocate. Comfort. Encourage. Cheer on those who need our loving service the most. And be amazed at the unbridled joy such purposeful communal action brings.

This article appears in January 2026.

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