Legate Henry Cappello lives the New Evangelization by bringing Christ to the poor . . .

by Tim Drake

Henry Cappello

Henry Cappello has a single-minded vision for serving the poor. That vision isn’t merely about providing humanitarian aid. It’s first and foremost about providing the truth as expressed in Jesus Christ and his Church. As Cappello sees it, you can’t provide one without the other.

In order to accomplish that mission, he serves as president and executive director of Caritas in Veritate International (CiVI). Operating U.S. offices in Phoenix and at Holy Redeemer College in Washington, D.C., Cappello oversees a confederation of 27 different organizations that proclaim the Gospel and provide charitable work for those in need.

A heart for the Gospel

Born and educated in Malta, Cappello previously worked as personnel director for the Oil Service Company of Iran and Mediterranean Oil Service Company in Malta. A member of Legatus’ Phoenix Chapter, he has lived in the United States for 11 years and has travelled to more than 50 different countries. As a result, he’s seen poverty up close and personal.

CiVI is an outgrowth of Youth Arise International. While relationships between some of the organizations that work with CiVI have existed for 20 years, CiVI itself is a relatively young confederation, founded in 2010.

The founding partners include Arise International, Catholic Christian Outreach, Jesus Youth Movement, The Magis Center, Partnership for China, and the Tabgha Foundation. CiVI has grown to include strategic partnerships with Catholic Cross Outreach, Couples for Christ, FOCUS, Maggie’s Place, Caritas for Children and several others.

“We reorganized and renamed ourselves,” Cappello explained. The reorganization and the name are taken from Pope Benedict XVI’s call for true charity as spelled out in his 2009 encyclical Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth). Pope Benedict wrote that any government can provide humanitarian aid, but the true charitable activity of the Church incorporates within itself the truth of the Gospel.

“The main charism, niche, or specificity of CiVI is that it’s a missionary organization and a charitable organization,” he said. “Pope Benedict’s pontificate underscored that for the Church to be involved in charitable work, it must include the Gospel.

Cappello points to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who ministered to the poorest of the poor, but was an unwavering disciple of Jesus Christ. “If we do not have the Gospel or an experience of God, our humanitarian activities remain superficial,” he explained. “The Church is a leader in hospitals, schools, and soup kitchens, but if we only provide humanitarian aid, we’re simply meeting material needs.”

Formation, aid and hope

Henry Cappello meets with Pope Francis in 2013

CiVI is involved in projects in China, India, Haiti, the Philippines, the Middle East, Uganda, and the U.S.

The Magis Center, led by Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ, is one of CiVI’s founding partners, providing intellectual and spiritual formation for CiVI’s charity workers. Father Spitzer, who serves on CiVI’s board of directors, said CiVI has three kinds of partners.

“There are those who provide the young adult charity workers, such as Jesus Youth,” he explained. “There are the service organizations that are in a particular locale serving the people, such as the Scalabrinian Fathers in Haiti. Then there are resource organizations, such as The Magis Center, who provide resources to assist in the missionary and charitable work.”

Father Spitzer explained that the Jesus Youth Movement has access to 30,000 young people throughout India, the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere who desire to do missionary work. CiVI works with these youth to place them in missions where they are most needed.

“Most are college graduates,” Fr. Spitzer said. “They have various skills they can contribute: building, engineering, education, health care.”

As a partner, Magis offers its educational resources to help form the young adults and strengthen their faith. By utilizing Magis’ curriculum, online videos, and other educational resources, these young adults are then able to lead prayer and Bible studies, teach classes, and evangelize those whom they are serving.

“We train them to be lay missionaries,” Fr. Spitzer said.

In Haiti, for example, young adults work with Scalabrini missionary priests to build houses and chapels, work in orphanages and health care centers.

“They also host prayer sessions during the evenings,” said Fr. Spitzer. “If people come to those, they are invited to a session on the Theology of the Body. The youth are joyful and enthusiastic. Once people come to those, there is other catechesis available to deepen their prayer life and reacquaint them with the Church.”

Such missionary work not only benefits those who are being served through the charitable works, but also has a lasting effect on missionaries themselves. “It allows those who serve to be able to evangelize their own parishes and others throughout their lives,” Fr. Spitzer explained.

Cappello frequently tells the story of nine-year-old Naomi, the only survivor among her family following Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake.

“She lost her parents and three siblings in the quake,” Cappello said. “Like so many others, she needed food, shelter, education and medical care.”

“She needed more than humanitarian aid,” he explained. “She also needed hope. She needed to know that there is someone who really cares for her, someone who would comfort and lead her throughout her life. CiVI was able to help her renew her hope and trust in God the Father.”

Feeding body and soul

Henry and Sabina Cappello pose with their children while visiting Paris

Maureen Adams, president of Legatus’ Phoenix Chapter, volunteered her time to make CiVI better known. Adams spent nine months assembling the organization’s Pope Francis Awards Ceremony for Charity and Leadership. Held last December in Phoenix, the event attracted 260 attendees, educating them about CiVI’s diverse work.

“The work of CiVI is exceptional,” said Adams. “It feeds both the body and the soul, and serves individuals in dire, dire need.”

Cappello’s newest venture is CiVI Village, a 144-unit apartment complex in Phoenix that will provide a home for Christian refugees fleeing persecution in the Middle East. In addition to providing housing, the complex will also provide regular opportunities for Mass, prayer groups, Bible studies, and more.

“We are entering an agreement to purchase and hope that this will be the prototype for others,” Cappello said. “Nothing quite like this exists.”

“Henry is an impresario,” Fr. Spitzer explained. “He’s managing this little orchestra, where every instrument has a part to play. That is his gift. It’s messy at times, but it works.”

TIM DRAKE is a freelance writer based in St. Cloud, Minn.

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