Reverend Robert J. Vitillo

Robert J. Vitillo is a Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J and holds a master's degree in social work from Rutgers University, where he also pursued doctoral studies in the same field. In 1997, Fr. Vitillo was appointed to the post of executive director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) at the United States Catholic Conference, now the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Campaign was founded in 1970 by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. It is the largest private funding source for organizations that empower the poor and work to eliminate poverty and injustice in the United States.

Fr. Vitillo has worked with Catholic Charities on both diocesan and national levels as well as with Caritas Internationalis, the worldwide confederation of Catholic Church-sponsored social service and development organizations that is based in Vatican City.

Since 1987, Fr. Vitillo also has been engaged in education of church leaders and development of church-based programs in response to the pandemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America. He has also served as consultant to UNICEF in Eastern and Central Europe on the development of family-centered programs to benefit children in need.

Fr. Vitillo serves as president of the National Catholic AIDS Network board of directors, as co-chairperson of the Caritas Internationalis Task Force on HIV/AIDS, as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council for Adoption, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Council on Accreditation for Children and Family Services.