Catholic Charities Names New CEO

Catholic Charities USA has chosen the head of the Harvard Divinity School as its next leader.

The Rev. J. Bryan Hehir, 60, will become chief executive officer of Catholic Charities, in Arlington, Va., in September.

Father Hehir (pronounced “hair”) said he will try to provide a voice in Washington on legislation and social-policy issues affecting the 1,400 affiliates of Catholic Charities, which reported cash and in-kind gifts worth $2.3-billion in 1999. One focus of his work, he said, will be the relationship among religious institutions, other nonprofit groups, and government.

Father Hehir will replace the Rev. Fred Kammer, 56, who announced a year ago that he would step down after nine years as president of Catholic Charities. Father Kammer will take a sabbatical before moving to another position, a spokeswoman for Catholic Charities said.

Until he assumes the chief executive’s post full-time on January 1, 2002, Father Hehir plans to split his time between Catholic Charities and Harvard, where he is chairman of the divinity school’s executive committee.

Since 1996, Father Hehir has been a policy adviser to Catholic Relief Services, an international relief organization in Baltimore. In addition, he has worked at the United States Catholic Conference, in Washington, which advises the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops on public-policy and other issues.