Msgr. Robert J. Vitillo

Monsignor Robert J. Vitillo is the Secretary General of the International Catholic Migration Commission since June 2016. In June 2022, he was mandated by ICMC’s Plenary Council for a second four-year mandate.

A national of the United States of America, Msgr. Vitillo is a trained social worker with a broad expertise in migration and refugee services, child protection, social services, human rights, HIV/AIDS and global health. From 2005 to 2016, he served as Head of Delegation of Caritas Internationalis in Geneva and as Special Advisor on HIV and AIDS.

From 1997 to 2005, Msgr. Vitillo held the position of Executive Director for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. During the 1980’s, as Director of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, he coordinated the resettlement of Southeast Asian, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Haitian and Cuban refugees to the United States and assisted ICMC in the design of cultural orientation programs for refugees in Bataan, Philippines.

Msgr. Vitillo pursued graduate studies in theology and psychology; he completed a Master of Social Work degree with concentrations in clinical social work and management.  He is a Catholic priest and served in Catholic Church-related charitable agencies at local, national, and global levels. He speaks English, French, Spanish and Italian.