The executive director of Catholic Charities, William “Bill” J. McCarthy, Jr., has announced his retirement after 15 years.
In July 2025, McCarthy will step down from leading the state of Maryland’s largest private provider of human services. His decision was announced in a letter to his colleagues, thanking them for their commitment and service to the agency’s mission to improve lives.
“It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to work alongside you in service to our neighbors across Maryland and to live our Gospel-inspired calling to Cherish the Divine Within All,” McCarthy said in a letter to employees and other audiences. “After 15 years, it’s time for someone else to bring his or her gifts to this awesome role and to build upon the amazing work we’ve accomplished together. There is still much to be done over the course of the next year and I am committed to working with the same passion, energy, and dedication as I have over the past 15 years.”
The Board of Trustees for Catholic Charities will undertake a national search for the next executive director.
“Whenever the opportunity presents itself, I like to remind people that Catholic Charities of Baltimore is the third largest Catholic Charities in the United States,” said Baltimore Archbishop and Board Chair William E. Lori. “It gives people an idea of just how active and present Catholic Charities is in Baltimore and the surrounding region, meeting a multitude of needs in real time. Bill has masterfully led the agency during a period of tremendous need, including those prompted by a pandemic, racial strife, and numerous economic downturns. I am truly and personally grateful for his leadership and friendship, and I hope he enjoys having more time to spend with his family, especially his wife, Maria, and their son, Ryan.”
McCarthy helped expand the impact of Catholic Charities’ work in numerous and deeply felt ways around Maryland. Among them are the development and opening of the new Gallagher Meaningful Day Program in Dulaney Valley, opening programs to address gun violence, Safe Streets (Brooklyn, Cherry Hill, Sandtown-Winchester, and Penn North), and expanding access to substance use treatment services across Maryland through Villa Maria Behavioral Health.
Other accomplishments that will leave lasting imprints on Maryland’s communities include:
- assuming operation of Baltimore’s largest shelter and resource center, The Weinberg Housing and Resource Center
- more than doubling Head Start services for children and families in Baltimore City and adding Early Head Start in Baltimore in 2025
- developing and constructing Senior Living communities (Friendship Village, Our Lady of Fatima I&II, and Village Crossroads I&II)
- expanding Immigration Services at the Esperanza Center (establishing a Volunteer in Medicine Heath and Dental Clinic, Expanded Legal Services, family reunification services and community and case management services)
- establishing the Food Connect in Western Maryland
- assuming and expanding operations of My Brother’s Keeper in Irvington
- working with a coalition of community partners to open a PACE (Program for All-Inclusive Care of the Elderly) in Mondawmin this summer
- and working with the community to redevelop the Cherry Hill Town Center and opening the first bank in the community’s history.
McCarthy also helped transform Catholic Charities’ administrative functioning, improving IT, Human Resources, and Finance to more effectively serve colleagues and clients.
“Such unbelievable growth like this doesn’t happen without the leadership, experience, and mission-centered drive that Bill possesses in spades,” said Daniel Rizzo, president of Catholic Charities Board. “Whether securing grant funding or introducing philanthropists to the outstanding work being done in programs spread throughout the State, Bill has consistently been able to identify ways in which Catholic Charities can meet whatever needs are being unmet and hasn’t let any obstacle keep his vision from becoming a reality.”
McCarthy was the only American appointed by Pope Francis to an Apostolic Commission investigating a Church-sponsored university in Jordan. The investigation lasted a year, and resulted in recommendations ultimately adopted and implemented by the Pope.
A former banking executive, McCarthy chairs the board of the Baltimore Branch of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank. He is also on the boards of the Greater Baltimore Committee, the Thomas O’Neill Catholic Health Care Fund, Board of Financial Administration of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and the Maryland Catholic Conference.
Steve Bisciotti is the only member of the Catholic Charities Board who was present for McCarthy’s entire 15-year tenure. He described McCarthy as a “passionate and committed leader who brought to the role a combination of business and legal experience with a passion for service and a love for our community.”
Bisciotti continued, “His enthusiasm is contagious and Catholic Charities has grown dramatically and became even more effective in meeting the needs of our neighbors under Bill’s leadership. He has become a dear friend of the Bisciotti family over the years, and I know he will help us continue to be stewards of Baltimore.”
