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Roberto Navarro, a key figure at Catholic Relief Services (CRS), has dedicated his life to aiding vulnerable communities worldwide. Born in Reynosa, Mexico, he grew up in a devout Catholic family. "She was still a catechist at 100 years old," Navarro recalled about his grandmother.
His upbringing in a poor neighborhood shaped his early worldview. "We were about 15 blocks from one of the city’s garbage dumps and obviously limited in the vision of what I could be," he said. Despite these challenges, Navarro dreamed big, aspiring to meet the pope and travel to Rome.
Navarro's career path took him from Mexico to Texas, where he initially thrived in the metallurgical industry before joining General Dynamics as an operations manager. However, following a financial crisis post-9/11, he pivoted to work with Catholic Charities Office for the Diocese of Austin.
"I went to work as an administrative assistant... making about $23,000 a year when my annual bonus at the company was between $25,000 and $35,000," Navarro stated. His passion for church work led him through various roles until he joined CRS as senior director of church engagement.
"My main job is to be the point of contact with the bishops in the United States," he explained regarding his role at CRS. His responsibilities include advocating for critical legislation that supports foreign financial aid budgets.
"We can ease human suffering and help millions of people through advocacy that changes unjust policies or systems," according to CRS’ website. These efforts are part of broader initiatives by CRS and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Reflecting on his journey, Navarro shared: "I can say right now that I have been more blessed in the time I have been serving God than when I was more focused on (reaching) the American dream."
Marietha Góngora V., reporting from Washington for OSV News.
