John L. Carr

For the last decade, John Carr has served as director of the Department of Social Development and World Peace of the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Conference. In this role, he assists the bishops in sharing and applying Catholic social teaching, advocating on the moral dimensions of key domestic and international issues, and building the Catholic community’s capacity to act on social mission.

John oversees the Conference’s policy development and advocacy efforts on poverty, health and housing; human rights, religious freedom and development, environment, arms control and peacemaking. He has staffed the bishops in the development and implementation of a number of significant statements: Communities of Salt and Light, Sharing Catholic Teaching, Called to Global Solidarity, Confronting a Culture of Violence, and Putting Children and Families First.

John writes frequently on Catholic social teaching and the moral dimension of public issues. He speaks regularly on the social mission and message of the Catholic Church and the demands of faith in public life. He is the editor of Full Employment and Economic Justice and co-author of Housing and Mediating Structures.

He has represented the U.S. Conference at the Vatican and in visits to the Middle East, Northern Ireland, Southern Africa, Russia, Central America and Vietnam.

For 25 years, John has been involved in Catholic social ministry, serving in the 80’s as Cardinal Hickey’s Secretary of Social Concerns in Washington, DC, as Education Director of the Campaign for Human Development, as Coordinator for Urban Issues at the USCC, and a Legislative Coordinator for the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis.

Outside the Church, John has served as Executive Director of the White House Conference on Family and as Director of the National Committee for Full Employment.

He currently serves as chair of the Board of the Center for Community Change, on the board of Bread for the World, the National Religious Partnership for Environment, and the Catholic Health Association. He is a regular participant in Preaching the Just Word retreats offered to priests around the country.

John is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and has received honors and awards from Barry University, University of St. Thomas, Crosier Seminary, the Roundtable of Social Action Directors and the Archdiocese of Washington.

John and his wife, Linda, have four children.