Driven to give hope, mother of five embraces new path to help people

Gabrielle and Roger Neal pose for a family photo with their five children outside Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Indianapolis, the family’s parish church. The children are Daniel, left, Matthew, Stella, Noah and George. Gabrielle is the new director of Catholic Charities Indianapolis. (Submitted photo)

By John Shaughnessy

Knowing that she’s the mother of five young children, some people questioned why Gabrielle Neal would add such a huge responsibility to her life—serving as the new director of Catholic Charities Indianapolis.

“Considering all things, people said, ‘Don’t do it. It makes zero sense. You have five kids. What you’re doing now, you have it down. Why would you do this?’ ” Neal recalls with a smile. “Why?”

The answer to why Neal wants to make an even deeper commitment to the vulnerable and the poor in the Indianapolis area starts with two people who have inspired her throughout her life.

“My mom had a sister she was very close to who had six children,” Neal says. “And unfortunately, my Uncle Steve, who was a wonderful person, passed away when all of my aunt’s six children were really little.

“My mom and my dad stood up and really helped my aunt raise those children. I saw how my mom was always giving to and serving her family and her community. It really instilled upon me that much was given to my mom and dad in terms of the lives they created, but they always gave it back. I know I’ve been given a lot, and I have to share that.”

The influence of her parents—Tony and Anita Campo of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Indianapolis—also touched upon her in another way. When her father was a boy, some teachers believed he wouldn’t have much of a future. Yet, he became a lawyer who worked to lift people up.

“Teachers didn’t give him hope, but other people in the community gave him hope,” Neal says. “That always drove him—that you can be more, you can do more.”

Neal has that same drive. More importantly, it’s a drive fueled by giving people hope.

One story shows how important that quality is to her.

‘You see the hope’

The story comes from the 17 years she has worked for Catholic Charities in the archdiocese, a tenure that includes her involvement in and leadership of the Refugee Resettlement and Legal Immigration programs.

It’s the story of one of the program’s staff members, Sajjad Jawad.

“When he came from Iraq in 2010, he resettled with his family’s two young little boys,” Neal says. “Over the years, he volunteered with the program and has helped us with all the other people from his country. When we started a big World Refugee Day, about 230 people came, and we honored him as refugee of the year.

“He was just so honored, and he stood up with his two young sons. Now, one of his two sons is in the National Guard, and one is in this dental school program. It just stands out totally how his life was transformed and how those little boys’ lives were transformed. All those moments of not knowing what their future holds, and then all of a sudden there are all these opportunities.”

That sense of hope is why she has stayed committed to Catholic Charities for 17 years and why she embraces her new role.

“Because you see the hope even when a lot of people, including themselves, may not see that hope,” explains Neal, a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Indianapolis. “I think if you have hope for them and you see it come into fruition, you can believe that for everybody coming up—that there is hope and we can help you. It’s a blessing to be able to provide that for others.”

Neal shares these thoughts on a day when she visited Holy Family Shelter in Indianapolis, one of the archdiocese’s outreaches that she now oversees.

“It’s inspiring to see what they do there,” she says. “The staff is so pleasant and cheerful. Even though the work is hard and demanding, and it’s 24 hours a day, they always respond. There’s no evidence of compassion-fatigue with them.

“They have a beautiful space for the children. The families were out there playing. I thought how wonderful that we’re right there to help lift them up. It’s such an opportunity for us to serve.”

She has that same belief in the other outreaches of the Indianapolis agency: the Christmas Store, the Crisis Office, A Caring Place, Refugee Resettlement and Legal Immigration Services, St. Elizabeth/Coleman Pregnancy and Adoption Services, several programs for seniors, and counseling for individuals, couples and families.

As the associate director of Catholic Charities for the archdiocese, Bill Bickel believes there is no one “better prepared to lead Catholic Charities Indianapolis into its next chapter than Gabrielle.”

He notes that during her leadership of Refugee Resettlement and Legal Immigration programs, “she has demonstrated strategic vision, unwavering integrity and an extraordinary ability to lead through both opportunities and challenges.”

Still, he views one other quality of hers as even more important.

‘Providence has never failed me yet’

“What truly distinguishes Gabrielle is that her leadership is grounded in a strong Catholic faith that is evident in both her words and her actions,” Bickel says. “She approaches every decision with a genuine commitment to the dignity of every person and the mission of serving those most in need. Her faith is not simply something she professes—it is the foundation upon which she leads, inspires others and serves our community.”

One source of faith especially guides Neal in her life and her work.

In the hymn, “Here I Am, Lord,” the lyric, “I will go, Lord, if you lead me,” resonates with Neal.

That lyric kept surfacing in her thoughts when she was approached about leading Catholic Charities Indianapolis by David Bethuram, who has served as executive director of both Catholic Charities in the archdiocese and Catholic Charities Indianapolis for more than 10 years.

“I was thinking about this song when this job opened,” says Neal, a 1999 graduate of Cathedral High School in Indianapolis and a 2003 graduate of Saint Mary’s College in northern Indiana. “I have five small kids. I was asking God, ‘Do you want me to take on more?’ And I was getting this resounding, ‘Go where I’m leading.’

“My whole life actually has been kind of going by that—really trying to listen or let God lead me in a direction. Providence has never failed me yet, so I just have to keep trusting in that. It’s just being open to areas of need and responding in the same way Christ and the Church would respond.”

She’s seen that approach in the leadership of Bethuram, who continues to serve as executive director of Catholic Charities for the archdiocese.

“David has been doing two jobs for a long time. He’s a living saint,” Neal says. “Over the whole time I’ve been here, David has always been a very patient, kind, slow-to-anger person.”

Bethuram returns the praise.

“I’ve been blessed to work closely with Gabrielle through the years,” he says. “She is devoted to the Catholic faith. She has a heart for the poor and the marginalized.

“I am confident that under her leadership, Catholic Charities Indianapolis will continue to be a source of hope and a sign of Christ’s love for those most in need. I look forward to continuing to work with her in the years ahead.”

‘Where are you lifting others up?’

While some people have wondered why this mother of five has taken this new role, Neal notes that one of the main reasons she did was because of her children, who range in age from 13 to 5 and who will all attend Immaculate Heart of Mary School during the upcoming academic year.

She hopes to offer her children the same example that her parents gave her.

“I really want them to think beyond themselves,” she says. “Through what I’m doing at work, I’m able to provide real-life examples every day of living out your faith. To role model service and to role model giving of yourself to others is important and formative for them to learn. There are ups and downs, but where are you lifting others up, and can you do more?”

Neal knows balancing everything can be hard. That’s why she feels blessed to have the support of her husband of 14 years, Roger.

“You need someone who is there to support you,” she says. “People always describe marriage as 50-50. But I think it’s sometimes 90-10, and sometimes it’s 20-80. It’s always meeting people where they are. Roger always gives me that support.”

She believes that’s also true of another person in her life.

“I feel this pull to keep saying ‘yes’ to God, even when I’m stretched thin and being pulled in every direction,” she says. “It’s not really about how much I can handle. It’s deeper than that. It’s about staying centered and listening to God. He has never failed me.” †