Alumni priest comes full circle

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Father Robert Capone leads USD community in faith as a chaplain of the university 

Mayella Vasquez / Asst. Feature Editor / The USD Vista

Before his interview began, Father Robert Capone asked for a minute to center himself.

“Let me just take a moment to get some fresh air, so that I can be intentional,” Capone said. This moment set the tone for the rest of the interview, which started with a prayer that this article may be of service to the University of San Diego community.

Fr. Capone is known throughout the USD community as a chaplain for the university. Capone lives in the Alcalá Vista Apartments as a Residential Minister for Cuyamaca Hall, and his main responsibility is teaching the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), which focuses on helping converts transition into the Roman Catholic faith and tradition. But Fr. Robert’s journey to find his eventual career started out like many students—at USD as a business major.

A Torero himself, Capone graduated from USD with a degree in business economics. Capone shared that his calling to be a priest had started while he was a student at USD.

“In my second year at USD, I went to Florence for a semester,” Capone said. “It was a trip of travel and prayer, and it was there I first felt called to be a priest. This feeling just wouldn’t leave me. I tried to put it out of my mind but there was always this gentle pull.”

Soon after he graduated, he worked with Merrill Lynch, a company consistently ranked in the top 50 of the Fortune 500. Though Capone flourished in his new work environment, the call to priesthood lingered in his mind and grew in intensity over time.

“I was a financial consultant,” Capone said. “I enjoyed my job, I worked with a lot of entrepreneurs, but in the midst of this I still felt a call to be a priest. Before I continued to build my client base, I decided to go on a ‘come and see’ retreat to discern my calling.”

After deciding to pursue a religious vocation, Capone studied for six years at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California. During his time at the seminary, he studied philosophy and theology. In 2000, Capone was ordained as a priest. 

“The best day of my life was my ordination,” Capone said. 

Capone’s first assignment was at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange, California. From that point on, Capone was always in a parish with a grammar school, and expressed that the children and the families that were a part of that community were his favorite part of his vocation. 

As years passed, Capone further realized his passion for community outreach and supporting those in need.

“The domestic church is the human family and I wanted to support the human family,” Capone said. “Engagement in the community was important.”

 In 2017, 17 years after his ordination, Capone found his way to USD, where he joined the University Ministry (UM) team.

“I felt my calling was leading me to a new place,” Capone said. “I wanted to teach but I don’t have a Ph.D., so I was offered a place in University Ministry.”

In addition to his responsibilities with UM, Capone is now also the chaplain for the men’s basketball team.

Junior Antonio Zamora, a student manager for the men’s basketball team, shared the role that Capone has on the team.  

“Father Rob always makes it a point to talk with the players and be a support system for them,” Zamora said. “These conversations often motivate and influence his prayers that he leads before every game and pre-game meal. Father Rob is there every step of the way and plays an integral part of our success as a team.”

Zamora also expressed the influence Capone has had on his life. 

“Father Rob has been there for me through moments of joy, despair, and the in between,” Zamora said. “I remember when my godbrother passed away and Father Rob made it a point to console me one-on-one to help bring closure at a time I desperately needed it. I’m thankful for his presence in my life.” 

Capone expressed how he views his place within the team, sharing that he acts as a support system for the players. Capone can often be seen courtside at basketball games, cheering the team on in his clerical clothing and sneakers.

“I tell the team that I am their backboard — they can bounce things off of me,” Capone said.

Capone noted that while his job is not always easy, he feels confident that pursuing the priesthood was the right choice for him.

“Being a priest is challenging, but it is so satisfying,” Capone said. 

Years later, Capone is still gratified by his vocation and finds fulfillment in playing an active role in the USD community.