Faith, Law, and Legacy: Michael Venditto’s Journey

“St. John’s offered me a full scholarship,” he recalled. “My dad said, ‘Well, that’s where you’re going.’” 

His decision on what to study occurred much earlier in life. “I originally thought I would become a priest,” said Mr. Venditto, who enjoyed the benefit of a Catholic education for elementary, middle, and high school. “I started exploring the vocation, but by the time I ended my grammar school career, I decided I wanted to be a lawyer. From that point forward, there was no doubt in my mind, and everything was focused on that goal.”

“My father was disappointed, though,” Mr. Venditto laughed. “He really wanted me to go to medical school.”

At St. John’s, Mr. Venditto pursued a degree in political science (now, Government and Politics), which he believed would prepare him for his goal of attending law school and becoming a lawyer. “The classes I took gave me a broad understanding of our legal system, constitutional law, and so on. It prepared me to head off to law school.”

That sense of clarity and purpose followed him to St. John’s, where his academic path and personal connections would reinforce his professional goals. “My professors were both intellectual and thoughtful, and very accessible,” Mr. Venditto explained. “I was always welcome to come in, sit down, and chat with them. Through talking to other people, I know that they didn’t always have that sort of relationship with faculty at other schools.”

After earning his degree at St. John’s, Mr. Venditto attended Cornell Law School. Upon completing his degree there, he joined Robson & Miller, a small boutique litigation firm in Manhattan, NY, where he focused on corporate and commercial litigation and real estate transactions. 

Four years later, he joined Kensington & Resler PC, where he spent the next 20 years of his career. The firm merged with Anderson Kill, PC, and he became a partner in their New York office. In 2008, he joined Reed Smith LLP as a partner, and was flourishing in his career, when in 2020, the global pandemic provided him with the opportunity to reflect on his life and do a bit of soul searching. 

“Matthew Kelly is a spiritual writer, and in his book, The Fourth Quarter of Your Life: Embracing What Matters Most, he writes that as you age, life doesn’t end, but you come into the fourth quarter and it’s your last opportunity to do things,” he said. “I started to think, I’m in my late 60s, and I’ve been practicing law all this time. What do I do next? Do I retire? Do I try to find something different?” 

He sought the advice of his friends, and his discernment eventually led to an invitation from Monsignor Greg Mustaciuolo ’84L, Chief Executive Officer of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, to join the foundation as its first general counsel. 

“It was an opportunity for me to combine my legal expertise, my experience of practicing law and restructuring businesses, as well as my commitment to the Church and Catholic social teaching,” he explained. 

Mr. Venditto, an ordained deacon in the Catholic church, jumped at the opportunity and has been with the organization since 2022. “I’m so excited by our mission to help underserved New Yorkers. It makes me feel good. I get up each morning and I’m happy to come to work to be able to do this,” he said. “God was pointing me in this direction. I spent 40 years wandering in the desert like Moses, and God brought me to the promised land.”