The Archdiocese of Washington’s new chancellor Kim Viti Fiorentino said a friend’s summation of her new job says it all – “It’s the dream job I never dreamed of.”

The accomplished Washington attorney who has been active in community service and as a volunteer at her parish and with the John Carroll Society now serves in what for her are two dream jobs – as archdiocesan chancellor and general counsel.

“At this moment in my career, I am able to give all the experiences, gifts and talents I’ve developed over the years in service to the Church I love, at a moment in time that is historically very critical,” she said in an interview, noting challenges the Catholic Church faces in maintaining its Catholic identity and safeguarding its religious freedom in its ministries.

“We’re countercultural,” she added. “I think it’s so important to make our faith relevant and impactful.”

Cardinal Donald Wuerl appointed Fiorentino as chancellor, effective Sept. 19. In that role, she will serve as a member of the Administrative Board which advises the cardinal on issues affecting policy and pastoral practices within the archdiocese. That key administrative position also involves providing counsel to the archbishop on public policy matters, directing special projects and initiatives, and serving as a corporate member on all archdiocesan affiliated corporations.

In July, the cardinal appointed Fiorentino as general counsel of the archdiocese. In that role, she serves as the archdiocese’s principal legal advisor, responsible for overseeing legal affairs and advising on all matters having legal implications for the archdiocese, its parishes, schools, administrative departments and affiliated ministries.

“Kim’s experience as an attorney and her strong commitment to the Catholic faith, combined with her desire to use her talents to serve the Church make her an exceptional addition to the senior leadership team here at the archdiocese,” Cardinal Wuerl said in a statement. “Her passion and dedication to the faith will be instrumental in implementing the mission of the archdiocese.”

The general counsel’s duties include providing guidance in every aspect of the archdiocese’s operations, including in areas involving contracts; real estate transactions; employment; education and school operations; child protection; corporate governance; religious liberty; tax status; litigation management and dispute resolution; and compliance with federal, state and local laws and applicable provisions of Church law.

Before beginning her work for the archdiocese, Fiorentino served as a senior partner in the law firm of Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, specializing in litigation related to guardianship, trusts and estates, property disputes and family matters, including cases involving senior citizens, and people with mental illnesses or disabilities. An attorney in private practice for 27 years, she served on her firm’s Board of Directors and for nearly two decades coordinated its pro bono cases on behalf of the poor and vulnerable. She was appointed by the courts in more than 75 cases to serve as the guardian of the property of elderly and disabled adults and children in need of assistance.

In an early court case, she protected the interests of a grandmother with Alzheimer’s who had been financially exploited by a grandchild. Fiorentino said that case got her “totally hooked” on assisting vulnerable people in legal matters.

“One of my passions became representing families who struggled with issues involving mental illness,” said Fiorentino, who served as president of the Mental Health Association of Montgomery County and as a member of that group’s board of directors.

Her work in the law, she said, has given her empathy for the challenges people face, and in her new role with the archdiocese, she wants to use that experience in service to the Church.

“What I want to do is help solve problems,” Fiorentino said. “I see the benefit in solving problems – the benefit to families, to businesses, to church communities is to find a path to solving problems.”

Her Catholic faith has always been a part of the fabric of Fiorentino’s life. She grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where her father owned a retail shoe business and her mother was an elementary school physical education teacher. Her brother now serves as a pulmonary critical care doctor in Pittsburgh.

“My parents worked very hard and created a wonderful, loving, faith-filled home where we grew up in,” said Fiorentino, who noted that one set of her grandparents had emigrated from Italy, and the other set of grandparents came from Poland.

Her family’s rhythm of life included going to Mass every Sunday and attending Stations of the Cross every Friday during Lent.

At the University of Virginia, she earned a bachelor of arts in history and French, with distinction. One of her favorite classes there was a course in the history of American Catholicism taught by Jesuit Father Gerald Fogarty, a professor of religious studies and history there.

Then she came to Washington and earned a law degree at George Washington University Law School, and during those years, she interned with Sen. John Heinz of Pennsylvania and with Judge Glenn Archer of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

From 1989-93, she worked for an international law firm in Washington, and then she joined Shulman Rogers, where she served for 23 years.

Fiorentino said becoming a member of the John Carroll Society deepened her faith and her commitment to living it out in her everyday life and work, reminding her, she said, of the importance of  “being proud of your faith and having that be a part of your life.” The John Carroll Society is a Washington area organization that provides spiritual, intellectural, charitable and social opportunities for Catholic professionals and business men and women in service to the archbishop of Washington. She serves on the society’s Board of Governors and edits its newsletter.

On the Sunday before the Supreme Court opens its session on the first Monday of October, the John Carroll Society sponsors its annual Red Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral to seek God’s blessing and guidance on those involved in legal work. Fiorentino said it is inspiring to see Supreme Court justices, federal judges, state court judges, and lawyers who work in a myriad of different fields, including private practice, government, public policy and service agencies come together in prayer. “You feel so proud and humbled by the work entrusted to our care,” she said.

At Shulman Rogers, Fiorentino served as a mentor to the women attorneys who joined the firm, and she hopes to continue being a mentor in her new work. “I also think being a role model for young women in the practice of their faith is something I’m very committed to,” she said.

Fiorentino becomes the third woman to serve as archdiocesan chancellor, succeeding Cynthia DeSimone Weiler, who served in that role from 2014 until earlier this year, when she stepped down to spend more time caring for her family; and Jane Belford, the archdiocese’s first woman chancellor who retired in 2013 after nearly 13 years in that role.

“One of the things that has impressed me with working here is how many incredibly sharp, strong, talented women are in service to the archdiocese in high leadership positions,” Fiorentino said, adding that Cardinal Wuerl “wants to hear our voice.”

Fiorentino and her husband Lou – a retired advertising executive and creative director from New York City – are members of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Potomac, Maryland. They live near Great Falls National Park and enjoy hiking and traveling together.

At Our Lady of Mercy, Kim Fiorentino has served on the parish council and RCIA team and as a Eucharistic minister and lector. She and her husband volunteer with the parish’s outreach to immigrant families at the Langley Park Catholic Community, which includes serving at a food pantry. She also has chaired the fundraising galas for the Mercy Health Clinic, in which volunteer medical professionals provide care to the poor.

Her parish service, she said, has helped her see the connectivity between parish life and the broader work of the archdiocese, and now in her dream jobs there, she gets to connect her legal experience, community service and faith.

“God has given me a lot of gifts. I’ve had a lot of love and support,” Fiorentino said. “I think it’s imperative I serve. That’s what Christ calls us to do – to serve and share our gifts.”