Meet Our Founder
Paul Cappiali
Paul Cappiali began volunteering with the St. Roch’s Raffle in 2006 and was appointed Raffle Chairman in 2008. In that role, he studied Connecticut’s charitable gaming laws and worked closely with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection’s Charitable Gaming Division to ensure full compliance with nonprofit, religious, and tax regulations. Recognizing the raffle’s potential to support parishes beyond St. Roch’s, Paul helped expand the program so it could lawfully generate critical revenue for participating parishes throughout Connecticut and across the country.
To support this expansion, Paul proposed carefully crafted revisions to Connecticut’s charitable gaming laws to eliminate ambiguity and strengthen their legal foundation. His work was recognized by the Connecticut Attorney General, who incorporated Paul’s language directly into legislation. The bill, using Paul’s exact wording, passed unanimously in both chambers of the General Assembly and became law in July 2023.
In 2023, Paul formally launched Catholic Parish Initiatives, which he continues to oversee. He is also a Sales Executive at Empire Merchants LLC, a small business owner, a Connecticut State Marshal, the Harbor Master for the Town of Greenwich, and an elected member of the Greenwich Board of Education.
A lifelong member of St. Roch’s Parish and a Greenwich native, Paul has long been active in parish life. He previously served as a trustee (2018–2020) and is an ordained Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. Paul lives in Greenwich with his wife and two children.
“Our work enriches us spiritually and strengthens our extended Catholic family.”
Board of Directors
We operate with integrity, always responsive and forthcoming. Our Board represents ecclesiastical, legal and philanthropic interests: