Deacon Steve Kaneb

Deacon Steve Kaneb grew up in greater Boston as the oldest of six brothers, where his parents instilled deep values of faith, compassion and service to people experiencing marginalization. He started his career as a licensed mechanical engineer in Southern California and then moved to New Hampshire in 1987, when he transitioned into the real estate portion of his family’s business. Bishop Peter Libasci ordained Steve a deacon in 2017, serving parishes in Hampton and Rye, NH. Since then, Steve has continued as an officer in partnership with his five brothers in a reduced role. Together with his wife Andrea, he also develops and leases commercial and residential properties.

Steve and Andrea married in 1984. They cherish their time with their five children, their spouses and six grandchildren. Their commitment to the Church and various nonprofits has spanned their entire adult lives. Upon graduating college, Steve joined Amnesty International, advocating for political prisoners, human rights, and death penalty abolition. In 2007, when Amnesty unfortunately took reproductive rights into its mandate, Steve and Andrea pivoted their human rights advocacy to Catholic Relief Services.

Steve’s involvement in abolishing New Hampshire’s death penalty spanned 20 years, initially testifying for Amnesty, and eventually testifying as a deacon for his bishop. Three bills to abolish passed both houses of the legislature, and all were vetoed by the governor. In 2019, with the assistance of CMN, the legislature overrode the third veto.
Steve serves as trustee of Saint John’s Seminary, governing board member of National Catholic Partnership on Disability, and foundation board member of Catholic Relief Services. His past roles include 14 years as a trustee at Catholic University and 12 years as director of Roca, Inc., which focuses on restorative justice for high-risk youth.