Mom & Dad – My first teachers and my best teachers!

Ordination Day, Saint James Pro Cathedral, May 29, 1971

The expression goes, “Memories are stories waiting to be told.” Allow me to share with you my extremely fond memories of Vera and Louis Chappetto, my dear parents. Mom was born in Musellaro (Pescara), Italy, in 1909 and came to the United States in 1912, settling in Waterbury, Connecticut, before moving to Astoria, New York. She never returned to Italy (mainly because she didn’t want to fly), but she kept up an active correspondence with her cousins there. Dad was born in Astoria, New York, and lived there his entire life.

Mom and Dad both worked for Con Edison electric company, on Broadway and 37^th Street in Astoria, but did not meet there. Ironically, when they died, they were both waked at the same building where they worked, which eventually became the Quinn Funeral Home. They eventually met at a dance in Woodside, Queens, and married on November 26, 1936 (Thanksgiving Day) at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Astoria, at a Nuptial Mass.

After living in an apartment on Newtown Avenue, until 1940, they subsequently purchased a new two-family home on the same street. It was there that they raised their family. After losing a stillborn girl in 1938, they went on to parent five boys born 2 ½ to 3 years apart from 1939 to 1951. We were so very blessed to have such good parents! As I reflect, they provided the most important ingredient for a happy home: unconditional love!

It was not an easy task to raise five sons. Dad worked three jobs, and mom stayed home to “take care of the boys.” While growing up, we ate dinner as a family every night. It was a home-cooked meal with dessert too! We talked openly and freely about our experiences at school that day, and Mom and Dad listened eagerly and intently to stay abreast of what was going on in our lives. As brothers, we had plenty of little fights and disagreements, but our parents were very tolerant and knew how to handle us.

As far as clothing goes, we had “hand-me-downs” galore! As one brother outgrew a shirt, provided that it was in good condition, it was given to the next brother in line. Getting a brand-new shirt as a birthday or Christmas gift was a welcome treat. We were poor in the sense that we did not have material things, but we had something that money couldn’t buy: the blessing of two parents who loved us immensely and taught us by their example how to love and serve others.

The local Church (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) and our Catholic faith were the center of our lives. Parochial school, Sunday Mass, and church-related activities were the heart and soul of family life. But what stands out the most in my mind is the Christian witness, the faithful service to God and family, and the unforgettable devotion to passing on the faith that my mom and dad demonstrated. We were indeed blessed!