What’s in a name? For me, it was a deliberate choice

Parents of a newborn child have an awesome task of selecting a name for their child! It was formerly a custom for Catholic parents to select a saint’s name so that the child would have a saintly role model for the young person to imitate and to have as a heavenly intercessor! Let me add that in families of Italian origin, it was customary to name the children after grandfathers and grandmothers. Definitely, my family followed that cultural trend as well as ensuring that Catholic saints would be chosen for their names.

My oldest brother, Charles (called Charlie later in life), was named after my paternal grandfather, much to his delight. Born in 1939, he remembered our grandfather because he was 10 years old when grandpa died. Nobody questioned the choice my parents made in this matter. Surely my second-oldest brother was named Louis, which was my dad’s name. He didn’t like being called Junior or Little Louis, but he preferred to be Louis since my dad was known as Lou.

Now, I came along in August of 1945, and my name selection caused a problem in my family, a story I only recently learned from my brother Louis. The story is this: my Uncle Peter Chappetto was killed in action – about a year before I was born. He was a good athlete, a great student, a treasured member of the family, and a valiant soldier. My paternal grandmother, Dora Chappetto, expected that my parents would name me Peter Chappetto to honor my uncle whose death left a tremendous void in our family, especially since he was buried at sea. So, it seemed like it was a forgone conclusion: the new baby would be Peter. My mom announced: his name will be RAYMOND! It was a big surprise to my grandmother, whom I’m told gave my mom a little bit of the third degree: why not Peter? We have no Raymond in our family. (It sounds like the passage from the Bible when Zechariah gave John the Baptist his name, doesn’t it?) So, mom, in her kind and thoughtful way, explained that if he is named Peter, he will not have a life of his own – he will always be thought of as his Uncle Peter and wouldn’t be able to develop his own identity! In one way, I could see what she meant. Peter was such a forceful figure in the family and in the community. His life could never be duplicated, even with a child named in his memory!

Well, Grandma Chappetto got her wish the following year in 1946 when her daughter Teresa had a son whom she named Peter. Although not a Chappetto, he did his best to keep Uncle Peter’s memory alive, and he himself served in the Vietnam War. Grandma got her Peter, and all in the family were not discussing my name any longer. I like my name, Raymond, and my mom did too. Saint Raymond of Penafort (1175-1275), who was a priest in the Order of St. Dominic (a Dominican), lived to be 100 years old. I’ve often prayed to him, asking his intercession for a long and healthy life. So, what’s in a name? Quite a lot. I hope and pray that parents of today will choose the names of the saints once again. God has a plan for each of us.