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This section
is dedicated to providing
information on current happenings
related
to the book and Sal's activities.
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Chapel
Update
August 21, 2006
We
are well into building the chapel and priests' quarters
at St. Francis Lodge but we still very much need
volunteer carpenters, plumbers, electricians, masons,
and other skilled builders. Please
click here for a
report and a few pictures.
Equally important, we are
looking for Special Patrons to help us pay for materials
as we build.
Please note
that contributions are not tax deductible.
We also ask for your
prayers!
Sal |
Index of Items
-
Newsletter Christmas 2006
(December, 2006)
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Sal Di Leo celebrates progress at retreat
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After
seven years, the Chapel at St. Francis Lodge is nearing
completion
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Chapel dedicated at Lake George
(June 9, 2006)
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Catholic Song Writer Mary Donahue to hold Concerts For Nuns
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Margaret
Manley Memorial Chapel
(December, 2005)
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Bemidji
Pioneer: Lake George couple
plan retreat center
(September 19, 2004)
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Washington Post: Singing Reagan's
Praises for a New Cause
(August 25, 2004)
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A lake
of their own: Lake George land to become retreat for nuns
(June 23, 2004)
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Former
Orphan Gives Back, Now a Serra Club Member
(March
3, 2004)
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Appeal to
Help Nuns (December, 2003)
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News Letter
Christmas 2003 (December,
2003)
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St.
Francis Lodge Stations completed by Notre Dame Sister
(November, 2003)
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Editorial
Counterpoint Article in Minneapolis Star Tribune
(October 29, 2003)
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Second Annual
"World Orphan Achievement Day"
November 1st, 2003
(October 24, 2003)
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St. Francis
Lodge Stations Completed By Notre Dame Sister
(October
2, 2003)
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Sal Di Leo to
Help Raise Support to Build Mary Jo Copeland's Orphanage
(August 13, 2003)
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Two articles
in the Joliet Explorer (June 20, 2003)
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New retreat center to feature sculptures by Mankato Sister
(June, 2003)
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The Catholic Spirit Features Sal and Lodge
(March, 2003)
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Minneapolis Star Tribune Features Sal and Lodge
(March 8, 2003)
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Sal Goes
Back To Joliet, Illinois For Recent Visit To His Roots!
(February 1, 2003)
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Fostering Families Today publishes
article on World Orphan Achievement Day
(November 25, 2002)
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KSTP5 TV's
"On the Road" features St. Francis Lodge and Book
(October 23, 2002)
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"World
Orphan Achievement Day" Declared
(October 20, 2002)
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Fostering Families Today Article
(Summer 2002)
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St. Francis Village to Open in Lake George, MN Summer of 2003
(August 23, 2002)
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Park
Rapids Enterprise Article (August
17, 2002)
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Lincoln Journal Star Article
(August 4, 2002)
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Seeking Movie Board of Advisors
(July 15, 2002)
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Baton
Rouge, LA Book Review
(June 9, 2002)
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St.
Francis Lodge Coming Along
(June 2, 2002)
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University
of Nebraska Alumni Association Features Sal's Book
(May 15, 2002)
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Minneapolis Star Tribune Features Sal and Daughter
(March 27, 2002)
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Sal Defends Orphanages in WCCO Radio Interview
(March 21, 2002)
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Vatican Sends letter of
Approval for Book Did I Ever Thank You, Sister?
(February 1, 2002)
-
Bud Grant Made a Big Impact
(February 13, 2002)
-
Joliet
Herald News Article
(February 12, 2002)
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Related Resources
(October 29, 2003)
Editorial
Counterpoint Article in Minneapolis Star Tribune
How misinformed
your October 12th editorial "Orphanage Blues" was! Orphanages
can work. I was raised in a Catholic orphanage outside Chicago
with my three siblings in the 1960's. I spent 6 years at the
Guardian Angel Home orphanage and then went to Boys Town in
Nebraska for my high school years.
Today, at 50 years
old, I am a proud family man, business man, and an author. I
have a college degree, as do my siblings that were raised in
the orphanage with me, and all of us are happy with lives. My
wife of 25 years is also from an educated family and our
mutual goals to educate and love our children has been a top
priority.
I understand Mary
Jo Copeland's reasons for wanting to build "Gift Of Mary
Children's Home" and totally agree with her "family model"
orphanage.
For the record,
foster care is not under attack here with Mary Jo's "long term
care concept."
Anyone who really
cares agrees that a wonderful adoption or foster home can be
the best thing for any child if they are lucky enough to find
a good loving family or person to take them in. Unfortunately,
that is often not the case. An alternative is very much needed
for the many kids who are being bounced around from foster
home to foster home and who don't know who really cares about
them.
Many times the
children also separated from their siblings. My siblings and I
at least stayed together in one place at the orphanage and we
had a sense of stability and predictability while we were
there.
We had kids who
were put in foster homes back in those days who came back to
the orphanage and were glad when they came back for many
reasons. Abuse was the most common reason I remember. We were
a family and we called our orphanage "the Home"!
Sal Di Leo
Minneapolis, Minnesota
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June 20, 2003
Joliet, Illinois Catholic Explorer highlights St. Francis
Lodge and Book
Ami M. Estrada, a writer for the Joliet Explorer paper wrote
a wonderful and enlightening story about Sal and Beth Di Leo's
St. Francis Lodge. Her story Orphan Pays Tribute To His
Family Of Franciscan Nuns details Sal's childhood days as
an orphan and being raised by the nuns.
Ami's story tells of
Sal's appreciation as an adult of the work the nuns did for him
and why he and his wife Beth are building St. Francis Lodge in
northern MInnesota, a free retreat for nuns and women seeking
religious Catholic life. The story offers a collage of front page
pictures of Sal's
project. It is an excellent description of this marvelous
project. "In a society
where it has become increasingly popular to blame one's
problems on other
people or events, the caring, sensible advice of the
wise nuns helped mold
Sal Di Leo into the man he is today...", Ami Estrada writes.
In the same issue
of the Joliet Explorer, Fr. Kevin Shanley writes a wonderful
tribute to Sal Di Leo's book, Did I Ever Thank You, Sister?
in an article titled Gratitude is truly the memory of
heart!. Father Shanley was a part-time chaplin at the
Guardian Angel Home Orphanage in Joliet where much of Sal's
book takes place back in the 1960's. "This story is truly an
enlightening odyssey whose final chapters have yet to be
lived. But the story to date is well worth reading for it's
insightful look into human existence and the love that can
conquer even major obstacles in life," Father Shanley points
out in his review.
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Fostering Families Today publishes article on World
Orphan Acievement Day
The Fall 2002 issue of Fostering
Families Today
features an article highlighting Did I Ever Thank You,
Sister? and World Orphan Achievement Day.
The article encourages orphans to submit their
accomplishments to
www.salsbook.com/achievers.
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St. Francis Lodge Coming
Along
June 2, 2002
Dear Friends:
Despite all the financial challenges and
life changes this year has brought to our house, God has
continued to bless our little mission of
St. Francis Lodge on Beautiful
Lake George, Minnesota.
We have been able to clear the building
site where the lodge is going to go, put in the well and
septic system, build a Grotto for Mary, build the stairs down
to the lake, and acquire docks to put in the lake. We also
have electricity in and a camper on the property so we can
stay at the land when we are working on it. Several
individuals have bought memorials to help us pay for things
like the Grotto, Stations of the Cross, and other special
parts of the project. Here are a few
pictures.
Please keep praying that the money
continues coming. We are looking forward to seeing the first
four Nuns in tennis shoes here soon.
Take care and God bless you.
Sal, Beth, Jane, and Kate Di Leo
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University of Nebraska
Alumni Association Features Sal's Book
The University of Nebraska
Alumni Association has presented Sal with the honor of
featuring his book in the Spring 2002 issue of its publication
Good NUz. The magazine is sent to all alumni,
alumnae, and supporters of the university.
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Sal Defends Orphanages in
WCCO Radio Interview
Minneapolis,
Minnesota
Sal discussed his book in an interview with Kim Jefferies of
WCCO Radio on Thursday, March 21st. Also appearing on the show
was Mary Jo Copeland, a Minneapolis native and nationally
known advocate for the re-institution of orphanages in
Minnesota and across the U.S. Sal voiced his support for Mary
Jo's efforts, describing how the Guardian Angel Home Orphanage
in Joliet, IL was a saving factor in his life.
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Vatican Sends
Letter of Approval for Book Did I Ever Thank You, Sister?
For Immediate Release
Friday, February 1, 2002
Contact Sal Di Leo
P.O. Box 1900
Minneapolis, MN 55418
Tel 612.789.2795 or 612.207.1109
E-mail Sal@salsbook.com
"In July of 2001, I sent a copy of my manuscript of the book
my daughter Jane and I worked on together to ask for the
blessing of Pope John Paul II on the work," explains author Sal N. Di
Leo, about his first book.
"In September of
2001, I received a letter back from the Vatican telling me
that John Paul was pleased with the work and blessed it," Di Leo adds.
"My daughter Jane and I are extremely happy with the
response from the Vatican because this story touches on the
trials and tribulations of my life, as well as the incredible
people who have been there with me along the way. Apparently,
the Holy Father and his staff felt it was worth reading," Di
Leo surmises. "We were ecstatic!" adds Jane.
For more
information, contact
Sal Di Leo
P.O. Box 1900
Minneapolis, MN 55418
Tel 612.789.2795 or 612.207.1109
E-mail Sal@salsbook.com
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Bud Grant Made a Big Impact
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2002
"I can understand why the men who played
football for Bud Grant, when he was the coach for the NFL's
Minnesota Vikings professional football team, played so hard.
Bud's character and demeanor is such that he is fair and makes
you not want to let him down or yourself for that matter,"
explains Sal Di Leo, author of the new book Did I Ever
Thank You, Sister?
Di Leo also points out, "I would not have
written this book if it were not for my friendship with Bud.
He convinced me to go back into my past and face it, as well
as look for the good in my life. Just 4 years later, as a
result of Bud's guidance, I am publishing a book on my life
story, pointing out how many good people made such a positive
impact on my life. The rest is history."
Sal Di Leo's book tells a story that takes him
back to his early days as a kid in 1963 when he and his three
siblings were sent to a Catholic orphanage outside Chicago.
The story is riveting and moving as it unfolds and covers 35
years of Mr. Di Leo's life from the days at the orphanage to
his high school days at Boys Town, Nebraska, on through his
difficult years as an adult.
"Bud helped me deal with my ghosts in a way no
one else was able to," Di Leo points out. "I am grateful to
Bud and all the good people who I discovered were there with
me when I went back in my life and really took a good look," Di Leo declares.
A preview of the
book is on-line at
www.salsbook.com
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Joliet Herald News Article, February 12,
2001
"Orphan Thanks Good Sisters In New Book!"
by John Whiteside
In the fall of 1997, I did a telephone
interview with Sal DiLeo about the years he had spent as an
orphan in Joliet's Guardian Angel Home. And his memories came
flooding back.
Memories that rushed back so
vividly that the 48-year-old Minneapolis man has now written a
book titled Did I Ever Thank You, Sister? It's DiLeo's
tribute to the kind Joliet nuns, whom he said saved his life.
DiLeo was one of four
youngsters removed by the court from an east side home during
the cold winter of 1962. Their father had deserted the family.
Their mother was suffering from mental illness and in tears.
There was no food in the house. The electricity was turned
off.
At age 8 then, DiLeo described
himself as a tough, mean little kid with a foul vocabulary.
His older brothers and sisters-- there were 12 kids all
together in the family-- had hit the streets to escape from
being sent to an orphanage.
The four youngest were sent to
the Guardian Angel Home, where they could expect hot meals and
a structure in their lives.
DiLeo said they must have made
a sight when they first arrived at the orphanage. Their hair
was long and unkempt. They hadn't had a bath in a long time.
Their little faces held expressions without hope.
But, he said they found hope
and love at the orphanage. And faith, too.
"The sisters gave us as much
love as any human being can give to another," he said. "It was
an unconditional love for a bunch of kids whom no one wanted.
They are amazing women. They taught us the importance of
getting an education and how to work while they loved us."
My 1997 interview with DiLeo
was all about the Guardian Angel Home's 100th anniversary. The
following year while attending a convention in Chicago, DiLeo
drove to Joliet to see the orphanage. That was his first time
back.
He sat in his car staring at
the home as his memories rushed back. And he remembered the
kindness of Sister Paul Korman and Sister Rose Spatney, both
whom he was able to locate at Our Lady of Angels.
"They're like family," he said
of his first visit with the nuns. Each time he is now in
Chicago on business, he drives to Joliet to see them.
DiLeo spent five years at the
orphanage before he and his brother were transferred to Boys
Town.
Of those four little kids who
entered the Guardian Angel Home, one became a nun, another
operates a resort in Alaska and the third is a successful
businessman in Dallas. DiLeo, who has a degree from the
University of Nebraska, is a marketing consultant with his own
firm. He has two adult daughters.
He said his business partner
encouraged him to write the book. After listening to DiLeo
talk about the orphanage, the partner pointed out just how
grateful he should be to the nuns from Joliet.
When he finally sat down at his
computer to write, he completed the first draft of the
110-page book in a matter of days. The writing flowed as
easily as his memories had returned.
The book can be read on-line at
salsbook.com.
This book, which is
self-published, wasn't written to make money, DiLeo said. But
if he does make some money from it the funds will be used to
invest in a little country home he owns in northern Minnesota.
He would like to turn this place into a get-away spot for
nuns.
DiLeo said after the four of
them were taken to the orphanage, their mother moved to
Kankakee. They saw her a few times during the following year
and then she disappeared from their lives.
In the book, he writes about
tracking down his mother's family background in New York City.
He has also found information about his father, who died in
1985. The man was a Sicilian immigrant.
But DiLeo hasn't been able to
determine why his father deserted the family except that he
was apparently uneducated and overwhelmed by the 12 kids. As a
father, that kind of excuse just isn't acceptable, DiLeo said.
His brothers and sisters still
keep contact with each other. The sister who became a nun died
at a young age. He is planning a family reunion for later this
year.
DiLeo's oldest daughter, Jane,
a college sophomore and future journalist, helped him write
the book. She and her sister grew up listening to their father
tell stories about his days in the Guardian Angel Home at
Joliet.
"The kind sisters there did
save my life," DiLeo said. "And they loved me."
If you have an idea for a
column, call John Whiteside at (815) 729-6052, write to 300
Caterpillar Dr., Joliet, Ill. 60436-1097 or send e-mail to
jwhiteside@scn1.com.
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Related Resources
Guardian Angel
Home website:
www.guardianangelhome.org
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