“Power of Gratitude Tour” about overcoming adversity

Where are the blessings when your father abandons your mother and eleven siblings, and you get put into an orphanage? On the surface, it appears to be a hard luck life, but for Sal DiLeo who lived it, seeing the blessings and developing an attitude of gratitude opened his eyes to a life full of blessings. 

Prior to taking personal inventory, however, Sal fell into a downward spiral to the point that his career had fallen apart, his marriage was in ruins, and he planned suicide. But a phone call to Sister Paul, a sister who had cared for him at the orphanage, began to open his eyes to how God had cared for him.  

Sal is sharing his insights in his “Power of Gratitude” North Dakota speaking tour this spring. He will recount parts of his story recorded in his memoir, Did I Ever Thank You Sister? written 30 years ago after he returned to the now-closed Guardian Angel Orphanage in Joliet, Illinois, run by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Mary Immaculate. The story is planned to be made into the movie, House of Lion by Canticle Productions, a North Dakota-based film company dedicated to telling stories of sacrifice, faith, and perseverance. 

Sal’s retelling of his dramatic childhood has a two-fold mission: helping others to see past adversity to God’s blessings and also to encourage women to be open to God’s call to a religious vocation.  

In an interview, Sal talked about his story and mission.  

“I was the eleventh in a family of twelve children,” he explained. “I learned much later that Sister Regina Marie is the sister who called child welfare on our family. I used to come to the back door of the convent and beg for food. She would make a deal with me that if I let her get me clean clothes and a bath, she would give me breakfast.” Years later, my wife Beth and I visited her and many of the sisters from the orphanage in the Franciscan’s retirement home in Joliet. We became good friends.”  

Catholic Charities sent out a caseworker to the DiLeo home. There was no heat or electricity. They were destitute and begged for food. Their mother went to court to try and keep custody of them but lost. The six youngest were supposed to go to the orphanage but the two oldest of them ran out the back door and became street kids. 

“Those sisters are the heroes,” Sal said. “They gave us what we didn’t have: life teachings and continuity. I got up and made my bed, had a shower, had clean clothes, served Mass every morning, and had breakfast. Then I helped stack dishes and set the table for lunch. We had to study and go to bed on time. On Sundays, we got to watch The Wonderful World of Disney and eat popcorn.” 

If he was sick or down, DiLeo recalled the sisters putting an arm around him and comforting him. “And they always remembered our birthdays—something I never had before. They made us feel special, sent us to camps in the summer, and begged for everything for us. When I talk with others from that time, we all fondly remember all they did for us.”  

From the orphanage, Sal moved to Boy’s Town and went on to college. He eventually won the heart and hand in marriage of Beth, the love of his life. But Sal’s wounds from deprivation remained open, leading him to the edge of despair following a destructive lifestyle that included an aggressive quest for power and money leading to financial ruin while pushing his wife away.  

Once he let God back into his life, Sal was able to forgive those who hurt him and feel gratitude for the blessings. He began anew in his marriage and career by slowly putting pieces into place so that now, Beth and Sal are each other’s best friends and blessed by a loving marriage. It wasn’t a magic wand. It was a process. They had almost divorced two different times.  

Sal was planning to commit suicide one night, but looked up Sister Paul from the orphanage in a desperate attempt to find a reason to hang on. “‘You can’t make it without God. Start building your life with him,’ she told me. That’s when I started praying again,” he recounted. 

Sal also took the advice of a good friend and mentor who recommended trying to live by Christ’s teaching. Sal led the way and Beth followed right into the Catholic Church. She converted when their youngest daughter was in third grade. They also renewed their marriage vows. “Now we pray together every morning and every night. When we began praying together, that’s when the changes really happened.” 

Sal said that advice Sister Paul once gave him in the orphanage is now how he looks at the world. “She told me, ‘Don’t hang your hat on the people who hurt you because that will bring you down. Take a look at the people who helped you. Otherwise, you are letting them hold you back the rest of your life.’” 

Sal credits the sisters with giving him and his three siblings sound moral teachings, a good education, and love. So much so that one of them, Maria, after working in the business world for a few years, became a Catholic sister with the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary, also known as the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. Sadly, she died at the age of 39 on Dec. 31, 1990. 

“She was the heart and soul of our family,” Sal recalled. “She really reinforced me in my transition back to the faith. We talked quite a bit about God.” 

Sal is now a successful business advisor, sharing his extensive experience with success and knowledge of how to avoid pitfalls. He and Beth also run St. Francis Lodge Bed & Breakfast for women contemplating becoming Catholic Sisters and as a place for Sisters to take time to be alone with God in nature, at no charge to them. 

Tour Schedule:

• May 6: Queen of Peace Church, Dickinson. 7 to 8 p.m. 
• May 7: Church of St. Joseph Church, Williston. 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. 
• May 8: Epiphany Church, Watford City. 7 to 8 p.m. 
• May 20: Sts. Anne & Joachim Church, Fargo. 7 to 8 p.m. 
• May 22: Holy Spirit Cathedral Church, Bismarck. 6:30: to 7:30 p.m. 
• June 11: St. John The Apostle Church, Minot. 7 to 8 p.m. 
• June 18: St. Michael’s Church, Grand Forks. 7 to 8 p.m.