Fr. Charles A. LaPenta, 83, dies on his birthday

Photo courtesy of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

+ Enlarge

Oblate Father Charles A. LaPenta

SALT LAKE CITY — Father Charles A. LaPenta, a priest of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, died on his birthday, Saturday August 1, 2009. He was 83 years old. At the time of his death he was a resident of Rosary Care Center Sylvania, Ohio.

Fr. Charles was born in Wilmington, Delaware and after his high school education entered the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. He professed his First Vows on September 16, 1945, and was ordained a priest on June 5, 1954.

He was a graduate of Niagara University, Niagara Falls, New York, the Catholic University of America, Washington D.C. and completed advanced studies in French at Laval University in Canada.

Fr. LaPenta was a high school teacher, guidance counselor, and administrator serving at various times in Oblate sponsored schools in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, and Salt Lake City Utah.

In 1956 he was sent to Monte Carlo Monaco to be the priest secretary to Father J. Francis Tucker OSFS, who was a member of the General Council of the Oblates and the Chaplain to the Royal Family of Monaco. Ten years later Fr. LaPenta was himself assigned to Monaco to be the Chaplain to Prince Ranier III, Princess Grace and the members of the Royal family of Monaco. He was particularly fond of those years and of receiving greetings from the Royal family every Christmas even after his term was completed and he returned to the United States.

After returning to the United States he spent nearly 30 years in the Diocese of Salt Lake City Utah as a high school teacher at Judge Memorial and also as pastor of two parishes, St. Thomas More in Sandy and St. Anthony’s in Helper, and as chaplain to the U.S. Army at Dugway proving Grounds in Utah. He also helped administer international education tours for students.

In 2004, he went to St. Francis de Sales Faculty House in Toledo as a "senior" religious. He assisted in ministry in various places especially the Oblate Residences, the Oblate sponsored, government assisted apartment building for seniors in Toledo; St. Pius X parish; and St. Clement’s parish Toledo before moving in 2008 to the Rosary Care Center in Sylvania Ohio.

Fr. Charles is survived by his three brothers, Chris (Eleanor) of Newark Delaware, Ed (Kathy) of Orchard Park, N.Y, and Paul (Beverly) of Guelph Ontario, Canada. Although his stay in the Toledo area was short he made several close friends during this time.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Aug. 5, at St. Pius X Church in Toledo Ohio. The Wake continued with the Mass of Christian Burial celebrated. Burial was in the Oblate section of Resurrection cemetery in Toledo, Ohio.