Francis Serratelli

World War I
* Battle of Cantigny
* Battle of Belleau Wood

**Francis John Anacletus Serratelli** (Born January 18, 1900) is an American politician, Army veteran and a retired Roman Catholic Clergyman currently running to serve as a member United States House of Representatives from the Northeast region.

## Early Life (1900-17)

Serratelli was born Francis John Serratelli Jr. on January 18, 1900, in Paterson, New Jersey, where his parents lived with his paternal grandparents. He was the child of Maria Calabrese and Francis John Serratelli Sr., a factory worker. His father was a son of an two Italian immigrants, carpenter Luigi Serratelli and Rosa Serratelli (née Lucano).

He was raised in West Orange with his three brothers: Paul Matthew Serratelli (1904–1975), Anthony Mark Serratelli (1907–), and Dominic Peter Serratelli (1910–1943). All four brothers were extremely close and did almost everything together. All four were involved in the Boy Scouts of America program, Paul and Francis joined in 1910 when the organization was first created, Francis, Paul and Dominic all earned the rank of Eagle, Francis in 1915.

Serratelli and his brothers were raised in the Catholic faith, all attended church every Sunday and were involved in Youth Ministry as well as serving as Altar Servers. Serratelli’s confirmation name was Anacletus. All four brothers completed seminary, the certification to become a Deacon or Priest, as part of high school and two brothers, Francis and Paul, would go on to become clergymen, Francis would go on to become a Cardinal and Paul a Priest.

Serratelli attended North Jersey Seminary High School, an all boys Catholic High School, where he was a star athlete and captain of the wrestling team. In 1917, he won the State Championship for his weight class. He also attracted the attention of college recruiters. In 1917 Serratelli graduated salutatorian of his class as well as Class President.

## U.S. Army and College (1917-25)

Following the United States joining World War I in April 1917, Serratelli enlisted in the army. Francis waited to finish his high school education and his seminary instructions. He received a commission as a Lieutenant in the US Army on December 13, 1917. On January 2, he reported for active duty to Fort Benning on the Alabama/Georgia Border. After one month of training, he went to France, where he was one of 2,217 chaplains that fought for the American Expeditionary Front for the 33rd Division.

Serratelli was engaged in the Western Front and saw action in the Spring Offensive, battles included the Battle of Cantigny and the Battle of Belleau Wood. As a chaplain in the Army Serratelli had been in the trenches promoting the word of Christ to soldiers to seemed to have lost all home in going home. After the battles Serratelli worked to do services for the deceased as well as running mass for the soldiers at base.

### Post WWI

Serratelli remained in active service for two and a half years after the war was over, doing stateside service as a chaplain at the United States Military Academy, where he eventually ranked up to Captain. After his first four year contract expired he didn’t sign an additional contract and got out of the Army on July 1, 1921. In September of 1921 he started attending Princeton where he would earn his B.A. in Religion in June of 1925.

## Priesthood and Diaconate work (1925-85)

Upon leaving the service Francis returned to his hometown of Paterson where he served as a Priest in various Catholic Church for 48 years, until 1973, when he was promoted to Bishop of the Washington Diocese, where he often lead mass at the Cathedral of Saint Michael’s as well as lead the Priests in the greater D.C. area, after the previous Bishop, Patrick O’Boyle, stepped down to become a Cardinal. Serratelli would serve as a Bishop for 11 years before being appointed Cardinal by Pope John Paul II on October 30, 1984.

As a Cardinal, Francis Serratelli was often under scrutiny for his controversial campaign for Pope John Paul II to step down due to the amounts of child abuse cases happening in his church. Serratelli even went as far as to threaten to separate from the Catholic Church. Additionally Serratelli had the radical, yet overly optimistic, idea that the Protestant and Catholic churches could come back together. On February 23, 1985 Cardinal Serratelli officially stepped down from the Cardinalship, marking the end of a 68 year career in clergy.

## Political Career (1985-)

When Serratelli stepped down from the Cardinalship on February 23, 1985 he did so with the intent to run for the House of Representatives. On June 2nd, 1985 Serratelli joined the Constitutionalist Party in a deal that sitting Congressman Bolt would propose Serratelli’s Communist Detection Act.

Serratelli’s three main policies are respecting traditional Christian and American values, protecting the nation from communism, and taking care of one’s less fortunate brothers and sisters.