Three questions with Lucy Colletti, a supporter of the troops
By Catholic Review Staff
Lucy Colletti is a lifelong Catholic who resides at Charlestown, a retirement community in Catonsville.
A former secretary at Holy Spirit School in Pequannock, N.J., Colletti now volunteers at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Ellicott City where her daughter, Laura Errera, teaches. She also heads the Charlestown Operation Welcome Home effort to welcome home U.S. troops at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.
“You can see the emotion in the troops’ eyes and the appreciation on their faces,” Colletti said. “When you go to one of these Welcome Home events, you cannot help but want to come back.
“We are definitely making a difference in the lives of the troops,” she said, “and they see they have our unconditional support back home.”
Here are three questions with Colletti:
Q. Each month, you lead a group of seniors from Charlestown in greeting returning troops at the airport. Why do you do it?
A. The troops deserve a welcoming home. We thank them for their service.
Q. How do the troops respond?
A.They thank us for being there. One man kissed the ground. That was heart-wrenching. It’s very uplifting to see the reunions with the families.
Q. What impact does it have on you?
A. I’m glad I can do it. It’s important to show the troops they have our unconditional support back home.
Charlestown residents welcome U. S. troops home at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. (Courtesy Ann MacKay)
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