First in a series about married couples who met through the Catholic Church or one of its institutions.
Barry Levinson’s “Diner,” an essential Baltimore film and an homage to the end of the 1950s, includes Steve Guttenberg’s character requiring his fiancée to pass a “Colts Quiz.”
John D’Adamo referenced that test of a potential spouse to describe his first date with Melissa Martin. Instead of NFL trivia, let alone long walks on the beach or musical tastes, however, the two grilled one another about their shared Catholic faith.
That common ground led the two to be married Aug. 13, 2009 – less than two years after their eyes first met in the staff mail room at Archbishop Curley High School.
Now the principal of St. Francis of Assisi School in Mayfield, John was teaching at his alma mater. His students included Christopher Martin, now his brother-in-law.
Now the director of advancement for St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Melissa was back home after a stint on the lower Eastern Shore produced a master’s degree from Salisbury University but one dead-end date after another. A help-wanted ad in the Catholic Review sent her to Curley.
“It broke my heart to move back home, but I couldn’t find a good job, or a good man,” Melissa said. “I realized, ‘I’m only going to date Catholics.’
“My mother had literally been praying for me to come home and marry a nice East Baltimore Catholic boy. … How blessed we’ve been, to find each other, and raise our kids the way we were raised.”
Their union includes links to at least 15 institutions in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
“We can’t even abbreviate our schools on the kitchen calendar,” John said, as both work for an “SFA.”
Before graduating from Maryvale Preparatory School, Melissa went to a number of parish elementary schools, the last being Immaculate Heart of Mary in Baynesville. Her parents were married at St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Highlandtown, by Monsignor William F. Burke – now her husband’s boss at St. Francis of Assisi.
Before Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg and Curley, John was raised at St. Clement Mary Hofbauer Parish in Rosedale, where his father taught physical education for 36 years. His family tree includes his grandfather’s brother owning Shocket’s Bargain Store on Eastern Avenue.
“Of course, my parents grew up shopping there,” Melissa said.
John’s confirmation name is Luigi, honoring his great-grandfather, “the first D’Adamo in America,” he said, from Vasto, Italy. The vocation of John’s great “Aunt Zia,” a Comboni Missionary Sister who served primarily in Ethiopia, is tied to the location of his wedding vows with Melissa.
The order continues to have a presence in Baltimore, including at St. Matthew in Northwood. Looking to “keep it small,” John and Melissa were married in its convent chapel, by Father Joseph Muth, pastor.
The D’Adamos worship at Our Lady of Grace in Parkton, and reside in a two-unit house. Their residence includes their daughters, Maxine and Clare, a first-grader and pre-K student, respectively, at St. Stephen School in Bradshaw. Melissa’s parents, who help fill the gaps in after-school care, live in the other unit.
“When you’re in Catholic education, you need all the support you can find,” John said, of the commitment of him and his wife. “We love the Catholic schools in Baltimore. We’re happy to give back to something that gave so much to us.”
Email Paul McMullen at pmcmullen@CatholicReview.org
Know of a Catholic couple that could be featured in the “It’s About Love” series? Send details to mail@CatholicReview.org
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