Lidia Bastianich was a girl of 11 when she and her mother, father and brother arrived from Italy in 1958, and she’s never forgotten the help Catholic Charities provided after they came to New York. They were resettled in an apartment in North Bergen, N.J., with a rent subsidy for several months, and connected with Italian-American organizations and the local Catholic church, Sacred Heart.

“All those connections were necessary to give us a start,” Lidia said, explaining that representatives of Catholic Charities stayed in touch and encouraged their pursuit of the American Dream.  

Lidia was interviewed at her restaurant Becco in the Manhattan theater district for “You Did It for Me,” a new Catholic Faith Network series hosted by Danielle Campbell, director of development and communications for Catholic Charities of Long Island. The show shares heartwarming stories of dignified and compassionate care, highlighting Catholic Charities’ extraordinary services and outreach. Lidia relates her life story, featuring how her family came to the United States through the efforts of Catholic Relief Services and resettled in America with help from Catholic Charities. 

Lidia has hosted five cooking programs on PBS over the past quarter-century, including Lidia’s Kitchen since 2014. She’s owned restaurants in New York and other cities and is the author of 16 books. “It’s a pleasure sharing my life and all that I have received in life,” Lidia explains. “Maybe it’s time to give a little back.”

Lidia was born into an Istrian Italian family. Istria was assigned to the neighboring Yugoslavia military administration following World War II. She and her mother and brother later traveled to nearby Trieste, Italy, to visit her Aunt Nina. When her father joined them one night, she knew that the family journey was not a vacation, as she had been told. They spent two difficult years in a refugee camp. Her parents requested asylum in America, where President Dwight Eisenhower had opened the door to refugees fleeing the forces of communism. 
When her family came to the United States, Catholic Charities was ready to help. “They gave families like mine the opportunity to be independent and not to be needy,” Lidia said. She and her brother picked up English within a year. She recalls eagerly adopting cultural trends such as bobby socks. “I couldn’t wait to become an American citizen,” she said. 

The renowned chef, now 78, is a familiar face to CFN viewers, having appeared many times as a guest on “Real Food” with program host Msgr. James Vlaun, the network’s president and CEO. One way she gives back is by auctioning off dinners at Becco during the annual CFN telethon. As she described it, the restaurant is subsequently filled two or three times over for a great menu with an appetizer, two or three pastas, a main course, and dessert. Near the end of the taping, Becco’s executive chef Billy Gallagher joined Lidia and Danielle in the dining room, where a selection of delicious pastas was served. 

They shared memories of when Lidia and Billy cooked for Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis when the pontiffs visited New York in 2008 and 2015, respectively. Although Lidia never expected the assignment, she felt very comfortable in their presence, preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day. When Pope Francis came downstairs to the kitchen for a cup of espresso, she remembers Secret Service agents looking all over to locate him. Chef Gallagher actually caught a striped bass that was grilled and served to Pope Francis. When family members were invited to meet Pope Benedict, Gallagher fished “a fistful of rosaries” out of his pocket for a papal blessing.

During the interview, Campbell noted how Lidia’s sincerity and real values attract people. “I am a straight-forward person who embraces the situation,” Lidia said. In breaks during the taping, Lidia could be heard arranging floral staging and conferring with Campbell and the crew about camera angles and shots. The attributes came in handy when pioneering TV chef Julia Child invited Lidia on her show. After the two episodes, she thought to herself, “I can do that.”

And she has. Her success was forged at the family table, growing up connected to the natural world outside. Her Italian heritage has played a key role, too. “We argue together, we sing together, whatever’s necessary to keep the family together,” she said. “That radiated out to my children and grandchildren. I always tell my children, ‘Be humble and appreciate it.’”
She is very proud to be an American. “There’s no country like America…Catholic Charities is part of this,” Lidia said. “You have these opportunities, you have to work at it, you have to make the best of it. You have to be emotionally and spiritually strong.”

“You Did It for Me” airs on Sundays at 10 a.m., Tuesdays at 10 a.m., Thursdays at 10 a.m., Fridays at 8:30 p.m., and Saturdays at 6:30 p.m.