Rev. Louis A. LaGatta

Rev. Louis A. LaGatta, Sr., 76, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at home in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He was born on November 9, 1947, in the Canarsie area of Brooklyn, New York, the son of the late Rev. Vincent and Angela (Genna) LaGatta.

Rev. LaGatta married Diane (DiSpirito) LaGatta on October 30, 1971. She survives in New Castle.

Rev. LaGatta was a 1965 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, New York. He proceeded to obtain a Bachelors of Arts degree in Education from Queens College of the City University of New York in Queens, New York, in 1969. Rev. LaGatta earned Master’s degrees in Theology and Pastoral Psychology from Ashland Theological Seminary in 1982.

He received his Certificate of Ordination by the Christian Church of North America in 1978. Rev. LaGatta first served His Lord and Savior as a Minister in the Christian Church of North America as a Director of Youth Choir while residing in Brooklyn, New York. Next, Rev. LaGatta became the Minister of Youth and Music at Evangel Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Rev. LaGatta also served as an Associate Pastor and Director of Church Ministries and Worship Ministries at Open Bible Church in Toledo, Ohio. Rev. LaGatta then moved to New Castle in 1980 where he served as the Pastor for Christian Assembly Church and formed the Worship Team. During that time, Rev. LaGatta acted as a counselor for Emerge Counseling Ministries which is a Christian Counseling Center in Akron, Ohio. He remained at Christian Assembly until 1986. Later that year, he became the Founding Pastor for the Church of Genesis.

In January of 1983, Rev. LaGatta opened Hope Counseling Services to provide grief and marital counseling. Hope Counseling Services partnered with Edward A. DeCarbo and Donald G. DeCarbo Funeral Home to provide grief counseling to local families starting on March 9, 1983. Rev. LaGatta was added to the Counseling Staff at Castle View Memorial Gardens as a grief counselor on March 16, 1984. He began providing Management Counseling to Union City Bank in Union, New Jersey, in 1998, and to the Department of Health in Boston, Massachusetts, from 2001 to 2023.

Rev. LaGatta became the Founder and Executive Minister of Caleb International Ministries in 1989. Through Caleb International Ministries, Rev. LaGatta traveled and ministered to 32 countries training and educating church leaders through Pastoral Conferences that focused on Church Leadership and Management. Caleb currently has 4 International Institutes in Ghana, West Africa, Brazil, India, and Europe.

He will be most remembered by the countless people throughout the world he comforted and counseled through their most trying times with the care and compassion only he could offer. Rev. LaGatta enjoyed studying scripture along with researching for and preparing his lessons for church leaders worldwide. He served God fervently and with zeal until his final day.

Along with serving in the ministry, Rev. LaGatta treasured the time spent with his family. In addition to his wife Diane, he is survived by his brother, Rev. Vincent Ronald LaGatta and his wife Luan, his brother-in-law Nathaniel Saginaro and was preceded in death by his sister AnnaMarie (LaGatta) Saginario. Rev. LaGatta is further survived by two sons, Louis LaGatta, II, and his wife Kimberli of Campbell, Ohio; Vincent LaGatta and his wife Nicole of Poland, Ohio; as well as one daughter, Jacqueline (LaGatta) Fee and her husband James Fee, Jr., of New Castle. Rev. LaGatta is survived by three grandsons, James Brown (Emily McCullar) and Lucas Fee both of New Castle; and Dominick Rescineto; and one great grandson, Clyde Brown.

Honoring his wishes there will be no visitation or service. Interment will be in Castle View Memorial Gardens.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Ed & Don DeCarbo Funeral Home & Crematory, 3000 Wilmington Road.