OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
Feast Day: July 16
Patron Saint of Chile
A tradition first attested to in the late 14th century says that Saint Simon Stock, an early prior general of the Carmelite Order, had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary in which she gave him the Brown Scapular which formed part of the Carmelite habit, promising that those who died wearing the scapular would be saved.
The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is known to many Catholic faithful as the "scapular feast," associated with the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a devotional sacramental signifiying the wearer's consecration to Mary and affiliation with the Carmelite Order.
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL ORATORY
CLEVELAND, 1936
Established in 1936 to serve the growing Italian-Catholic community in Luna Park District of Cleveland, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church initially was a vision of St. Marian Parish. The community, then secured property on East 110th Street at Ingersoll Road (now Mount Carmel Road) on which it hoped to erect its campus. In 1938, at the request of the Federal Housing Authority, the community abandoned work on the project and sold the property. Securing a nearby plot Garfield Avenue and Ingersoll Road (now Notre Dame Avenue and Mount Carmel Road), the community began work on an English-Gothic Church, in which it celebrated its first Mass at midnight on Christmas 1939.
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
To lead the community, Bishop Joseph Schrembs appointed Father William O'Donnell, D., a graduate of the Athenaeum Urbanum in Rome, first pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish. During the early years, Father O'Donnell was suported by assistant pastor, Father William Sullivan and four Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity, who maintained the church building and taught catechism classes.
After enduring the difficult years of the Second World War, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish looked forward to an extended period of growth. Tragedy struck the parish, however, in June 1949, when a fire severely damaged the church. Rallying together, its members spearheaded a campaign which culminated in the rededication of the church in 1950—an event which coincided with the opening of Our Lady of Mount Carmel School under the direction of the Sisters of Notre Dame. In 1961, Father O'Donnell left the parish and was succeeded by Monsignor Francis Cacciacarro. While the arch's two large bells remained in storage, falling membership and financial considerations forced the community to postpone the construction a new belfry. In the late-1960s, the project finally was abandoned. After six years of leading the parish through myriad struggles, Monsignor Cacciacarro turned over its administration to Father Nazareno D'Angelis on July 1, 1967. During the 1970s, the parish's pastors Father James V. Ragnoni (1973-1974) and Father Frank C. LaRocca (1974-1977) continued to struggle with the problem of shrinking parish membership.
While the parish made preparations to welcome its last pastor, Father Thomas J. Luckay, it undertook the difficult task of closing its school. Over the next twelve years, a small, committed group of parishioners struggled to preserve the traditions and heritage of the community in the face of mounting financial difficulties. In 1990, Bishop Anthony M. Pilla recognized their dedication and appointed long time parishioner, Mrs. Rose M. Criniti, parish administrator. Following Fr. Luckay's departure in February 1990, rumors surfaced regarding the parish's closure. In 1991, the community prevented any further plans to close the church, receiving special diocesan designation as an Oratory. While it must secure the services of visiting priests, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Oratory keeps alive the traditions of its Italian-Catholic founders, celebrating Mass every Sunday and sponsoring a variety of social functions.