Tag Archives: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

The sporadic rain on Sept. 11 couldn’t diminish the feeling everyone had as they gathered in front of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and Shrine to watch the awe-inspiring silent arrival of fire and police vehicles. First responders from 10 neighboring communities participated in a procession from Wolf Road down Lake Street in Berkeley to 25th Avenue in Melrose Park.  The anticipation mounted as the flashing lights quietly moved north on 25th to Division Street and then south to 23rd Avenue. As the procession approached the church, Fr. Leandro Fossà, pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, greeted each …

A statue of St. John Baptist Scalabrini was unveiled at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and Shrine in Melrose Park on Nov. 12. The 6-foot-tall statue was commissioned in honor of the one-year anniversary of the canonization of Bishop Scalabrini, founder of the Missionaries of Saint Charles, the religious order that runs Mt. Carmel. It was installed in front of the church.  

The Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and Shrine commemorated the recent passing of the Rev. Peter Sordi with an 11 a.m. Mass on June 1. The Mass was concelebrated by local Scalabrini priests, with Bishop Lawrence Sabatini and the Rev. Nicholas Marro speaking during the services. (708-344-4140) Rev. Peter was born and ordained in Italy, accepting his first position as a parish priest at Holy Guardian Angels and Our Lady of Pompeii in 1946. He taught at Sacred Heart Seminary in Stone Park, served in various leadership roles on the provincial and general levels for the Scalabrini Fathers, and …

  The Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish & Shrine of in Melrose Park will host a weekend of events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the church. Festivities begin with an outdoor concert at 7:30 p.m. on June 8, followed by an ice cream social hosted by the parish Scout troop after the 5:30 p.m. Mass on June 9, and a Jubilee Mass at 1:30 p.m. on June 10 celebrated by Bishop John R. Manz. The Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel will celebrate its 125th anniversary on July 15. (708-344-4140, www.olmcparish.org)

For centuries, towns and villages across Italy have marked Good Friday with masses and processions that rival any other on the Catholic calendar. On March 30, this ancient rite will be re-enacted at the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish & Shrine in Melrose Park. That evening, 20 patron saint societies bearing statues and banners will fill the Shrine to capacity. A 7 p.m. Mass in Italian will be followed by a dramatic candlelight procession, accompanied by the Sicilian Band of Chicago. (708-344-4140)  

Easter is a joyous time for Christians around the world, an event that represents the triumph of life over death. Before that momentous Sunday, however, a brief but intense period of mourning commences, culminating on Good Friday, the day Christ was crucified, died and was buried. For centuries, towns and villages across Italy have expressed their collective sorrow with masses and processions that rival any other on the religious calendar. “The Good Friday celebration is the most spectacular in Italy, even more so than even Easter Sunday,” the Rev. August Feccia explains. “This memory is cherished very deeply by the …