Announcement of Closing of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church

Last Friday, I met with Commissioner John Kelley, Director of Inspectional Services for the City of Worcester, along with his Deputy, David Horne, George O’Neill, senior project manager with Gorman, Richardson, Lewis, architects, and Rev. Richard F. Reidy, Vicar General of the Diocese. This meeting was preceded by several other meetings with Mr. O’Neil and his associate, Neil Rouleau, Jeffrey Berthiaume, Chair of our parish Finance Committee and Mark Morrow, project manager from Consigli Construction. These meetings concerned the very serious disrepair of the front of our church building.

Gorman, Richardson, Lewis have informed us and the city that they cannot certify the structural integrity of our building and recommend that the building be taken down. If a catastrophic failure of the front wall occurred, there is a real and significant danger to those in the church, and to those walking or traveling by the church on Mulberry Street and Interstate 290.

The architects have presented proposals, which they maintain may stabilize the front wall, but there is no guarantee that what they propose will work. These measures are also very costly. Additionally, they cannot guarantee that such measures would not uncover further serious structural issues. Furthermore, we have no money to undertake any additional repairs. We have reached the point that “enough is enough.”

Therefore, in the issue of public safety, and with a heavy heart, I have recommended to Bishop McManus that Mt. Carmel church building be closed and taken down as soon as possible and that all worship be moved to Our Lady of Loreto church after this weekend. The Bishop has agreed because of the public safety hazard.

Beginning this week, all Masses scheduled here will move to Our Lady of Loreto. The weekend Mass schedule at Loreto, starting next weekend, will be the same as it is here – Saturday at 4:00 pm, Sunday at 8:00, 10:00 and 11:30 am.

I respectfully ask your prayers for me and for our parish.