Bishop Issues Decree regarding future of Mount Carmel Church

DECREE RELEGATING OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL CHURCH, WORCESTER, TO PROFANE BUT NOT SORDID USE. In Nomine Domini. Amen

HISTORY
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church building was completed in 1928 to serve the sacramental and spiritual needs of the Italian Catholic community of Worcester, Massachusetts.  The church building is located at 24 Mulberry Street, Worcester.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, a major interstate highway was built by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which passes twenty five (25) feet in front of the church building.

In 1967, the pastor, Reverend Erminio Mastroianni, wrote to Bishop Bernard J. Flanagan, then Bishop of Worcester, to inform him of the serious deterioration of the building which he blamed on the proximity of the highway through which approximately 125,000 vehicles pass daily.  He also indicated that the materials used to build this church had not adapted well to harsh New England winters.  Father Mastroianni recommended to Bishop Flanagan that Our Lady of Mount Carmel church be torn down and that a smaller church, sufficient to accommodate a diminishing Italian congregation, be built farther away from the highway.  Bishop Flanagan rejected this proposal and indicated that such an undertaking would be too costly and recommended instead that any structural issues be addressed as economically as possible.

In 1972, a new pastor, Reverend John J. Capuano, wrote to Bishop Flanagan reporting that the church’s façade and bell tower had serious erosion issues which presented a danger to pedestrians and motorists passing in front of the church.  Father Capuano stated also that the parish lacked the funds necessary to make permanent repairs.  Bishop Flanagan asked that Father Capuano do his best to remedy these matters, if only temporarily.

Since the 1960s, the church building continued to shift and settle. Significant cracks in all sections of the building were many. 

In 2007, then pastor, Reverend Monsignor Rocco Piccolomini, began a capital campaign to procure funds to repair the church and restore its original beauty and integrity.  The parish community attempted to raise three million dollars, which was judged sufficient at the time to cover repairs.

Unfortunately, only 24% or $700,000 of the original goal of $3,000,000 could be raised through gifts, donations and pledges.  The decision was made by Monsignor Piccolomini and the parish leadership to use the money raised to repair the roof at a cost of one million dollars to attempt to halt the infiltration of water.

In 2014, an architectural firm, Gorman, Richardson and Lewis, was hired by the parish to determine the building’s structural integrity given the constant reverberation to the building caused by the hundreds of thousands of vehicles travelling the interstate highway twenty-five feet in front of the church.

The architectural firm concluded that the church façade had significantly separated from the front of the building and that the bell tower was in danger of collapsing to the street below.  The firm recommended a “tie back” system to secure the façade to the church at an initial cost of $1,300,000, which included securing the bell tower.  This was rejected by Reverend Monsignor F. Stephen Pedone, who succeeded Monsignor Piccolomini as pastor of the parish in 2012, and by the Pastoral and Financial Councils as being too costly for the parish due to lack of funds.

The firm suggested a “make safe” system at an estimated cost of $75,000.  Work began on this project in 2016 but was halted when further damage was discovered to the façade.  The cost then rose to $200,000.  This was rejected outright by parish leadership because of lack of funds.  The architectural firm then officially notified the pastor that without such a repair it could no longer certify the safety and stability of the building and recommended the building be closed and ultimately demolished.

When informed of this, I directed Monsignor Pedone to close the building after Masses on Sunday, May 1, 2016 for safety reasons and move all worship to Our Lady of Loreto Church, the once mission church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, located 3 ½ miles away.  Monsignor Pedone serves as pastor of that parish as well.

In the issue of safety while the matter was being studied, it was decided by the parish leadership that the church’s façade and bell tower be made safe for pedestrians and motorists utilizing Mulberry Street.  The cost was $200,000, which the parish had to borrow from the Diocese since its savings was nearly exhausted.  The interior of the church has incurred significant damage as well and the building remains unsafe to enter and to hold liturgical services.  At least three rosettes attached to the ceiling and weighing approximately fifty pounds each have fallen 65 feet to the church floor.  If they struck anyone, that person would be severely injured or killed.  Falling dried paint and pieces of plaster litter the interior.

The cost of repairing the church is estimated at 3.5 million dollars, monies which the parish does not have.  The parish had approximately 200 families who financially contributed to the parish, 75% of whom are on a fixed income.

On February 1, 2017, I officially merged Our Lady of Mount Carmel-St. Ann Parish and Our Lady of Loreto Parish and named Monsignor Pedone as the pastor of this newly merged parish.  All worship is held at Our Lady of Loreto Church, 37 Massasoit Road, Worcester.

Monsignor Pedone, along with the Parish and Finance Councils, have recommended to me that Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church be permanently closed and relegated to profane but not sordid use, in accord with canon 1222, §2, of the Code of Canon Law.  The request was brought before the Presbyteral Council on May 15, 2017.  The Council voted unanimously to recommend to me that the church be relegated to profane but not sordid use.

All the requirements of canons 50, 51, 127, 166 and 1222, §2, have been fulfilled.

I have judged that the previous reasons listed do cumulatively constitute a grave cause as required by canon 1222, §2 for the relegation of the church to profane but not sordid use.  I hereby decree and declare that:

Our Lady of Mount Carmel church, a secondary church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish at Our Lady of Loreto Church, Worcester, is relegated to profane but not sordid use, according to the norm of canon 1222, §2.

I further decree that:

Prior to any possible sale of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Worcester, all sacred objects must be removed, and in accord with particular law and in accord with all requirements of universal law, the permission of the Diocesan Bishop is required for the sale of the former church.

This decree is effective October 27, 2017 at 12:01 a.m.

I order that this decree be published.

Given in the Halls of the Chancery Office, this twenty-fourth day of October two thousand and seventeen.

Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester