Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a Roman Catholic church located at 128 Gove Street in East Boston, Massachusetts.
History
The church was built in 1905 and was a focal point of the local Italian American community until it was ordered shut down by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston in late 2004.[1]
On October 10, 2004, as the final mass was celebrated, parishioners claimed that a statue of the Virgin Mary fell to the ground from its perch in front of the altar. Some proclaimed that this was a sign.[2]
At first, the church was occupied by parishioners day and night, marking the longest such occupation in the history of the Roman Catholic Church in United States.[3] [4] Today, after appeals to the decision through the courts and the Vatican, attempts have been unsuccessful and the waning enthusiasm and aging of the occupiers has left the church empty, except for Sunday Mass and occasional prayer services. [5]
Parish school
East Boston Central Catholic School, on the Most Holy Redeemer Parish site, is the Catholic K1-8 school designated for this parish.[6] The school is managed by a board from the Our Lady of the Assumption, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Most Holy Redeemer and Sacred Heart parishes.[7]
References
- ^ Losing more than Mass – The Boston Globe
- ^ A 'miracle' at final Mass - The Boston Globe
- ^ Worshippers mark third year of historic church vigil - Boston.com
- ^ Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parishioners mark three years in their fight to keep church open - The Boston Globe
- ^ "Six years later, churches closed by archdiocese exhaust appeals - The Boston Globe".
- ^ "Most Holy Redeemer." Boston Catholic Directory. Retrieved on April 15, 2009.
- ^ "General Info Archived 2013-07-27 at the Wayback Machine." Boston Central Catholic School. Retrieved on April 15, 2009.