Our History

OVER 100 YEARS OF TRADITION AND MEMORIES

At the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th Century a great number of Italian immigrants entered America through the Port of New York. Some traveled westward but most stayed in the East. Many came and settled in the Bronx, especially in the Belmont section.

Along with their desire to improve their economic lot they brought with them a strong faith and strong family values. They worked to build railroads, tunnels, subways, reservoirs, skyscrapers, on farms and some established small businesses. What kept them together was their common language and faith.

In the Northwest Section of the Bronx in 1900, only St. Philip Neri Church on the Grand Concourse and 202nd St. had an Italian-speaking priest. So the faithful from the Belmont section made the long trek to the Concourse to attend Mass, receive the sacraments and to bury their dead.

As their number grew, the journey became more difficult. A committee was formed headed by Mr. Pietro Cinelli to ask Father Daniel F. X. Burke, the Italian-speaking Pastor of St. Philip Neri, to open a mission in Belmont. Father Burke aware of the need, petitioned Archbishop John J. Farley, who graciously granted the request. The mission was opened and the first Mass was celebrated by Father Joseph Caffuzzi on June 13, 1906 in a store front at 659 E. 187 St. From the store front, a basement Church was built on 187 St. and Belmont Ave. in 1907. The upper Church was built in 1917, dedicated to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.  The pioneer efforts of Father Burke and Father Caffuzzi resulted in the largest Italian National Parish in the Archdiocese of New York. At the height of its history in the 40's and 50's, more than 40,000 Italians made Our Lady of Mt. Carmel on E. 187 St. their parish.

In 1924, Father Caffuzzi with the aid of the Pallotine Sisters opened the Parish School for 205 children. A New School was built in 1949 by Msgr. Joseph M. Pernicone and an extension was added in 1956 to increase the capacity to 1800.

Space does not permit to describe the many religious, educational, social and charitable activities sponsored by the parish in over 100 years of its existence. Suffice it to say that at one point Bishop Pernicone, Pastor from 1944 to 1966 had 8 assistant priests, 32 Pallotine Sisters and 16 Brothers of Holy Cross in the School and countless lay people in various parish organizations. Seventeen young men became diocesan priests and countless young ladies entered the convent and many lay people were active in the apostolate.

As the parish celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2006, we reflected on the activities of the past and look to the challenges of the future. The parish continues to serve the Italian community of the Bronx and welcomes the new immigrants from Latin America and serves them with the same devotion and love with which the Italians were received and served by the kind Fr. Burke and saintly Fr. Caffuzzi, the co-founders of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Bronx.

In September 2017 we were grateful to the Lord and Our Lady of Mount Carmel for allowing us to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the first Mass offered in the main church on September 2, 1917 and the re-opening of the church after major renovations during 2017.  The exterior renovations included the repointing of the brick, the refurbishment of the window frames, front doors, bells and bell towers, and installation of exterior lighting.  The interior renovations included removal of asbestos tile and laying of new hardwood floor, restoration of terrazzo aisles, the Stations of the Cross, statues, baptistery room, and the grand mural of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.  It also included the construction of new shrines, confessionals, and fixed altar, and the installation of new church lighting and sound system.  Deo Gratias!

A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE INTERIOR OF OUR CHURCH 
 
Build in Romanesque style, the Church shows beautiful architecture. The twelve massive marble columns represent the twelve disciples. The interior roof shows the images of the twelve disciples in the main alley, and the images of many saints in the roof of the lateral alleys, and between the high windows. The stained-glass windows in the left side of the Church, facing the altar, represent the Joyful mysteries of the Rosary and the flight to Egypt. On the right side the stained glass windows represent some moments of the public life of Jesus and His Resurrection.
The main altar has the images of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Joseph with baby Jesus (right) and St. John Baptist (left). Painted from left to right we found St. Peter, St. Dominic, St. Francis and St. Paul. The ceiling (apse) shows Our Lady of Mount Carmel surrounded by angels. At her feet people from different conditions, bishops, priest, nuns, kings, queens, and simple people all pray to her. At the bottom the image of the souls in purgatory waiting for the water from Mt. Carmel, an image of the intercession from Mary. The words in Latin “in viam rectam ut irent in civitatem” are taken from  Psalm 106, 7 saying “he led them into the right way: that they might go to a city” and shares the sentiments of the immigrants that felt that Mary brought them safe from their towns of origin to be part of this city in the New World.
There are two side altars.  The right side is dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua (center), a very popular saint for Italians, known as the Miracle Worker. The other two statues are Saint Rita of Cascia (left) and St. Jude the Apostle (right), both patrons of impossible causes. Also on this side we find the image of St. Michael Archangel conquering the devil. The left side altar is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (center), and three more statues are found, St. Anne with the child Mary (extreme left), St. Lucy (left) and St. Therese of Lisieux (right).      
In the room to the left of this altar we have the Baptismal font, were thousands and thousands of children have received the faith, as well as statues of St. Gerard, St. Rocco, the Infant of Prague and the Souls in Purgatory.
At the rear of the Church, two new shrines were dedicated during the last renovation.  The one on the right is dedicated to Mary with the devotions to Our Lady of Guadalupe (center), Our Lady of Altagracia (left) and Our Lady of Divine Providence (right), the three images are Patrons of Latin-American countries. Our Lady of Guadalupe is also Patroness of the Americas and Protectress of the unborn. The shrine on the left holds the image of Divine Mercy (center), Padre Pio (left) and St. Teresa of Calcutta (right).
Finally, our Stations of the Cross are worth noting for their beauty which has inspired many to contemplate our Lord’s Passion and Death throughout the years.

If you would like a Mass to be offered for your loved ones, please call our office.