PASSAIC A new era begins June 29 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish (OLMC) here when it welcomes its first diocesan priest as administrator of the city parish.
For the first time in 96 years, Capuchin Franciscan Friars of the Province of the Sacred Stigmata of St. Francis will no longer have a pastoral presence at OLMC after serving the faith community since the parish began in 1922. The faithful of this multicultural parish expressed sadness about the departure of their beloved Capuchins — whom they describe as “warm,” “welcoming” and “engaging” — but also hope at the dawn of a new beginning as the province hands the pastoral care of OLMC to the Paterson Diocese.
On June 29 — the feast day of Ss. Peter and Paul — OLMC will welcome Colombian-born Father Andres Baquero, former parochial vicar of St. Therese Parish, Succasunna, who has been appointed by Bishop Serratelli to be the first diocesan priest to serve there and be the administrator of the parish.
The faith community of OLMC held a farewell Mass at 5 p.m. on June 16, followed by a reception in the church hall for the outgoing religious order. Capuchin Father Remo DiSalvatore, provincial minister and pastor of St. Ann Parish, Hoboken, presided over the Mass, along with other Capuchin priests, many of whom served OLMC over the years. They included Father Edward Henning, most recent parochial vicar, who has moved to the provincial office in Union City, and Father John Aurilia, former pastor, who served as St. Padre Pio’s last personal secretary. Inspired by the ideals of St. Francis of Assisi, Capuchin priests and brothers live a Gospel brotherhood, embracing the message of Christ, living simply and engaging in prayer, preaching and caring for the poor, according to their publicity materials.
On April 24, Father DiSalvatore issued a letter, announcing the departure of the Capuchins, because of the “diminished number of friars” in the province, which has left it without enough men to carry out its ministries. In addition, he wrote that the friars have had a long history with OLMC.
“For almost 100 years, we have walked together in faith. On behalf of all the friars, who have served in our community, I thank you for your love, support, kindness, generosity and good example of living the Gospel. [You] are our inspiration and we hope we have helped [you] in some way over the years,” Father DiSalvatore wrote in the letter. He also reminded OLMC parishioners of their “wonderful parish, full of spirit and with great possibilities for the future. I know that the Lord will continue to bless you abundantly ... Let your light keep shining!”
OLMC’s legacy of love began when Bishop John O’Connor sent a priest to care for the Italian Catholics in Passaic in 1905, and a small chapel was opened on Park Place. In 1912 a firehouse was purchased on McLean Street and renovated as a church. The parish was entrusted to the Capuchin Friars in 1922. The present church was built in 1924, according to the parish’s history.
Today, the parish serves more than 200 families from a rich mix of cultures, including Italians, Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians and Filipinos. OLMC continues to meet the needs of the community with Masses for various ethnicities; other spiritual activities, including the celebration of feast days; faith formation; and an outreach to the poor. Recent immigrants have been getting more involved it its ministries, including the various societies and as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.
“It is with great sadness that the Diocese of Paterson accepts the decision of the Province of the Stigmata of St. Francis to withdraw the Capuchin Franciscans from the pastoral care of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Passaic and to turn the pastoral care of the parish over to the Diocese,” Bishop Serratelli wrote in a statement about the Capuchins’ departure. “For 96 years, they have served Our Lady of Mount Carmel with great zeal and were beloved by its parishioners,” the Bishop wrote.
Linda Kimak, 69, a life-long parishioner, received all her sacraments at OLMC, was graduated from the former parish school (which opened in 1954 and closed in 2006) and was married here. As a girl, she got involved in CYO, the choir and the Daughters of Mary. As an adult, she has taught religious education, served as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and belonged to the parish’s outreach program which ministers to the poor and hungry.
When The Beacon asked about what special qualities the Capuchins possess, Kimak spoke as an example about boundless compassion of Father Ignatius Zampino, a former OLMC pastor, who died in 2012. More than 40 years ago, the priest traveled to New York City to visit her ailing husband, Ed, in the hospital in New York City each week for three years. The priest also built a handicapped ramp for Ed at the church, Kimak said.
“The Capuchins were so warm and inviting. They made you feel at home. I liked their homilies. It was like Jesus was talking to you through them,” Kimak said. “I was heartbroken to hear that the Capuchins were leaving but I understand that not as many men are going into religious life. I wish them the best. We will welcome our new diocesan priest and move on,” she said.
An OLMC parishioner for about four years, Cora Banaag coordinates the weekly Filipino Mass and belongs to the Diocesan Commission for Filipino Ministries. She called the Capuchins “very supportive. They really listened. They encouraged us to practice our [ethnic faith] traditions.”
A fourth-generation OLMC parishioner, Peter Kueken Jr. received all his sacraments here and was graduated from the parish school, along with his siblings. He has served as an altar server, a lector and as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. In the Knights of Columbus, Kueken has served as past grand knight and former district deputy.
“The Franciscans were friendly, engaged, outgoing and holy men. They gave homilies that were thought provoking with lessons that you could apply to your everyday life. Mount Carmel is a gem of a parish because the Franciscans made it a joyous place, filled with life,” said Kueken, who fondly remembers altar server meetings on Tuesday evenings, followed by ice cream. “I thank Bishop Serratelli for allowing Mount Carmel to continue [under the pastoral care of diocesan priests]. I look forward to a new beginning. We will continue to flourish,” he said.