ROSE - Spring 2018 Newsletter - Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish 125th Anniversary

Oct 3, 2026

ROSE is an official community newsletter for the Village of Melrose Park, Spring 2018 issue, featuring a mayoral message and a detailed historical account of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish. The narrative traces the parish’s origins from the 1894 statue and early Italian immigrant settlement, through challenges with church permissions, the 1901 chapel title crisis, and the storm incident that prevented a riot. It continues with the move to the present church property, school and facility growth, and major mid-century developments.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages64

Reading Time2 h 41 min

AccessFree to download

A Message From Mayor Ronald M. Serpico

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish: 125th Anniversary and 50th Anniversary

ROSE The Official Newsletter of the The Village of Melrose Park Spring 2018 A Message From Mayor Ronald M. Serpico Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish–Celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the 50th Anniversary of Their Present Church Dear Neighbors, In my last Rose letter I presented a historical review of Sacred Heart Parish in recognition of their 125th Anniversary. I now want to honor another venerable Melrose Park institution, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, which is celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the 50th Anniversary of the dedication of their present church. Since I already wrote a story about Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast in my Summer 2017 Rose letter, this missive will focus on the history of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish using information found on the Internet and the Mount Carmel website. In 1894, a seedling was planted that would blossom into a vibrant Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish. The seedling consisted of the beautiful statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, sculptured in Naples in 1894. Grateful for the recovery of her husband from a serious illness, after invoking the aid of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Emmanuela Di Stefano solicited funds to produce the statue. The sculpture still resides in the church’s interior and serves as the centerpiece of the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel procession. Around 1880, Chicago’s rapidly growing population saw Italian immigrant families settle in the new village of Melrose Park. In 1895, the aforementioned Emmanuela Di Stefano and others gave thought to building a chapel. The difficulties in erecting a new chapel were formidable because a Catholic church was already serving the village and the bishop did not wish to grant permission establishing other churches in Melrose Park. Ignoring the bishop, Emmanuela proceeded with the construction of a small frame church on two lots she owned on 24th Avenue near Lake Street. For several years, this chapel did not have regular services – a few times a year the Servite Fathers came to celebrate the Divine Mysteries at the request of a society organized to commemorate the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. In 1901, the bishop ordered the local Feast Society to cede title of the chapel to the Archdiocese of Chicago. In this crisis, it appeared that the Blessed Mother herself made the decision to stay in this rural village as demonstrated by the following occurrence. After the bishop’s threat, Emmanuela Di Stefano decided to have a getaway car remove the image of the Madonna. The village’s Italian population decided to oppose the bishop’s act with force. When Emmanuela entered the church to take away the statue, the church bell sounded the alarm. In an instant, men, women and even children were shouting and threatening whoever would dare to touch the Madonna. It might have been a night of bloodshed if the Virgin Mary herself had not intervened by turning a clear night into a fearful storm that dispersed the furious crowd, thus preventing a riot and removal of her image. The church title eventually passed on to the Catholic bishop and continued to be administered from time to time by the Servite Fathers. Only after Archbishop James Edward Quigley was appointed to the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1903, was a full time priest, Reverend Antonio Pettillo, sent to the church. He remained until July of 1905. It was at this time Father Benjamin Franch, an Italian immigrant, requested permission to come on Sundays to celebrate Mass. Father Franch would remain associated with Mount Carmel for nearly a half a century, most of it as the pastor. (Continued on Page 2.) [Check Out www.MelrosePark.org](Check Out www.MelrosePark.org) to Learn More About Our Community! Within two years of Father Franch’s arrival (1907), the small church building was moved to the spacious property where the present church stands. Serious difficulties had to be

FAQs

What anniversary milestones does the newsletter highlight for Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish?

It highlights the 125th Anniversary of the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the 50th Anniversary of the dedication of their present church.

How did the parish’s early devotion connect to the 1894 statue?

In 1894, a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was sculptured in Naples after a vow related to a serious illness recovery, and it later became the centerpiece of the feast procession.

What major conflicts occurred around 1901 regarding the chapel?

The bishop ordered the local Feast Society to cede title of the chapel to the Archdiocese of Chicago, prompting a tense confrontation when the image of the Madonna was to be removed; the incident ended when a storm dispersed the crowd.

Oct 3, 2026

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