- Introduction & History of
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church
Our lady of Mount Carmel celebrated its 50th anniversary as a cornerstone of the Catholic faith community in the south end of Louisville in September of 2007. Until 2006 Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish was administered by members of a worldwide religious order, the Carmelites, who served in the Archdiocese of Louisville at the invitation of the archbishop. Because of the special devotion the Carmelites have always had to the Blessed Mother Mary under her title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the archbishop consented to have the parish named in her honor.
The O.L.M.C. parish has truly been blessed over these past 50 years to have had pastors that have been dedicated to God, the Blessed Mother, their religious order, our parish and faith community as well as the local community in general. The following have given of their time, talents & treasures as pastors of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish.
| Rev. Luke Bresnahan, O. Carm. | 1957-1960 |
| Rev. Frederick T. Manion, O. Carm. | 1960-1969 |
| Rev. Jude J. Cattelona, O. Carm. | 1969-1978 |
| Rev. Paul E. Schweizer, O. Carm | 1978-1987 |
| Rev. Niles J. Gillen, O. Carm. | 1987-2002 |
| Rev. Joseph R. Atcher, O. Carm. | 2002-2004 |
| Rev. Joseph Maisonneuve, O. Carm. | 2004-2006 |
| Rev. Philip L. Erickson, JCL | 2006-Present |
We have also been fortunate to have had in the past 50 years 12 associate pastors as well as 2 Carmelite brothers.
Established to serve the needs of a growing Catholic population in an area south and east of Iroquois Park in Louisville’s south end, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish began functioning in 1957.
Archdiocesan authorities invited the Carmelites to assume responsibility for the operation of the new parish. The first Mass was offered on September 8, 1957 in a nearby public school. Construction of the building which now houses the original school and church began in 1959. The official dedication took place on November 13, 1960.
The Dominican Sisters of Saint Catharine, Kentucky staffed the school from 1959 until the early 1980’s as teachers and principals. They also served as librarian and the social outreach ministry from 1980 until 1987.
The rectory was built in 1961. The convent, which was renamed Marian Hall in 1988 following its conversion from a residence to a parish office and meeting facility, was constructed in 1965. A large multi-purpose building (Cattelona Hall) featuring a gymnasium and junior high classrooms, was erected in 1978. The summer of 1988 saw the construction of a facility to house a new library and computer laboratory. The original library is now used as an adult center, a place for funeral luncheons and various other small group meetings and activities. The Church facility was completely renovated and a large gathering area added in 1993. In 1998 the Gillen Educational Center was dedicated. This center comprises classrooms, a large library, a state of the art computer laboratory and is also home to the R.C.I.A. program.
In July of 2005, Our lady of Mount Carmel found itself in a position in which the school was closed and merged with three other south end parish schools to form the present day St. Nicholas Academy.
2006 brought a great number of major changes to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Perhaps the most significant was the Carmelites relinquishment of the administration of the parish. On September 30, 2006 Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish was clustered with the Saint Thomas More parish by the Archdiocese of Louisville. In August of 2006, the Religious Education and the Adult Formation programs merged with several other parishes located in the south end of Louisville.
The parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel has seen some major changes over the past 50 years with the most significant changes during the past 2 years. Unfortunately, the results of these changes have resulted in a negative impact on the parish. However, like most changes, it is our hope that these changes will be temporary as Our Lady of Mount Carmel must adapt to the ever-changing demographics within the Catholic community. It is important to note that Our Lady of Mount Carmel had a total of 180 charter members in 1957 and despite the many challenges it has faced, is currently facing and will endure in the future, we have grown to a registered membership in excess of 1,150 families.
Ours is a proud parish and the dedication of our parishioners is second to none. We all look forward to the next 50 years.
