About Our Lady of Mount Carmel · Carbondale, Pennsylvania
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish is a Catholic parish in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, founded in 1900 to serve the city's west-side Italian immigrant community. Long known as an Italian-heritage parish, it is most famous for its annual Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a multi-day celebration capped by a street procession of the Madonna through the west-side neighborhood. As of July 1, 2024, Our Lady of Mount Carmel has been consolidated with St. Rose of Lima Parish into the new Our Lady of the Rosary Parish within the Diocese of Scranton, while the Our Lady of Mount Carmel church building remains open for worship.
- Established
- 1900
- Patron
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Madonna del Carmine)
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph J. Mosley
- Diocese
- Diocese of Scranton
Why belong here
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a parish where Italian-American Catholic heritage is still alive in its feast-day procession, in recipes passed from one generation to the next, and in families that have belonged here for generations. Worshippers can take part in a vibrant parish life that includes the Altar and Rosary Society, the Holy Name Society, RCIA/OCIA, a combined religious education program, a contemporary choir, a cemetery ministry, and outreach efforts like weekly food donations for Catholic Social Services and the St. Francis Food Kitchen community meal. As one of two worship sites of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, OLMC offers a 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass in a small, close-knit community with deep roots in Carbondale's west side.
Mass times at Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM at St. Rose of Lima Church
Adoration times
- 40 Hours Devotion in November (around All Souls Day)
Our Lady of Mount Carmel — A Parish Profile
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish is one of two worship sites of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, within the Diocese of Scranton. Founded in 1900 to serve Italian immigrant families on Carbondale's west side, OLMC is a multi-generational community whose identity is rooted in its Italian-Catholic heritage. The parish's mission statement calls it 'a Catholic community of faith, nourished and empowered by Word and Sacrament,' whose mission is 'to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ through service rooted in justice, peace, love, and tradition under the intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.' Today the parish counts roughly 1,250 registered families.
- Parish founded: 1900
- Patroness: Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Diocese of Scranton
- Sunday Mass at OLMC: 10:00 AM
- Office: 6 N. Church Street, Carbondale, PA 18407
History and Italian-Heritage Roots
OLMC was founded in 1900 in Carbondale's west-side neighborhood during a wave of Italian immigration to the Lackawanna Valley's coal country. The parish has remained a gathering place for Italian-American Catholics ever since. Many current parishioners were baptized at OLMC, as were their parents, and stories about past pastors, the early days of the feast procession, and the founding of the Altar and Rosary Society are part of ordinary parish conversation. As the Diocese of Scranton has written, 'at the heart of the parish is an appreciation of those who have laid the foundation and brought us to this time.'
- Founded 1900 in Carbondale's Italian west-side neighborhood
- Long-time anchor for Italian-American Catholic families
- Generational membership — many parishioners baptized at OLMC as were their parents
The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the heart and soul of the parish. Held over four days in mid-July, it combines liturgical celebration with the parish's signature street procession. After Mass, the statue of Our Lady is carried through the west-side streets for several hours, visiting nursing homes and residences — including the homes of elderly parishioners who built the tradition but can no longer take an active part. Neighbors along the route offer treats and welcome the procession. The celebration ended with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph C. Bambera on July 17, 2022, marking the 50th anniversary at the Farview Street location.
- Four-day celebration in mid-July each year
- Four-hour street procession of the statue of Our Lady through the west side
- Stops at nursing homes and residences of longtime parishioners
- Fundraising food events: taralli sale, spaghetti supper, Easter bread
- Originally held on Green Street; moved with the church to Farview Street circa 1972
Consolidation: Our Lady of the Rosary Parish (2024)
Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Rose of Lima Parishes entered a pastoral linkage under one pastor in 2009. In fall 2021 Bishop James P. Walsh held a town-hall meeting in Carbondale launching the Diocese of Scranton's Vision 2030 pastoral planning process, focused on declining Mass attendance, a shrinking number of priests, finances, and infrastructure. After a year of parish-level consultation and joint council work, the two parishes were consolidated into a new parish, Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, effective July 1, 2024. Both Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and St. Rose of Lima Church remain open for worship; the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Simpson closed on June 2, 2024 (Feast of Corpus Christi), with a Eucharistic procession transferring the Eucharist to OLMC and St. Rose as a sign of unity.
- Linkage under one pastor: 2009
- Vision 2030 process launched in Carbondale: fall 2021
- New parish name selected: Our Lady of the Rosary Parish
- Consolidation effective: July 1, 2024
- St. Michael the Archangel, Simpson: closed June 2, 2024
- OLMC and St. Rose church buildings: remain open for worship
Parish Staff and Clergy
Our Lady of the Rosary Parish (which includes Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church) is served by a pastor, an assistant pastor, a senior priest in residence, a permanent deacon, a religious sister, and a lay staff who together handle liturgy, music, religious education, OCIA/bereavement ministry, cemetery operations, funerals, and parish office administration.
- Rev. Joseph J. Mosley — Pastor
- Rev. Boniface Ameyaw — Assistant Pastor
- Rev. Seth D. Wasnock, V.F., V.E. — In Residence
- Deacon Patrick J. Massino
- Sr. Ann McLaughlin, IHM — Pastoral Associate
- Mrs. Kathy Yaklic — Director of Religious Education
- Mrs. Eileen Aguiar — OCIA / Bereavement Ministry
- Mrs. Alissa Swarts — Director of Music and Liturgy
- Mrs. Maryanne DeMark — Director, Contemporary Choir
- Ms. Cheryl Dottle — Office & Cemetery Manager
- Mr. Brad Saul — Cemetery Supervisor
- Mr. Stephen Senko — Sacristan
- Mr. Paul Moran, Jr. — Funerals
- Mrs. Ann Marie Carroll — Receptionist
Parish Life, Ministries, and Outreach
Parish life at Our Lady of Mount Carmel is anchored by traditional parish societies and a strong outreach to those in need. The Altar and Rosary Society and the Holy Name Society both remain active, with the Altar and Rosary Society holding annual fundraisers. Faith formation includes a combined Religious Education program (with youth group) and RCIA/OCIA classes for adults, with sacramental celebrations coordinated across the two worship sites. Outreach includes weekly food donations for Catholic Social Services, participation in the St. Francis Food Kitchen community meal each Thursday, the Christmas Giving Tree, and the Upper Valley Project Hope sponsored by United Neighborhoods. The parish also maintains a cemetery ministry serving the local Catholic cemetery.
- Altar and Rosary Society — fully functioning with annual fundraisers
- Holy Name Society
- Religious Education (combined program with Youth Group, Sundays at St. Michael's parish center in Simpson)
- RCIA / OCIA — adult initiation and faith formation
- Music Ministry — organist, traditional choir, and Contemporary Choir
- Catholic Social Services — weekly food donations
- St. Francis Food Kitchen community meal — every Thursday
- Christmas Giving Tree
- Upper Valley Project Hope (United Neighborhoods)
- Cemetery Ministry
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church and welcomes parishioners and newcomers to prepare for each. Sacramental preparation for children takes place through the combined Religious Education program; adults prepare through OCIA (the restored Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). Those in need of sacramental assistance — including Anointing of the Sick — are encouraged to call the parish office.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation and First Communion (for children in Religious Education)
- Confirmation
- Marriage — preparation through the parish office
- RCIA / OCIA — adult initiation, open to those seeking to become Catholic
- Anointing of the Sick — on request, call 570-282-2991
- Funerals
Visiting and Getting Involved
Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The parish office (6 N. Church Street, Carbondale, PA 18407) is open Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed noon to 1:00 p.m. for lunch; for holiday closures check the bulletin. Anyone interested in joining a parish society, the music ministry, the Religious Education program, or one of the outreach efforts can contact the office at (570) 282-2991 or [email protected]. Online giving and the parish bulletin are available through the unified parish website at 3as1catholics.org.
- Parish Office: 6 N. Church Street, Carbondale, PA 18407
- Phone: (570) 282-2991
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closed noon–1:00 PM)
- Online giving and bulletins: 3as1catholics.org
- Social: search '3as1catholics' on Facebook