About Our Lady of Mount Carmel · New Bedford, Massachusetts
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the South End of New Bedford, Massachusetts, founded in 1902 to serve the city's Portuguese-speaking immigrant community. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Fall River and continues a bilingual liturgical tradition today, celebrating Mass in both Portuguese and English. Its iconic red-brick church with twin green-copper steeples at the corner of Rivet and Bonney Streets has been a South End landmark since 1913 and is the spiritual home of approximately 8,000 registered parishioners.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel)
- Rector
- Rev. John J. Oliveira
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is one of the SouthCoast's historic Portuguese-American parishes, where bilingual worship in English and Portuguese remains central to parish life. The community gathers for daily Mass in the chapel, a substantial First Friday Adoration schedule, the Sacraments of Reconciliation several days a week, and the annual OLMC Feast and other parish celebrations. With a pastor, two parochial vicars, and a permanent deacon, the parish offers the full sacramental life of the Catholic Church to roughly 8,000 registered families in a landmark 1913 church.
Mass times at Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
- Monday 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
- Tuesday 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
- Tuesday 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
- Wednesday 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
- Wednesday 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
- Thursday 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
- Friday 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Monday – Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Thursday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- First Friday: Adoration from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM in the Adoration Chapel
Parish Identity & Welcome
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish is a welcoming Catholic community in the South End of New Bedford, Massachusetts, united by the Eucharist, the Sacraments, and service to all, guided by the Holy Spirit. The parish describes itself with the motto 'We welcome, unite, celebrate and serve!' It belongs to the Diocese of Fall River and continues the bilingual Portuguese–English tradition established at its founding.
- Motto: 'We welcome, unite, celebrate and serve!'
- Diocese: Fall River
- Type: Roman Catholic Parish
History
The parish was created in September 1902 by Bishop Matthew Harkins to serve New Bedford's growing Portuguese-speaking population. A site at Rivet and Bonney Streets was acquired, and the parish was dedicated on July 4, 1903. The cornerstone of the present church was laid the same day; the basement was finished in 1904, and the red-brick, twin-towered church was solemnly blessed on October 12/13, 1913. The parish school, the first Portuguese-language Catholic school in the city, opened in 1941 under the Sisters of St. Dorothy. Over its first century the parish had only six pastors.
- 1902 — Parish created; Rev. José Duarte Nunes appointed first pastor
- July 4, 1903 — Parish dedicated by Bishop Harkins; cornerstone laid
- 1907 — Msgr. António Pacheco Vieira becomes second pastor
- October 12/13, 1913 — Present church blessed
- 1923 — Original $75,000 construction debt cleared
- 1941 — Parish school opens, staffed by the Sisters of St. Dorothy
- 1953 — Convent built for the Sisters of St. Dorothy
- September 2002 — Centennial celebrated with a Solemn Mass
Sacraments
The parish offers the full sacramental life of the Roman Catholic Church: the Eucharist, Reconciliation, Baptism, Confirmation, Matrimony, and Anointing of the Sick, along with pastoral care for the homebound. Adult initiation is supported through the diocesan RCIA program.
- Eucharist (daily and Sunday Masses)
- Reconciliation (Mon–Sat, plus by appointment)
- Baptism (infant and adult preparation)
- Confirmation
- Matrimony
- Anointing of the Sick and homebound ministry
Parish Life, Devotions & the OLMC Feast
Beyond the regular Mass and Confession schedule, Our Lady of Mount Carmel sustains an active devotional and parish-life calendar. The annual OLMC Feast in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (feast day July 16) is the parish's signature celebration, drawing together generations of Portuguese-American Catholics from across the SouthCoast.
- Annual OLMC Feast (culminating on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16)
- Solemn Mass and street procession
- First Friday Adoration
- Year-round Eucharistic Adoration
Parish Ministries & Councils
Parish life is supported by lay faithful serving in pastoral and administrative councils, liturgical ministries, music, faith formation, and outreach. The Parish Pastoral Council is involved in most activities and programs affecting the liturgical and spiritual life of the parish, while the Finance Council advises the pastor on financial matters.
- Parish Pastoral Council
- Finance Council
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lectors
- Altar Servers
- Music Ministry / Choir
- Ushers and Greeters
- Faith Formation / Religious Education
The Church Building
The present church is a red brick-faced edifice with twin steeples of aged green copper at the corner of Rivet and Bonney Streets in New Bedford's South End. Begun in 1903 and blessed on October 12/13, 1913, it underwent an approximately $3 million renovation during the 1990s under Monsignor Mendonça's successor and remains one of the South End's most recognizable landmarks.
- Corner of Rivet and Bonney Streets, New Bedford, MA
- Style: Red brick with twin green-copper steeples
- Renovated in the 1990s (approximately $3 million project)
Notable Designations
Our Lady of Mount Carmel has been designated a Jubilee Church by the Diocese of Fall River in both the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016) and the Holy Year 2025, a recognition of its spiritual significance in the diocese.
- Jubilee Church – Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016)
- Jubilee Church – Holy Year 2025
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. José Duarte Nunes1902–1907
Founding pastor; created the parish and began construction of the church
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. Antonio Pacheco Vieira1907–1964
Longest-serving pastor (56 years); native of the Azores; completed the present church (1913); cleared its debt by 1923; built the parish school (1941) staffed by the Sisters of St. Dorothy; died March 27, 1964 at age 98
- Rev. José Maria Bettencourt e ÁvilaMay 1964 – January 1974
Third pastor
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. Luiz Gonzaga Mendonça, V.G.January 1974 – June 1994
First New Bedford-born pastor; simultaneously Vicar General of the Diocese of Fall River (1971–1989); ordained in 1944 at this parish, the first ordination held outside the cathedral in Fall River; oversaw an approximately $3 million church renovation
- Very Rev. Henry S. ArrudaJune 1994 – June 2001
Fifth pastor; transferred to St. Anthony Church, Taunton
- Rev. John J. OliveiraJune 2001 – present
Sixth pastor; ordained 1977; previously pastor of St. John the Baptist Church