About Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and Our Lady of Loreto · Worcester, Massachusetts
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish at Our Lady of Loreto Church is a personal Catholic parish in Worcester, Massachusetts, established by the Diocese of Worcester for the care of souls of Italian descent. It is the present-day continuation of two historic Italian-American parishes whose histories in Worcester stretch back to the early twentieth century: the former Our Lady of Mount Carmel–St. Ann Parish (mother church of Worcester's Italian Catholics, whose 1928-built Romanesque church on Mulberry Street was closed in 2016 due to structural damage from adjacent Interstate 290 and deconsecrated in 2017) and Our Lady of Loreto Parish on Massasoit Road, which now serves as the sole worship site for the merged community. The parish holds traditional daily and Sunday Masses, a sacramental and liturgical life rooted in Italian Catholic devotion (including a Padre Pio Triduuum and an annual Italian Festival), and a wide array of lay ministries. The congregation is led by its long-time pastor, Rev. Monsignor F. Stephen Pedone.
- Established
- parish founded in the late 1800s; Mulberry Street church dedicated July 16, 1929; merged personal parish established February 1, 2017
- Patron
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Our Lady of Loreto as co-patron of the worship site)
- Rector
- Rev. Monsignor F. Stephen Pedone
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester
Why belong here
Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Our Lady of Loreto is the Diocesan personal parish for Italian-descent Catholics in Worcester, but it welcomes anyone drawn to a traditional, culturally-rooted Catholic community. Parishioners find a full sacramental life (daily Mass, Saturday Vigil, two Sunday Masses, regular confession, Stations of the Cross in Lent, and devotions such as the annual Padre Pio Triduuum) along with vibrant lay ministries — altar servers, lectors, musicians, extraordinary ministers of holy communion, sacristans, ushers, and a Respect Life ministry — and a strong parish identity expressed through the long-running Italian Festival and the FlockNote parish communication network.
Mass times at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and Our Lady of Loreto
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
- Saturday: 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM (or by appointment)
Parish History: From Italian Quarter Mother Church to a Merged Personal Parish
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish at Our Lady of Loreto Church is the present-day continuation of two of Worcester's historic Italian-American Catholic communities. Italian Catholics in Worcester were first served by visiting Italian priests saying Mass in homes, halls and a small chapel above the Greendale Pharmacy in the 1880s. The community eventually built a Romanesque-style mother church at 24 Mulberry Street, dedicated on July 16, 1929 — the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel — as the spiritual heart of Worcester's Italian Quarter. For decades the Mulberry Street church served a thriving Italian-American congregation, but its proximity to the new Interstate 290 — built in the late 1950s and early 1960s only 25 feet from the façade — caused progressive structural damage from vibration and exhaust. Successive pastors (Msgrs./Fathers Mastroianni, Capuano, Piccolomini and Pedone) documented the deterioration, and a 2007 capital campaign raised only 24% of its $3 million goal. After a 2014 engineering study found the bell tower at risk of collapse, Bishop Robert J. McManus closed the church on May 1, 2016 for safety reasons and merged the parish with Our Lady of Loreto on February 1, 2017. The Vatican denied parishioner appeals and Bishop McManus deconsecrated the building on October 27, 2017; it was demolished in 2019. Today the merged parish worships at 37 Massasoit Road as a personal parish 'for the care of souls of Italian descent.'
- 1840s–1880s: Italian Catholic Masses said in homes, halls and a Greendale Pharmacy loft
- 1928: Construction of Romanesque-style Mount Carmel Church completed at 24 Mulberry Street
- July 16, 1929: Dedication of Mount Carmel Church on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Late 1950s–60s: I-290 built; passes within 25 feet of the church
- 1967: Fr. Erminio Mastroianni reports deterioration to Bishop Flanagan
- 1972: Fr. John J. Capuano warns of façade/bell tower danger
- 2007: Msgr. Rocco Piccolomini launches $3M capital campaign; $700K raised
- May 1, 2016: Mount Carmel church closed for safety
- Feb 1, 2017: Bishop McManus merges with Our Lady of Loreto; Msgr. Pedone named pastor of merged parish
- Oct 27, 2017: Mount Carmel church deconsecrated
- 2019: Mount Carmel church demolished
Clergy & Parish Leadership
The parish is led by Rev. Monsignor F. Stephen Pedone, pastor since 2012. He is assisted by Rev. Michael DiGeronimo as Senior Priest and Deacon Donald Pegg. David Soares serves as Chairman of the Parish Council. The single shared phone line is (508) 753-5001, and the parish office can also be reached at [email protected].
- Rev. Monsignor F. Stephen Pedone — Pastor
- Rev. Michael DiGeronimo — Senior Priest
- Deacon Donald Pegg
- David Soares — Chairman, Parish Council
Pastoral Ministries & Lay Service
Parishioners are invited to share their time and talents through a full range of liturgical and pastoral ministries. The parish emphasizes being a welcoming community, and most ministries can be joined by contacting the parish main office at 508-753-5001.
- Altar Servers
- Lectors
- Musicians (Ministry of Music — weekend Masses, holy days, weddings, funerals, Reconciliation services)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (incl. visits to nursing homes, assisted living, homebound)
- Ushers / Greeters
- Sacristans
- Respect Life Ministry
- Mount Carmel Golden Years Club
Liturgy & the Seven Sacraments
The parish's Liturgy & Sacraments page describes Our Lady of Loreto as a Catholic community 'comprised of various races and cultures,' yet nourished by the Word of God and united in the one Bread and one Cup. The parish offers preparation and reception of all seven sacraments — Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony — and frames the sacramental life as a continuation of Christ's work of redemption in the Church.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist
- Penance (Reconciliation/Confession)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders
- Matrimony
Devotions & Parish Events
Rooted in Italian Catholic tradition, the parish hosts an annual Padre Pio Triduuum at 7 PM and a multi-day Italian Festival that has become a signature community gathering in Worcester. During Lent, the parish prays the Stations of the Cross on both Fridays and Saturdays. A senior fellowship, the Mount Carmel Golden Years Club, meets regularly and is listed on the parish calendar.
- Annual Padre Pio Triduuum (typically June, 7 PM)
- Annual Italian Festival (August; multi-day, organized at Our Lady of Loreto grounds)
- Mount Carmel Golden Years Club (senior fellowship)
- Stations of the Cross in Lent (Fridays 6:30 PM; Saturdays 11:00 AM–12:00 PM)
Stay Connected: Bulletins, FlockNote & Online Giving
Beyond the public Mass schedule, the parish keeps parishioners informed through printed bulletins, a FlockNote email/text list (olmcoll.flocknote.com), and an online giving option linked from the parish website. Social media channels for Facebook and YouTube are linked from the home page, and the parish website at mtcarmel.ws hosts current event announcements and ministry pages.
- Parish website: http://mtcarmel.ws
- FlockNote signup: https://olmcoll.flocknote.com/
- Online Giving (linked from parish website)
- Bulletins (linked from parish website)
- Facebook and YouTube (linked from parish home page)
Visit & Contact
The parish offices and sole worship site are at 37 Massasoit Road, Worcester, MA 01604. The main office can be reached by phone at (508) 753-5001 or by email at [email protected]; fax is (508) 754-1537. Email correspondence to the pastor is directed to [email protected] (as listed on the Contact page).
- Address: 37 Massasoit Road, Worcester, MA 01604
- Phone: (508) 753-5001
- Email: [email protected]
- Fax: (508) 754-1537
- Pastor's email (listed on contact page): [email protected]
- Parish Council Chairman: David Soares ([email protected])
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Erminio Mastroianniby 1967
Reported serious structural deterioration of the Mount Carmel church to Bishop Flanagan in 1967.
- Rev. John J. Capuano1972
Wrote Bishop Flanagan warning of façade and bell tower erosion issues on Mulberry Street.
- Rev. Monsignor Rocco Piccolominithrough 2012
Launched a $3M capital campaign in 2007 (only $700K raised); used funds for a $1M roof repair.
- Rev. Monsignor F. Stephen Pedone2012–present
Succeeded Msgr. Piccolomini; led the parish through the 2016 closure of the Mount Carmel church and the 2017 merger; named pastor of the merged personal parish.