Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (West)

About Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish — one of the founders of the Detroit-Shoreway Community Organization — is committed to the continued growth and revitalization of its community on Cleveland's West Side. The parish, mission statement: 'We, the Mount Carmel family, called by the Spirit to holiness, strengthened by Word and Sacrament, and guided by the Blessed Mother of God, strive in our various ways to participate in the mission of Jesus. We share the Gospel, pray together, teach, serve others, and strive to be witnesses of His healing love of all people.' The parish offers a comprehensive schedule of weekday and weekend Masses, including a Sunday English/Italian-language Mass and a Sunday evening Mass, as well as an array of organizations, clubs, and activities that engage parishioners and attract non-parishioners. Some parishioners share an Italian heritage dating back to 1926, when the church was founded; today the parish focuses on the future of the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood and the Gordon Square Arts District.

Parish History

Italian immigrants on Cleveland's West Side began gathering in homes to honor Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Saint Anthony, and Saint Rocco as far back as 1892. Mercedarian Father Sante Gattuso, a native of Sicily, was named pastor of St. Rocco in 1924 and identified the need for a new Catholic community in what is now the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. In 1926 parishioners purchased an old tavern and converted it to a chapel on West 69th Street; it opened on Palm Sunday, March 26, 1926, as a mission of St. Rocco. Property on Detroit Avenue was acquired in 1932 and a larger chapel was dedicated the day before Ash Wednesday 1933. Ground was broken on February 13, 1949, for the current church-and-school complex at West 70th and Detroit; the school opened September 6, 1949, with 53 students under Father Vincent Caruso, O. de M., and Trinitarian Sisters. The church was dedicated on April 23, 1953; Pope John XXIII Hall (gym, locker rooms, cafeteria) opened May 10, 1964. In 1966 the Diocese of Cleveland formally erected Our Lady of Mount Carmel as its own parish. Villa Mercede (151 senior apartments) was inaugurated September 23, 1979, and the Nolasco Housing Corporation was formed in 1980 to help parishioners become homeowners.

• 1892 – Italian immigrants gather in homes to pray and honor Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Saint Anthony, and Saint Rocco.
• 1924 – Mercedarian Fr. Sante Gattuso named pastor of St. Rocco; plants the seeds for the West Side mission.
• March 26, 1926 (Palm Sunday) – Chapel opens on West 69th Street as a mission of St. Rocco.
• 1932 – Property purchased on Detroit Avenue.
• 1933 – Larger chapel dedicated the day before Ash Wednesday.
• Feb 13, 1949 – Groundbreaking for church/school combination on West 70th and Detroit.
• Sept 6, 1949 – School opens with 53 students under Fr. Vincent Caruso, O. de M.
• April 23, 1953 – Church dedicated.
• April 1959 – Convent and library addition opens on the south side.
• May 10, 1964 – Pope John XXIII Hall opens with gym, locker rooms, cafeteria.
• 1966 – Our Lady of Mount Carmel erected as an independent parish by the Diocese of Cleveland.
• Sept 23, 1979 – Villa Mercede senior residence inaugurated.
• 1980 – Nolasco Housing Corporation formed.
• July 2026 – Parish celebrates 100th anniversary with Mass by Auxiliary Bishop Woost and 100th Italian Festival.

Parish School (PreK–8)

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish School fosters an education rooted in the Catholic faith for Pre-K through Grade 8 and serves both Catholic and non-Catholic children who represent over twenty nationalities. The school is led by principal Ms. Danielle Blansette with a dedicated staff of sisters and lay teachers.

• Beautiful preschool building and newly remodeled classrooms
• Indoor playground
• Full-day / full-week preschool and kindergarten
• Daily hot lunches
• Classroom laptop & tablet computers
• State-of-the-art classroom smart-boards
• Automated media center / library
• State-of-the-art STREAM Lab
• Foreign language program (Pre-K through 8th grade)
• Balanced school calendar that maximizes learning
• Air-conditioned building
• After-school care and extracurricular activities
• Most students can attend for free

Sacramental Life

The parish prepares parishioners to receive the seven Sacraments — outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace. The Sacramental Life page on the parish website offers catechesis drawn from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults on Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Holy Orders, and Matrimony, and notes that Catholics are urged to celebrate marriage within the Eucharistic Liturgy. Inquiries about any of the sacraments can be directed to the rectory at (216) 651-5043.

• Baptism — origin and foundation in Jesus; entry into new life with God.
• Confirmation — deepens baptismal life as missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ.
• Eucharist — ongoing sacramental life of the parish.
• Matrimony — celebrated as a covenant, ideally within the Eucharistic Liturgy.
• Holy Orders — ordained ministry shares in Christ's priesthood in a special way.
• Anointing of the Sick — coordinated through the rectory.

Spirituality & Lay Groups

The parish takes the universal call to holiness (Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium §39) seriously and offers several ways for men and women to grow deeper in their spiritual lives through prayer and the sacraments.

• Sacred Heart Sodality (women) — promotes devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the spiritual/social well-being of its members. Meets First Friday of the month in church at 6:00 PM.
• Holy Name Society (men) — Confraternity of the Most Holy Names of God and Jesus; promotes reverence for the Sacred Names, loyalty to the Magisterium, and assists in parish ministries through the Corporal Works of Mercy. Meets Second Sunday of the month at 10:00 AM in the school cafeteria, followed by the 11:30 AM Mass.
• Prayer Group
• Men's Ministry
• Adult Faith Formation
• Family Life

Liturgical Ministries

Our Lady of Mount Carmel invites parishioners to serve the parish's liturgical life through a range of ministries, all coordinated through the rectory at (216) 651-5043.

• Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — distribute Communion at Mass and to shut-ins; must be registered, fully-initiated parishioners who complete diocesan training.
• Altar Servers — young men third grade and above who have received First Holy Communion; assist in preparation of the altar and during Mass. Contact: Sr. Josephina, H.M.M.S.
• Choir — provides music for Masses and parish celebrations; rehearses Thursdays at 7:00 PM in the choir loft. Contact: Madeline Meade.
• Ushers — welcome and assist the people at Mass, facilitating offertory and Communion processions. Contact: Bernadette McFadden ([email protected]).
• Lectors — proclaim the Word of God at Mass and other liturgical functions. Contact: Fr. Robert Kropac.

St. Vincent de Paul Society (Fr. Arcangelo Manzi Conference)

The parish's St. Vincent de Paul Society — recently named the Father Arcangelo Manzi Conference — offers assistance to those living in the vicinity of the church. Following a home visit, the conference often provides support for monthly utility bills, rent, beds and blankets, clothing, and groceries. Yellow SVDP envelopes are distributed in the church pews on the last weekend of each month to fund the work. The conference is part of the Diocese of Cleveland SVDP organization, which today includes 63 parish groups across eight counties. The international Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 in Paris by Frédéric Ozanam and fellow students — including Sister Rosalie Rendu — during the cholera epidemic; the first U.S. Conference opened in St. Louis in 1845, and the Diocese of Cleveland's first Conference started at the Cathedral of St. John in 1865.

• Assistance for monthly utility bills, rent, beds, blankets, clothing, groceries.
• Yellow envelopes distributed the last weekend of each month.
• Part of the SVDP Diocese of Cleveland, which includes 63 parish conferences.
• Home visit ministry before providing aid.
• To request help, call the OLMC rectory at 216-651-5043 and leave a message.

Community Presence & Outreach

Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish — one of the founders of the Detroit-Shoreway Community Organization — is committed to the continued growth and revitalization of the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood and the Gordon Square Arts District. The parish community has helped shape the surrounding area through housing initiatives, a senior residence, and direct outreach to those in need.

• Villa Mercede — 150-unit residential high-rise for senior citizens (inaugurated Sept 23, 1979).
• St. Peter's by the Lake and the Belvedere condominiums — parish-developed housing.
• Villas at the Water's Edge — refurbished condominiums.
• Nolasco Housing Corporation — formed in 1980 to help parishioners buy homes.
• Meals on Wheels lunch program.
• Co-founder of the Detroit-Shoreway Community Organization.

Annual Italian Festival

The parish's signature event, the Annual Italian Festival, is one of Cleveland's longest-running Italian parish festivals and a beloved expression of the parish's heritage. The 100th edition was held July 8–12, 2026, drawing the community for food, games, entertainment, and a procession through the neighborhood following the closing centennial Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Woost.

• 100th Annual Italian Festival held July 8–12, 2026.
• Held on the parish grounds at 6928 Detroit Avenue.
• Includes Italian food, games of chance, and entertainment.
• Closing Mass and neighborhood procession mark the end of the festival week.

Contact & Office Information

The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Inquiries can be made by phone, email, or in person at the rectory on Detroit Avenue.

• Address: 6928 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44102
• Phone: (216) 651-5043
• Email: [email protected]
• Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
• Parish website: https://www.olmccleveland.org/