Our Founding Pastor Msgr. Ercole I. Rossi (1913-1937)
Rev. Monsignor Ercole I. Rossi was ordained in 1906 and in 1913 he was directed to establish a new parish in the Yonkers City. On August 5th 1913, Eminence John Card. Farley of NY summoned Rev. Ercole J. Rossi to Yonkers to found there a parish for the Italians of that city. A store on 34 Park Hill Avenue was selected. He was then sent St. Gabriel’s Church. On Sunday September 28, 1913 Mass was celebrated for the first time dedicated the Chapel to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Fist of Our Lady of Rosary).
History of Our Lady of Mount Carmel R. C. Church
70 Park Hill Avenue, Yonkers, New York 1915-2018
History from 1915-2018:
“O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to succor me in this my necessity. There are none that can withstand your power. O show me herein that you are my Mother.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us that have recourse to thee.
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands.”
The prayer above is derived from a Marian hymn honoring our beloved Lady of Mount Carmel. Said to be written by St. Simon Stock, a 13th century Englishman and prior general of the Carmelite religious order, this prayer reflects the close connection and strong devotion towards the Virgin Mary held by St. Stock and his order. It professes the Immaculate Virgin’s caring nature as a “Mother” while also exalting her divine influence over the world, asking for her intercession and assistance in completing endeavors meant to fulfill the will of God.
It is with this same spirit that the parish of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Yonkers, New York has continued to work and serve the community for over a century. Since its cornerstone was laid in 1915, the traditions set down by the founders of the parish have preserved and continued to grow over the years. It has passed on its morale and pious teachings, from pastor to pastor and from parishioner to parishioner, over the various generations that have followed one after another.
Such standards of devotion, servitude and genuine joy have been influenced by the works of such people as Rev. Ercole J. Rossi, the founder and first pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Father Rossi demonstrated early on in his life that he was destined to walk the path of our Lord, receiving a catholic education through St. Bonaventure Preparatory School and St. Bonaventure College in New York. After graduating from St. Bona’s, he enrolled in St. Joseph’s Seminary in July of 1902. Once he was ordained in 1906, Father Rossi was assigned to numerous parishes for over seven years, including St. Joseph’s Church on 6th Avenue in Manhattan, St. Bridget’s at 123rd avenue on the southeast corner of East 8th St. and St. Gabriel’s Church on 37th St.
Then, in 1913, Father Rossi was assigned to the city of Yonkers in order to establish a church for the then prominent Italian immigrant community. Since the Parish’s installation, Father Rossi overcame many struggles and hardships, inspiring the parishioners to sacrifice and work hard as well. This would lead to thirteen years of sustained growth in the numbers of the parish, as well as the increase activity of the church. The year of 1937 brought great distinction to the Parish of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, but it would also see the departure of Father Rossi. His outstanding leadership and achievements at the parish garnered him the positions of Rector of Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the ecclesiastical head of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist and the ecclesiastical head of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. In four years’ time, Father Rossi would be honored again as the Holy Father, Pope Pius XII, elevated him to the rank of Domestic Prelate.
With the departure of Parish’s founder, the position of Pastor was then succeeded by one Reverend Mario J. Ponsiglione. Father Ponsiglione attended Fordham Preparatory School and Fordham College in his younger years, entering St. Joseph’s Seminary after his graduation from Fordham in 1920. After one year at the Seminary, Father Ponsiglione was transferred to study at Almo Colleggio Caprancia in Rome. In 1925, Father Ponsiglione was ordained at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, notably celebrating his first Mass in the Catacombs. Once he returned to New York City in late 1925, he was appointed curate in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto. Between the years of 1928 and 1937, Father Ponsiglione held positions of pastorship in the Church of St. Rita in Staten Island and the Holy Family Church in New York City.
Due to his impressive qualifications, Father Ponsiglione inherited the pastorship of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in 1937. Still recovering from the Great Depression and at the imminence of the Second World War, the Parish, along with the rest of the country, lived through an apprehensive and grim time. Even in the face of unemployment, welfare needs, and outright war, Father Ponsiglione never wavered in his duties throughout the years of 1937-1946. He was able to keep the faith in God alive through his immense concern for his parish and parishioners, bringing in a great number of people who would learn to live and pray with passion and conviction during these difficult times. Father Ponsiglione’s influence did not end there however, as he would attentively and sympathetically write letters to many of men stationed at various fronts and military posts all over the globe during the war. His concern and love for his parishioners, no matter where they were, transcended across nations and battlefields, comforting and guiding the young men back to their home on the hill after the war was over. Even with his departure from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel to a new parish, Father Ponsiglione’s impact on the church still remained within the numerous hearts of its parishioners.
In order to fill in this void within the church, Cardinal Spellman sent Father Joseph P. Caramanno to fulfill the roe of pastor in order to guide the vigorous and growing parish. Father Caramanno was born and raised in Castrofilippe, Italy, receiving his early religious education at the seminary in Agrigento, Sicily. He later came to America in 1928 in order to complete his seminarian studies at St. Joseph’s Seminary. Once his studies were complete, Father Caramanno was ordained by his Eminence Patrick Cardinal Hayes in St. Patrick’s Cathedral on June 5th, 1930. He spent his first eight years of priesthood as an assistant serving in several parishes in the metropolitan New York area, such as: The Church of Our Lady of Loretto in Manhattan, St. Lucy’s Church in the Bronx, the Assumption Church in Tuckahoe and the Church of Our Lady of Peace in Manhattan. In 1938, Father Caramanno was appointed assistant pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in the Bronx.
Then in 1946, based on his many works and talents over a span of 16 years of priesthood, Father Caramanno was appointed Pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Yonkers. With his splendid administrative qualities, boundless spiritual devotion, and genial warm personality, Father Caramanno was able to lite the spiritual fires of devotion and sacrifice within the hearts of his parishioners. Together, united in the same spirit, the parish was able to complete repairs and redecorations for the church, while also fully paying the mortgage on the church in a span of only three and a half years. The momentum of such triumphs allowed for the parish to embark upon a new course of action in order to fulfill a long-awaited dream, best described by Father Caramanno’s own words: “You remember our motto — ‘Clear the debt, make way for Mount Carmel School!’ That is exactly our goal. The children of our parish need it.” This dream would eventually be realized on September 16, 1962 as the school was opened and dedicated in honor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel And St. Anthony’s Church by his Excellency, Bishop Joseph M. Pericone. Father Caramanno would also receive a high honor as well for his dedicated work towards the community and his parish as he was elevated to domestic prelate and designated a Monsignor by Pope Paul VI.
After Monsignor Caramanno departed from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in the early 1970s, the parish was blessed enough to welcome the most qualified person to succeed the position of pastor: Monsignor Cajetan J. Troy. A native of Yonkers, he was a former parishioner of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in his youth during the pastorship of Father Rossi in the early 1900s. Father Troy graduated from St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie and was ordained at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1936, celebrated his firs mass at his home parish. He was briefly assigned to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Poughkeepsie until 1942 when he entered the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant. Father Troy served during World War II and during the Korean war as a chaplain for the 24th Infantry in Korea, in which he would earn the Bronze Star for meritorious service in 1952. He would later be stationed in Salzburg, Austria and Verdun France between the years of 1953 and 1956, earning the rank of lieutenant colonel during that time.
It seems that Father Troy had a knack for promotion as he would also be elevated to domestic prelate as a Monsignor when he was transferred to Fort Dix in New Jersey for about fie years. Afterwards, he was transferred to Stuttgart, Germany for three years, eventually making his way home bound as chief of chaplains at Fort Gordon near Augusta, Georgia. Once he returned to Yonkers, MSGR. Troy was assigned to various parishes, such as St. Joseph’s Church on Ashburton Avenue in 1967 and to St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Ossining as an administrator in 1968. A few years later, MSGR Troy would return to his home at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel as Pastor, having been gone for over 35 years since he celebrated his first Mass at the Parish. With so much experience at hand, MSGR. Troy continued to maintain and address the parishioners’ spiritual needs at the church and school for over a decade until his departure in 1986.
In need of a pastor, Cardinal John O’ Connor looked towards the Religious Order of the “PALLOTTINES,” a community of various religious members founded by Saint Vincent Pallotti, for assistance. Then, on August 1st, 1986, the Pallottine Fathers sent one Father Terzo Vinci S.A.C. to fill the position of pastor for the church. Born in the suburb of Rome in the year 1934, Father Vinci was raised in Priora, Italy. He became a member of this religious congregation and was ordained a priest at the Pope’s Summer Residence in Castel Gandolfo on November 30th, 1958. After being briefly posted as a teacher and chaplain in Rome, Father Vinci’s Superiors asked him to go to America to serve in Pallotines staffed parishes that were packed with Italian Immigrants. From 1960-1972, he was assigned to parishes in the Diocese of Albany, the Diocese of Ogdensburg and the Archdiocese of New York. He would take his first position as pastor at St. John Bosco’s Church in Malone, New York and as the Administrator of St. Bridget’s Church in Trout River, New York in June of 1972. Father Vinci was then asked to become pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in east Harlem until July 1986, given the honor to celebrate the Centennial Anniversary of the church in July 1984.
The Pallottine Fathers would then send Father Vinci S.A.C. to Our lady of Mt Carmel in Yonkers in 1986 at a crucial time. While Father Vinci was given the honor of celebrating the Parish’s 75th anniversary in 1990, he also had to deal with many changes occurring at that time. At the turn of century, the once prominent Italian community had slowly begun to diminish from Park Hill, but the Church welcomed a new growing Hispanic community. With this mind, Father Vinci began to implement Spanish masses for his new Hispanic parishioners, while also maintaining the spiritual needs of the rest of church. His work at Mt. Carmel would eventually earn him the “Key to the City,” bestowed to him by Mayor Phil Amicone for 22 years of service for the community of Yonkers. He would continue to serve as Pastor of Mt. Carmel for seven more years until he returned to our Lord on February 4th, 2016. The death of Father Vinci left a whole in the heart of Mt. Carmel, but his pious spirit and devotion lived within the hearts of all who knew and had the pleasure to serve with him. Father Christopher Salvatori, S.A.C, served with Father Vinci at Our Lady of Mount Carmel for 14 years.
Still, without a leader and without someone to keep the flames of faith going, the Archdiocese had to call on the services of the Pallottine order once more. In response, the Order sent the person they believed most qualified for the job: Father Marek Rudecki SAC. Born and raised in the country of Poland. He was ordained a priest on May 2nd, 1981 in Ołtarzew in Poland. From there, he was assigned to parishes in the cities of Wałbrzych and Warsaw, Poland for a total of six years. He first took on a pastoral position in the town of Ząbkowice Śląskie in 1987 for six more years until he was transferred in 1993 to Częstochowa in southern Poland to serve as Pastor and head of the Divine Mercy Sanctuary in the city of Częstochowa.
After five years, Father Marek embarked on a mission to Mexico (1997-2001), learning the native language and baptizing approximately 2,000 people for four years. Then, in the year 2001, he left for the United States to lend his services to the Italian Parish of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii Church in the Brooklyn, New York. He stayed there until 2004 when he was once again transferred to St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church in the Queens, NY, remaining there for about twelve years. It was not until 2016 that Father Marek was called to aid the pastor-less parish of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Yonkers and currently remain here today.
Even though he has had the role of pastor here for only two years so far, a position whose standards have been set pretty high by his predecessors, Father Marek has fully shown that he is capable of taking the responsibility on his own shoulders. In the brief time he’s been here, not only as he maintained the growth of the Hispanic community in the parish while also trying his best to keep the Italian roots of the church strong and alive, but he has also worked hard to make necessary repairs to the Church itself. This is a notable feat when considering that Father Marek is the only Priest currently stationed at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. It for this reason that we now we pray for his success in fulfilling his duties and preserving the spiritual needs of the community.
We do so through the prayer and intercession of the founder of the Pallottine Order, St. Vincent Pallotti:
Eternal Father,
it is Your will that all should be saved.
Great is Your mercy.
Your Son, Jesus Christ died for all.
Teach all people to recognize You and love You.
With deep faith in Christ's death
and resurrection we pray:
'Send Forth, O Lord, labourers into Your vineyard
and spare Your people.'
Eternal Word, Redeemer of all creation,
convert all souls to You.
You have been obedient for all,
even to death on the cross.
Look upon the merits of Your Mother
and of all the angels and saints
who intercede for us.
Send forth, O Lord, laborers into Your vineyard
and spare Your people.
O Holy Spirit,
through the infinite merits of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
enkindle in all hearts
Your ardent love that can do all things,
that all may be one-fold and one Shepherd,
and that all may arrive in heaven
to sing Your Divine mercy.
Queen of Apostles and all the angels and saints,
pray to the Lord of the harvest:
Send forth, O Lord, laborers into Your vineyard
and spare your people,
that united with you,
and the Father and the Holy Spirit,
we may all rejoice forever.
Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We ask that you send down your divine blessing and mercy upon Father Marek Rudecki SAC and on the community of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Give us the fortitude, the piety, the patience, and the grace necessary in order to fulfill your will through the labors and works done in your name. We ask that you shine down your divine presence and mercy upon us, transmitting them through the person of Father Marek, so that he may be the persona of Jesus Christ, your son, to us and to the whole world. Allow him to continue to lead us through these troubling times so that we may profess your infinite love and grace to the rest of the Yonkers community.
Holy and Immaculate Lady of Mt. Carmel, send down your celestial protection all over the Church and throughout the city of Yonkers. Embrace your son and the Lord’s devout Servant, Father Marek, so that he may spread the message of piece and piety which you and your heavenly son has shown the world countess of times. Watch over him and guide him in times of necessity so that there may be miracles and victories achieved in the Parish, in Yonkers, on Earth and in Heaven itself. We ask this: In the name of the Father, And of the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.