Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost joined Our Lady of Mount Carmel parishioners in Wickliffe on July 14th for a procession, Mass and reception marking the parish’s 100th Anniversary and Feast Day. “Today is a day of great joy! We come together to give God thanks and praise for the many blessings and graces of the past 100 years,” said Bishop Woost. “At the same time, we gather to ask God’s blessing and guidance for the future.”
Bishop Woost went on to share the origins of devotion to Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, along with the beginnings of the parish named after her, which were taken from Pastor Michael Troha’s column in the Sunday bulletin.
Devotion to our Lady began with a group of Christian hermits who settled on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late 12thcentury. These hermits established a chapel dedicated to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, whom they referred to as “the Lady of the place.” This marked the beginning of Mary’s title as Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The hermits became known as the “Carmelites,” known for pursuing a life of prayer and Christian perfection.
The parish started with five Wickliffe men petitioning the bishop to allow them to establish a Catholic church in 1920. Bishop Joseph Schrembs accepted the community’s request. Worship was held in a Wickliffe storefront for three years while fund raising took place to buy land and then build a church and school. It was on Christmas Day in 1923 that the Catholic community celebrated its first Mass in the new church.
Bishop Woost said the Catholic community in Wickliffe has been a sign of faith, hope, and love to the surrounding communities. “For 100 years, God has been revealed on this mount in this community’s prayer and worship, in the faith formation of its people, in its ministry to the poor and needy, in its proclamation of the Gospel.” He challenged parishioners saying, “All of us here today have benefited from the faithfulness of those who have preceded us. The past has led to this present moment. Now the future lies in your hands. What legacy will you leave to future generations?”
The bishop advised them to listen and respond to the revelation of God’s presence and the guidance of the Spirit. In closing he said, “As we give thanks to God today, we pray through the intercession of Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, that God will continue to bless you, to bless this family of faith, and that you will always do the will of the Father revealing the presence of Jesus through your lives.”