As parishioners at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Cleveland’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood prepared to celebrate their centennial and annual Italian festival last week, they learned of the death of their parish administrator, Father Robert Kropac. A small memorial to him was placed in the front of the church.
“It’s been an emotional week for this community of faith,” said Father Mike Feldtz, parochial vicar for Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Wendelin parishes. In addition to his duties as Mount Carmel administrator, Father Kropac also served as St. Wendelin pastor.
“Today, we remember Father Bob and all the saints who went before us,” Father Feldtz said before Mass on July 12.
(See photo gallery above.)
Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost, who celebrated the liturgy, offered his condolences on behalf of Bishop Edward Malesic and the entire diocese. He told those gathered for Mass that he had known Father Kropac since their time in the seminary. Father Kropac was remembered for his devotion to both parishes under his care.
Bishop Woost recalled the history of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, which began as a mission of nearby St. Rocco Parish on Fulton Road in Cleveland. He said there was discussion over “where to plant the seeds of the Italian Catholic community on Cleveland’s West Side: Fulton Road or Detroit Avenue.”
Mercedarian Father Sante Gattuso, a native of Sicily, was named pastor of St. Rocco in 1924 and recognized the need for a new Catholic community in what is now the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood of Cleveland as the Italian population grew. The bishop said the Catholics in this area purchased a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and kept it in a home where they gathered to pray the rosary. At first, Mass was celebrated in a Byzantine church that welcomed the Italian Catholic community.
In 1926, they purchased an old tavern and converted it to a chapel.
“Father Gattuso sowed the seeds of faith in this neighborhood so they could grow,” the bishop said. During the past century, the fledgling parish grew to include a school. It remains a strong presence in the neighborhood.
Bishop Woost noted how some seed, when scattered, landed on rocky ground while other seed landed on fertile ground. God’s word is like the seed, he said, explaining that “the grace of God waters our hearts, minds and souls so God’s word will grow … When God wants something, it happens.”
The bishop said God wanted a Catholic community in this area, and it happened, thanks to the efforts of the Mercedarian priests and sisters who ministered at Mount Carmel, planting and nurturing those seeds of faith, as well as many other men and women over the past century.
“The harvest has touched the lives of thousands of people during the past 100 years. Yours is a great legacy … Father Gattuso couldn’t do this alone. He needed others and they are still needed. Everyone must do their part,” he added.
After Mass, a procession took place through the neighborhood. The 100th parish festival also concluded on July 12.
