ABOVE: On Sept. 15, 1901, Bishop Scalabrini (now a saint) blesses the cornerstone of the new church.
This year we mark another milestone — the 130th year of the birth of our parish.
Although the first Mass celebrated in our building was in 1896, we can trace our lineage as far back as 1865. In that year, Michael Kernan returned to his hometown of Utica from the Civil War with his new wife, Cecelia, the daughter of an Italian broker living in New York City. She took it upon herself to help the new Italian families of the city of Utica become part of the St. John’s Church on John Street.
Over the succeeding years, the West Shore Railroad, the Utica brickyards and later the textile mills attracted hundreds of Italian immigrants to become the workforce in the town’s booming economy.
By 1887, the Italian-American community had its own priest, the Rev. Antonio Castelli, who was an assistant to Monsignor James M. Lynch of St. John’s. It was Father Castelli who inspired the Italians of St. John’s to build their own church. To that end, Monsignor Lynch donated an old school building on Catherine Street. Father Castelli turned it into a temporary house of worship and meeting place.
The following are excerpts from a series written by A.J. Valentini for the parish’s 125 anniversary in 2021. You can read the full history of the church and view a video series on our website.
1896-1903
A plot of land stretching from Catherine Street to Jay Street was purchased and the first soil was turned in April 1896. On Dec. 20, 1896, Father Castelli celebrated the first Mass in what then was the basement of the new building. In 1898, a rectory was built adjacent to the rising sanctuary. It was at this time that the Society of St. Mary of Mount Carmel was founded.
On Sept. 15, 1901, Bishop Scalabrini (now a saint) blessed the cornerstone of the new church. By June 29, 1902, however, the modest house of worship was able to be used for its first Mass. Father Castelli, feeling the rigors of building a parish from the ground up and the pressure of an ever-growing flock requested, and was granted,an assistant — the Rev. Joseph Formia. It must have been written in the book of fate because a year later Father Castelli died.
1903-1933
Father Formia fostered the growth of the parish by establishing a parochial school and convincing Joseph Tomaino, a prominent parishioner, to donate a home next to the church for use as a residence for the nuns who taught in the new school. After 18 years at the helm, Father Formia returned to his native Italy and passed away, befittingly, on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel — July 16, 1942.
On June 21, 1921, the Rev. John Marchegiani became pastor. He was responsible for many repairs to the existing buildings and had a corridor from the rectory to the sacristy built. At the suggestion of Bishop Grimes, not only was the church enlarged by two naves, but the basement was lowered and made into an auditorium and the convent was enlarged.
In 1933, Marchegiani left Mount Carmel to become Provincial Superior of the Eastern Province of the Scalabrini Fathers in New York City
1933-1950
When the Rev. William Pizzoglio became pastor in 1934, the parish had 2,035 families and 12,700 parishioners. Father Pizzoglio’s primary goal was to nurture the spiritual needs of young and old, and so it was that catechism classes were expanded and religious instruction classes intensified for public school children.
Another noteworthy task undertaken by him was the decoration and painting of the church in preparation for the 40th anniversary in 1936. Professor Antonio D’ Ambrosio of New York City was commissioned to decorate and paint the church. Three new marble altars were designed and installed by the DaPrato Firm of New York.
In 1939, Father Pizzoglio opened a clinic for children on Elizabeth Street operated by the Utica Visiting Nurses Association, with the church incurring all costs. When World War II broke out, Father Pizzoglio kept in touch with the 3,000 parishioners drafted into the armed services and established a day care center for the children of the wives left behind who had to work outside the home during the war. Father Pizzoglio left our parish after 17 years of service.
1950-1991
The Rev. Joseph Berton became Mount Carmel’s next pastor. Out of his 26 years of service, his most lasting contribution was the construction of the rectory on Jay Street.
The Rev. Peter Bortolazzo succeeded Father Berton in 1964. We still enjoy his contributions today, including the pews, the altar of the sacrifice, restoration of the artwork and the granite steps in front of the church.
During the pastorship of the Rev. John Corraro (1973-79), the shrine to Our Lady of Mount Carmel was created, school renovations took place, a senior center and a park dedicated to the memory of St. Charles Borromeo, founder of the Scalabrini Order, were established.
The next pastor, the Rev. Carmelo Negro (1979-83), continued his predecessor’s work and replaced the old organ and established “The Busy Bodies,” an outreach group from the parish. In 1983, when the Rev. Henry Benin became pastor, once again there was an upheaval in the life of our parish. The diocese decided to close the school and the Sisters of St. Francis who ran it left. Father Henry successfully negotiated the renting of the former convent to the Italian Cultural Center and readapted the school as the catechetical center.
1991 to present
The next pastor was the first native son to assume that position. The Rev. Joseph Salerno became one of the most popular modern shepherds of the parish, leading the way to build the Mount Carmel Apartments for seniors, installing air conditioning in the church, rewiring the building and rebuilding the front steps.
He had the gift of establishing successful collaborations with neighboring parishes, which has become a standard for ecumenicalism in our city. He, along with Deacon Bob Riggalls, planned and executed the 100th anniversary of the parish, which culminated at the end of the anniversary year on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
It took 10 months to find a replacement for Father Joe when he left to become pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in 2002. The Rev. John Rose saw us through the difficult and sensitive consolidation of Mount Carmel and Blessed Sacrament parishes. After five years, Father John left to work with troubled priests, and we gained our present pastor, the Rev. James Cesta.
Father Jim’s humor and his homilies have endeared him to an increasingly diverse community. He has used his artistic abilities to embellish and preserve our facility. His attention to the mechanical systems, a new pulpit, organ and the roof of the building ensures its viability for future generations. He continues collaborative initiatives with priests from neighboring parishes and has since become pastor of St. Anthony and St. Agnes Parish. He is not shy about sharing his Italian heritage and in his own folksy way is able to drive home the messages of the gospels through comic stories and shared common experiences.
Parish history videos