St. Mary of Mount Carmel / Blessed Sacrament Parish
648 JAY ST., UTICA, NY 13501 – 315-735-1482
(658-739) Willibrord was the son of the hermit St. Wilgis, who sent him to the Benedictine monastery of Ripon, England, under Abbot St. Wilfrid of York. After Wilfrid was deposed and exiled in 677/678, Willibrord also went into exile, spending 12 years in Ireland, where he became a disciple of St. Egbert. He was ordained […]
(1340-1391) Nicholas Tavelic (Croatian: Nikola Tavelić) was a Franciscan missionary who died a martyr’s death in Jerusalem on Nov. 14, 1391. A Croatian friar, he was beatified as part of Nicholas Tavelic, O.F.M. and companions, which included friars from Italy and France. All four members of his group have been declared saints by the Catholic […]
(First century) St. Zachary and St. Elizabeth were the father and the mother of St. John the Baptist, the last and the greatest of the prophets and the harbinger of Jesus. St. Zachary’s story is told in the first chapter of St. Luke. He spoke one of the three canticles of the New Testament, which […]
(Above: Barbara Jo Carino is in charge of the parish ushers.) Barbaro Joe Carino wanted to become an usher more than 20 years ago. There was one obstacle, however, she encountered — she’s a woman. “I wanted to be an usher for a while, but ushers were only men,” Barbara Jo said. “Every week, (the […]
(1538-1584) Charles was born in Arona in 1538, the second son of Gilbert and Margaret. At the age of 12 he was given the title of “commendatory” of a nearby Benedictine Abbey. The honorific title came with a notable income, but the future saint insisted on dedicating the revenue to charity, especially the care of […]
(1579-1639) Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru, of Spanish and black parentage. Inheriting his mother’s dark color, at times he was looked down upon by his aristocratic father, and, in early childhood, he was badly neglected. An intelligent boy, he was befriended by a doctor who taught him the art of healing. Martin […]
The origins of today’s feast are rooted in Christian beliefs and ancient pagan rituals. The church has always encouraged prayer for the dead from the earliest times as an act of Christian charity. “If we had no care for the dead,” Augustine noted, “we would not be in the habit of praying for them.” Even […]
Would it surprise you to know that All Saints Day was not always celebrated in November? The earliest celebration of the memory of the great role models of the church took place in the fourth century. In those days it was dedicated to all the martyrs who had sacrificed their lives for their Christian beliefs. […]
(924-994) Wolfgang was born in Swabia, Germany, and was educated at a school at the abbey of Reichenau. There he encountered Henry, a young noble who went on to become Archbishop of Trier. Meanwhile, Wolfgang remained in close contact with the archbishop, teaching in his cathedral school and supporting his efforts to reform the clergy. […]
(Died 541) It is believed that Germanus was born in Capua sometime in the 470s. After his father’s death, he sold his inheritance with his mother’s blessing in order to devote himself to the ascetic life. When on the death of Bishop Alexander, the Capuans elected him their bishop. Germanus at first refused before being […]