Frequently asked questions

Hello! Thank you for your question!

The agreement with the Archdiocese is that we are responsible for all upkeep, utilitites and maintenance of the building.

MUCH of the work being done at the Chapel has been done with the generosity or direct donations of those who wanted to assist in the beautification of our new "temporary" location.

Unfortunately, it is a small number of people assisting us with these donations of time, funds and talents. So the above question is a mix of what we have had to spend and what those who are assisting to prepare the location are donating.

If you are assisting us, we thank you, if you are not, your prayers are greatly appreciated and needed, and if you have the means, come and pick up a shovel, a paint brush or wrench! This will assist us to not have to spend any of our disposable income towards our move.

For what we have spent, most certainly we have an accounting of what is being spent as required legally by the Archdiocese, our Statutes and our obligations as a Nonprofit religious organisation.

If you have any specific questions or concerns you are welcome to reach out to Fr. Zablocki or the Councils! Thank you and God bless you!

Fr. Zablocki - dzablocki@arch-no.org

Advisory & Finance Council - olmcadvisorycouncil@gmail.com

Hello! Thank you for your question, and thank you for your support over these past years. Our Lady of Mount Carmel exists because of the continued generosity of the members and friends of the Chapel, and we are sincerely grateful for that support.

It is helpful to clarify that Our Lady of Mount Carmel is not a parish, but rather a Public Association of the Faithful. As such, we fulfill the financial and administrative requirements applicable to our current canonical and legal status, including those required by the Archdiocese and civil law. Financial information is made available in accordance with those requirements and through the appropriate channels.

We take questions concerning the finances of the Chapel seriously. Our Finance Council is available to address legitimate questions or concerns while we work toward providing more regular opportunities to communicate publicly regarding our financial responsibilities, stewardship, and accountability to the faithful.

As we continue organizing the Chapel at our new location, both the Chapel Advisory Council and the Finance Council will address these matters at their regular meetings and determine the best way to provide appropriate financial updates to the community. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to the Council with any particular questions or concerns, and we will provide whatever information is appropriate and required.

Thank you again for your question, for your concern for the Chapel, and for your continued support. God bless you!

Yes, we are planning to use St. Dymphna for all our future activities until we have a permanent home. We have no other options for where we are able to go, without spending a significant amount of money.

We do feel the location is safe. We have had no experiences in the past or with those currently working on the property that would cause us concern.

Again, with the preparation of the property, we are in the process of updating those things which are needed for safety and protection of the clergy, members and visitors of the Chapel. Lighting is necessary for the safety of any place, so this is being addressed.

There are homeless shelters, and mental health facilities currently surrounding us now at the Northshore Center. As well in our current location, Catholic Counselling Services are present. As a Catholic institution we frequently have the homeless and those in need in the building and around.

Just as at the Northshore Center, we have in place a Safety Team (former and current law enforcement) who are trained to deal with any issue that may arise.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, it is imperative that you not allow your or any child to wander the property or the building unattended. It is not solely the obligation of the Chapel to insure safety but as well parents and guardians.

We will have a meeting upon our move to address any concerns regarding these questions. I thank you for your questions and concerns and we will be diligent about all of your concerns and questions regarding the safety of the new location. God bless you and thank you.

Thank you for your question! The funds you donate towards the building are separated and placed into a Capital Campaign account. This account is tax free and we receive interest monthly with the monies deposited.

Just as with any donation you give, whether cash or check, it is important that you earmark the donation specifically for the purpose of building. So, on Sunday when you donate during Holy Mass, the donation you are giving should be marked with your name and as "Building fund" or "Capital Campaign."

The same with Venmo, there is a place when you donate where you should specify this direction for your donation. If you have given and were not able to do this please contact Mrs. Maria Tusa the Chapel Administrative Assistant to clarify this for your own records and for your wishes for the Chapel.

God bless you and thank you!

Hello! Thank you for your question! Just as a note of beginning, we would caution against drawing conclusions about the Liturgical life and practices of Our Lady of Mount Carmel based on secondhand information, or regarding the difficulty following the Holy Mass in a particular hand missal.

OLMC celebrates all the Liturgical and Sacramental rites of the Church in accord with the statutes signed and approved and with the knowledge of ecclesiastical authority and their oversight. Any question concerning the interpretation and how the statutes are applied are a matter best addressed with Father and the Advisory Council.

It would therefore not be appropriate to characterize the Chapel publicly as acting contrary to its statutes, or to suggest possible “serious repercussions,” based upon an individual interpretation or secondhand information.

If the concern is that you are having difficulty following Mass in your missal, please approach Father directly. He will gladly teach you how to use your missal appropriately and explain how to follow the Masses celebrated at the Chapel. This is preferable to relying upon explanations from others that may be incomplete or inaccurate.

In the Traditional Rites of the Church just as in the Novus Ordo there are options available for the celebrations of the Holy Mass and Rites not reserved to one single Missal or time. The Mass of 1962 is the same Missal as those of Pre 55. Since we celebrate many Saints, Blessed and Martyrs which were not canonised and only exist after 1962, it would be a false conclusion that the "Chapel uses pre 55 Missal".

We take fidelity and obedience seriously. At the same time, questions concerning the governance and liturgical life of the Chapel should be addressed through the appropriate channels rather than through speculation about whether the community is acting contrary to its statutes.

God bless you and thank you!

Hello! Thank you for your question. That certainly is something that Father and the Councils have considered, especially as this is a “temporary move.” Currently the building can seat about 350 people.

Because St. Dymphna Chapel is smaller than our current location and we presently have only one Sunday Mass, Father encourages everyone—especially those with larger families who wish to sit together—to arrive early. Just as at any parish, church, or chapel, including where the Latin Mass was located before the Northshore Center, the size of the church or chapel generally needs to be taken into consideration.

Father will be attentive to this need, and, if necessary, a Low Mass will be added to the Sunday schedule. For the time being, we ask everyone for a little patience as we adjust to our temporary home, the schedule, and the limitations that the smaller space imposes upon us. Thank you and God bless you!

As of yet we have not made plans for the youth group, but as we would like to return to normal Chapel life as soon as possible, this is something that can be addressed by the leaders of the youth group and scheduled. Please reach out to Father or the head of Juventutem. Thank you for your question! We will address this as soon as possible.

Yes! We will begin as usual in September! Thank you and God bless you!

Yes, it is possible. There was surprisingly, thanks be to God very little encountered, outside of surface mold from the lack of AC, which is now corrected. We will post the results here. Remediation will be completed this week. It involved everything being wiped down with an antifungal, the HVAC system being scrubbed and cleaned, and air filtration.

“. I reviewed the laboratory report for the new building at 23251 S. Robin Road in Mandeville. The overall result is considerably better than the phrase “mold report” might initially suggest.

Bottom line

The air samples throughout the building were NOT ELEVATED for mold. The laboratory found indoor airborne mold-spore concentrations dramatically lower than the outdoor control. However, actual mold growth was confirmed on four specific surfaces/items that were swabbed, so those localized areas/items should be cleaned/remediated and the underlying moisture source investigated.

27-0826-167lab.pdf

In other words: this does not read like a building with a major airborne mold problem. It reads much more like localized surface mold in a humid/damp building.

1. The indoor air results are very encouraging

Five indoor areas were air-tested, and every one was classified “NOT ELEVATED”:

Location

Total mold spores/m³

Lab determination

Altar

190

NOT ELEVATED

Front Chapel

133

NOT ELEVATED

Rear Chapel

80

NOT ELEVATED

Front Office

80

NOT ELEVATED

Rear Office

80

NOT ELEVATED

Outside control

1,610

Control

The chapel and office results are therefore substantially below the outdoor mold level.  The rear office was likewise only 80 spores/m³ and classified not elevated.

27-0826-167lab.pdf

For perspective, the outdoor sample contained 1,610 spores/m³, including 1,000 Cladosporium and 610 Penicillium/Aspergillus.

27-0826-167lab.pdf

The charts on pages 5–9 make this particularly obvious visually: the indoor bars are tiny compared with the outdoor control.

2. There IS confirmed surface mold in four places

This is the part that needs attention. Four swab samples were classified “UNUSUAL,” meaning the laboratory actually observed fungal growth:

Women’s bathroom wall — Penicillium/Aspergillus detected.

Rear chapel items — Cladosporium, Penicillium/Aspergillus and fungal hyphae detected.

Front chapel pews — Cladosporium, Penicillium/Aspergillus and hyphae detected.

New sacristy — lower wall — Cladosporium and Penicillium/Aspergillus detected.

The laboratory explicitly records “Presence of growth observed” for the first three surface samples. 27-0826-167lab.pdf The new-sacristy lower-wall sample was also classified “UNUSUAL,” with growth observed.

27-0826-167lab.pdf

So the visible mold you were concerned about was real mold, not simply dirt or staining.

3. I don’t see the classic water-damage molds listed

This is another encouraging aspect of the report. The laboratory specifically identifies Chaetomium, Fusarium, Memnoniella, Stachybotrys, Scopulariopsis and Ulocladium as examples of fungi considered indicators of water damage.

27-0826-167lab.pdf

None of those organisms appears in the reported samples.

In particular, Stachybotrys (“black mold”) was not reported in any of the samples.

The organisms that were found were primarily Cladosporium and Penicillium/Aspergillus. The lab describes these as very common molds; Penicillium/Aspergillus can grow on damp wallboard, wood and many other indoor materials.

27-0826-167lab.pdf

4. What this means for the chapel project

Based strictly on this laboratory report, I would not interpret this as evidence that the whole building requires massive mold remediation.

Instead, the picture looks like:

Localized mold growth + very low airborne spore counts.

That distinction is important. The chapel itself isn’t showing an elevated airborne mold burden even though some surfaces and furnishings have growth.

Seems to be residual from the lack of temperature control for so many years. HVAC should be on constant circulation kept at 73-76•.

Thank you so much for your question about altar boy practice. I will speak to Mr. LeBlanc about his desires with that but I would imagine yes unless there’s a more convenient time for everyone else including Mr. LeBlanc. We will clarify that as soon as possible. God bless you.

We have a few who are helping and on the lookout for a permanent home, but please if you would like to pass on the information you can contact the Chapel Office Secretary with that information, or give directly to Fr. Zablocki. Thank you for considering us!

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Community is not affiliated with, associated with, or under the direction of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) in any way. We are a Catholic community in full communion with the Church, united with the Archdiocese, our Archbishop, and the Holy Father. Our liturgical and sacramental life is carried out with the knowledge and pastoral oversight of the Archdiocese. We are also grateful to have the support of Archbishop Checchio as we continue our mission and work toward securing a stable and permanent future for our community. Our commitment is, and will remain, to live and serve faithfully within the communion and authority with the Archbishop, Archdiocese etc. This in no way degrades or makes a judgment upon the SSPX. Rather, our prayers for the unity of all faithful Catholics be secured by God's mercy, justice and social kingship are offered for all our Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

All Liturgical Rites, Masses, Sacraments and activities associated with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Latin Mass Community WILL CEASE on Monday August 31, 2026 after the 12pm celebration of the Holy Mass. We will continue to move the Chapel over the next few weeks but continue all activities in our current location until that date and time. We WILL OFFICIALLY begin the Celebration of Holy Mass at St. Dymphna on Tuesday, September 1st 2026 with 7am Holy Mass, 11:30am Confession and 12pm Holy Mass. Thank you for your questions and God bless you.

St. Dymphna has had no life outside of small or simple gatherings for the last six years. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Community has only the desire to bring the Chapel “to life” once again. This includes care of the grounds and of the building, which has been neglected, as well as, most importantly, the restoration of a liturgical and sacramental life. St. Dymphna Chapel will be open every day for Confession, Holy Mass, and Adoration at the appropriate times. This also includes being open for prayer throughout the day. As well, St. Dymphna will again be honoured, and her intercession will be sought for those who have resided on the grounds in the past, for those currently there, and for all the sick and suffering. Thank you and may St. Dymphna intercede for us!

We will continue with 9am Holy Mass on Sunday, and possibly adjust the schedule to accommodate the faithful given the size of the chapel and the possible restrictions of space. This will be up for further discussion and consideration as we begin our Liturgical life at the new Chapel. Thank you for your question and God bless you.

Thank you! and Thanks to the parishioner who assisted and advised this method in order to avoid any confusion or multiple answer, which inevitably change according to the progress of our move. God bless you!