"Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence. In all thy ways think on him, and he will direct thy steps." Proverbs 3:5-6
Since the founding of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Latin Mass Community and being established at the Northshore Catholic Center in Covington, Louisiana, we have continually looked forward to our future desires to serve the Lord and the faithful in the Archdiocese.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel — Our Temporary Move and the Road Ahead
As we prepare for the next chapter in the life of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Latin Mass Community, I want to speak clearly about both where we are going now and where we hope to go in the future.
Our upcoming move to St. Dymphna Chapel is a temporary move. It provides our community with a place where we can continue the Holy Mass, the Sacraments, our devotions, catechesis, and the life of our community while giving us the time necessary to make prudent decisions about a permanent home.
St. Dymphna is therefore not the end of our plans. It is a bridge to something permanent.
Our long-term goal is straightforward: to secure a permanent home for Our Lady of Mount Carmel — one that belongs to the community, provides stability for generations to come, and gives us sufficient room to grow.
The Road Ahead
There are two principal paths we are pursuing:
- Purchase an existing church or suitable property. We will continue looking for an existing church, chapel, or other suitable structure that can be purchased and adapted to our needs. Ideally, such a property would provide not only an appropriate church building, but sufficient land and facilities for future growth: classrooms, offices, parish activities, social gatherings, parking, and housing for the priest.
- Purchase land and build our own church. If an appropriate existing property cannot be found in a reasonable time and cost, our other path is to acquire suitable land and construct a church specifically for the needs of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This could be accomplished in stages, allowing us to build according to our means while planning from the beginning for future expansion.
In either case, we do not simply want to solve today's problem. We want to establish a home with stable worship and sacraments in which this community can continue to grow for decades to come.
The Support of the Church
An important part of this next chapter is that we are not undertaking it alone. We are grateful for the support of Archbishop Checchio and the Archdiocese in helping us work toward a stable and permanent future. The Archdiocese recognizes the importance of securing a lasting home for our community and is willing to work with us as we examine the possibilities before us.
Of particular importance, we will also have the opportunity, with the approval and support of the Archdiocese, to undertake a capital campaign specifically directed toward securing our permanent home. This gives us the ability to look beyond our ordinary weekly and monthly giving and invite parishioners, friends, benefactors, and others who value the work and future of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to help us accomplish something lasting.
What the Capital Campaign Will Seek to Accomplish
The purpose of the campaign will be focused and concrete:
- To continue to raise the funds necessary for the purchase of an existing church or property, or for the purchase of land and construction of a new church.
- To minimize the amount of debt the community would need to assume.
- To provide sufficient resources for necessary renovations, construction, furnishings, and infrastructure.
- To secure property with room for future growth, rather than simply meeting our immediate needs.
- Above all, to give Our Lady of Mount Carmel a permanent and stable home.
St. Dymphna and Our Future
For those who are particularly questioning our move to St. Dymphna, it is worth remembering: our time at St. Dymphna should be understood in the proper perspective. We are not simply moving from one temporary situation into another without a plan. We are using this temporary period deliberately — to prepare for permanence.
During this time, we will continue searching for property, examining opportunities to purchase or build, developing the capital campaign with the Archdiocese, identifying potential benefactors, and determining what will best serve the spiritual and practical needs of our community.
There will undoubtedly be work ahead of us, and there will be decisions that we will have to make together. But for the first time, we can begin looking beyond simply finding the next place to celebrate Mass and toward something much greater: a church and a home that can truly be ours.
Our purpose remains what it has always been: the worship of Almighty God, the worthy celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacraments, the handing on of the Catholic Faith, and the building of a community in which that Faith can be preserved and passed on to those who come after us.
St. Dymphna is the next step. A permanent home for Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the goal.
Please feel free on this platform to ask any questions or concerns you may have. Not all questions are immediately answerable. So please be patient as we coordinate between our Chaplain, Fr. Zablocki, our Parish and Financial Advisory Councils and the Archdiocese.
Any questions asked should be charitable, not antagonistic, or generally offensive. Please remember this is being addressed to the Chaplain and those who have been chosen to help clear the way for our future and should be asked respectfully.
May our Lord and His most Holy Mother, Our Lady of Mount Carmel intercede for us and save us!
Rev. Fr. Damian Zablocki Chaplain, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Latin Mass Community
