Our Lady of Mount Carmel
POUGHKEEPSIE – A group of parishioners at Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Church in Poughkeepsie has appealed a decree by Timothy Cardinal Dolan,
who declared it be merged with St. Mary’s/St. Joseph’s.
Mount Carmel dates back to 1910 and the merger would “extinguish and dissolve” the parish, result in the transfer of all assets, including real estate and bank accounts, to the new parish to be managed by the new pastor, said parishioner John St. Leger, one of those opposing the merger.
“It was founded by Italian immigrants and has a long and proud history in the City of Poughkeepsie and we’ve had difficulty in years past maintaining a vibrancy of our parish but we have turned the corner, we are growing, we are financially healthy and it would be a travesty to lose the identity of this very proud parish in the City of Poughkeepsie,” he said.
St. Leger said if unsuccessful in having the cardinal withdraw his decree, an appeal will be filed with the Vatican.
