Gloversville parish celebrates

St. Mary of Mount Carmel parish in Gloversville was born in 1990 -- but this weekend, parishioners will celebrate its 75th anniversary.

That's because they're actually commemorating 75 years of Catholics having celebrated the Eucharist in the same area. St. Mary of Mt. Carmel parish is the result of a merger of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish (founded in 1921), and St. Mary's and St. Francis de Sales parishes, which had merged in 1974.

In an era where "pastoral planning" has become a buzzword, the Catholics in the merged community are experts at the process, having experienced it long before the rest of the Albany Diocese.

"Even before the merger, there was a covenant agreement between our parishes, and we shared staff," explained the pastor, Rev. Donald Czelusniak. The parishes also shared a rich history dating back to Gloversville's early days as a booming factory town.

However, when the town's economy and population dropped, the need for fewer parishes became evident. Although this gave parish communities the opportunity to plan for their future together, Father Czelusniak called it a "sensitive time."

"It wasn't a question of breathing a sigh of relief that one church was spared and the other had to close," he said. "Both parish communities knew there had to be some sacrifice."

For St. Mary's, that sacrifice meant the loss of their church building. But after the last Mass there, then-pastor Rev. James Kane led a procession of the Blessed Sacrament to Mt. Carmel church. Father Czelusniak told The Evangelist that "the dignity, commitment and support" shown during that transfer made people realize "the merger was in the Holy Spirit's hands. The pain is there, because the memories go back. But our faith and our dedication overrides all that."

Parish organizations also immediately welcomed new members, resulting in many active groups today, including a women's society, Holy Name Society and Rosary Society. A "social spirits group" from St. Mary's brought "wonderful joy" to the parish, the pastor said.

Since the merger, each parish's individual history has added to the combined history -- evident even in the interior of the church, which contains stained glass windows, carved panels and a cross from St. Mary's parish, and an older baptismal font from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel bonded to a new one.

Last year, the parish completed renovations that served as the high point of its "new" history. According to Father Czelusniak, the Pastoral Planning process has also highlighted the fact that St. Mary of Mt. Carmel is a parish that "leans toward the future, not waiting until we have to" combine ministries.

"We've remained open and flexible [to meet] the further challenges of clustering," he stated. "We're getting ready to minister in the next millennium."

In this millennium, the parish has one important task: the celebration of its anniversary with a Mass and reception on Sunday. The event will celebrate not just an anniversary, said Father Czelusniak, but "our new identity, our renewed spirit."

(St. Mary of Mt. Carmel parish will celebrate its anniversary Mass on Oct. 27 at 11 a.m. For information, call 725-3143.)

(10-24-96)