Our History
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Italian Catholic Church has a long and rich history. Scroll down to explore our interactive timeline, docuseries, and more!
Timeline
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1891
Father Mariano Felice Lepore arrives in Denver from Cassano Irpino in the region of Campania, Italy. After taking up temporary residence in St. Patrick's Rectory, he organized the Italian colony into a parish population and would eventually become our first pastor.
From the Denver Times, 1901: “The man in Denver who has done more to better the condition of the Italians in various ways than almost any other … He watches with never-ending vigil over the spiritual welfare of the colony … No festive occasion is complete in the eyes of the Italians if Father Lepore is absent.”
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March 18, 1894
Mt. Carmel Church is founded and dedicated.
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1898
The original church building is destroyed by fire, presumably arson.
From the Denver Times, August 27, 1898: “… The lot on which the church, built by the Italians five years ago, stood was the scene of ruin and lamentation.”
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1902
The first Mt. Carmel Grade School opens in the former Notary home on 34th & Palmer (Navajo) Avenue. Classes were held on the first floor while the second floor served as living quarters for Mother Cabrini’s Missionary Sisters.
From the Denver Times, November 17, 1902: “Two hundred little tots gathered in gala array assembled in the new school building of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel this morning to be presented to Bishop Matz and to do honor to Father Lepore and the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. The new mission school is Father Lepore’s pride…”
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1903
Father Lepore is killed.
From Our Lady of Mount Carmel anniversary book, 1975: “Father Lepore was not able to realize his dream of a new church and a united people because he met an untimely and violent death, the cause of which was never clearly known as the alleged aggressor also died at the same time.”
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1904
The Friar Servants of Mary (Servites) take charge.
Mother Cabrini intercepted Fr. Tom Moreschini, OSM in Colorado Springs and convinced him that he was needed at Mt. Carmel. After negotiations with the Servite provincial, Fr. Tom was assigned to be the first Servite pastor of Mt. Carmel Parish.
From Our Lady of Mount Carmel anniversary book, 1975: “The parish was torn by politics and wracked by the death of its founding pastor; the financial and moral conditions were most discouraging. The church building consisted of four walls without plaster, decorations, fixed altars and pews. There was no roof; in its place a large canvas protected the faithful. Not only were there no funds to complete the work, but there was also a debt of more than eleven thousand dollars.”
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December 18, 1904
The new church building is dedicated. His Excellency Nicholas C. Matz, Bishop of Denver, Mr. Pasqual Corte, Italian Consul of Colorado, and all the Italian societies lead a procession through the streets of North Denver. After dedicating the new building, Fr. Moreschini celebrates a Solemn High Mass with Fr. Julius Piccoli, OSM delivering the dedication sermon.
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August 23, 1908
Bishop Matz dedicates the new grade school.
In 1907, the Servite Friars purchased the Church of St. Rocco at 36th & Osage from its builder, Frank Damascio. It was renovated into a parochial school and dedicated in 1908.
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1909
Fr. Julius Piccoli, OSM becomes pastor.
From the 50th Anniversary of the Founding of the Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel book, 1944: “He was the one who gave a new moral life to the Parish, he organized almost all of the Parish Societies, and put the Parish in a sound financial basis.”
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1918
Altar & Rosary Society is founded.
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February 17, 1924
The new pipe organ is blessed.
From the Denver Catholic Register, February 21, 1924: “The Italian people of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish should be the musical leaders of Catholic Denver, the Rt. Rev. Bishop J. Henry Tihen, D.D., told them last Sunday, when he blessed the newly installed pipe organ in their church. He praised the Italian nation as the greatest of musicians.”
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1926
Fr. Angelico Barsi, OSM relieves Fr. Julius Piccoli of the pastorship for a short time.
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1927
Fr. Julius Piccoli, OSM resumes pastorship.
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1933
Fr. Julius Porcellini, OSM begins the Third Order of the Servites at Mt. Carmel on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the Servite Order.
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1938
Fr. Gaetano Del Brusco, OSM becomes pastor.
Fr. Del Brusco orchestrated the purchase of 24 lots for construction of Mt. Carmel High School, Grade School, and Convent for the Sisters. He also acquired the canvas paintings for the church ceiling from Italy. He had them shipped in wooden crates, trimmed than, and attached them to the ceiling with the help of parishioner, Tony Marzano. Fr. Del Brusco also hand-painted the clouds in the dome that surrounds the canvas paintings of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the angels.
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1944
Mt. Carmel celebrates its Golden Jubilee (50th Anniversary).
From the Fiftieth Anniversary Journal, 1944: “The future, if considered on the light of the present, is very promising. When the present war will be a history of the past and our six hundred or more young men, dispersed all over the world in the service of our country, will be home again; then we hope, with the help of God and the protection of the Blessed Mother, to give new impetus in the development of our beloved Parish.”
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1946
Fr. Tom LoCascio, OSM becomes pastor.
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April 22, 1951
Fr. Tom LoCascio, OSM lays the cornerstone for the new high school.
From the Denver Catholic Register, April 26, 1951: “Dignitaries from religious, educational, and civic walks of life, old grads and former students, together with hundreds of parishioners, thronged the corner of 36th avenue and Zuni street … to witness the laying of the cornerstone of the new Our Lady of Mt. Carmel high school.
… The cornerstone was placed at the southwest corner of the foundation and bears the inscription ‘JUVENIBUS MARIA ADJUVANTE - 1951.’ It contains a metal box holding appropriate mementos of the occasion.”
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September 16, 1951
Mt. Carmel High School is dedicated.
From the Denver Catholic Register, September 20, 1951: “A colorful parade with floats and various church societies, civic leaders, and students from all Catholic high schools, with the schools’ pep clubs and bands, participated in the dedication of the new Our Lady of Mt. Carmel high school, Denver, Sept. 16 … The Rev. Tom LoCascio, O.S.M., pastor, raised the colors following the blessing by Archbishop Urban J. Vehr. Archbishop Vehr blessed the new building after the coronation rites.
The queen who was chosen to crown the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was Louise Mae Carbone…”
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October 1952
First issue of Mt. Carmel high school’s The Eagle published.
From The Eagle, 1952: “It is with sincere reverence and gratitude that we dedicate this first issue of ‘The Eagle’ to our pastor, Father LoCascio, more familiarly known to us as Father Tom. … Through our school years we children of Mt. Carmel School have seen a few miracles happen, not the least of which is the erection of our own beautiful high school. The realization of this dream was made possible only through the undeviating determination and trust in prayer of our good pastor.”
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September 25, 1955
New grade school dedicated.
From the Denver Catholic Register, September 29, 1955: “A record throng of 4,000 persons heard Church and civic leaders cite the invaluable contribution of Catholic education to the city and the country and the dedication of the new Mt. Carmel Grade School. Archbishop Urban J. Vehr blessed the $155,000 structure, which climaxed a $555,000 school building program in the parish.
Church leaders attending the ceremony, in addition to Archbishop Vehr, were Father Thomas M. Ferrazzi, O.S.M, from Chicago, Provincial of the Servite St. Joseph Province; Father Louis G. Mattione, S.J., dean of Regis College, Denver; and Father Thomas Lo Cascio, O.S.M., pastor at Mt. Carmel.
Civic leaders included former city Councilman Ernest Marranzino; James Riva, principal at Morey Junior High School, Denver; and Albert Rotola, who served as master of ceremonies.”
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1958
Fr. Alphonse Mattucci, OSM becomes pastor.
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1964
Fr. Robert Volk, OSM becomes pastor.
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May 16, 1965
Extensive repairs on the church are completed and celebrated with a Mass of Thanksgiving, a reunion for all former and present parishioners, and an open house for the general public.
From the Denver Catholic Register, May 20, 1965: “In the newly steam-cleaned, tuckpointed brick church of Mt. Carmel in Denver, a Solemn Mass of thanksgiving was offered … by the pastor, the Rev. Robert M. Volk, O.S.M., with the Rev. Julius M. Porcellini, O.S.M. and Donald M. Duplessis, O.S.M., as deacon and subdeacon respectively.
All the workers and parishioners who had helped to restore to the church the appearance it had back in 931-1932 were guests of honor at a reunion after Mass in the grade school gymnasium.
The interior of the church was completely repainted and redecorated; 160 hand-painted symbols in oils … were renewed on the main inside altars.
Restoration work was under the direction of architect, Victor Langhart.”
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1968
Fr. Hugh Moffett, OSM becomes pastor.
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1974
Fr. Gabriel Weber, OSM becomes pastor.
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March 19, 1978
First St. Joseph’s Table held at Mt. Carmel.
From Our Lady of Mount Carmel 100th anniversary book, 1994: “The St. Joseph’s Altar is a Sicilian tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. Here in Denver, Colorado, the seed of this blessed tradition was planted for the first time May 1, 1977, at the home of Mary & Al Rotola … The following year at the request of Rev. Joseph Carbone, O.S.M., then the pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the St. Joseph Table was held of the first time here in the Parish Hall, March 19, 1978.”
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1978
Fr. Joseph Carbone, OSM becomes pastor.
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1988
Fr. Gabriel Ramacciotti, OSM becomes pastor.
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1994
Fr. Justin Pisciotta, OSM becomes pastor.
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2000
Fr. Augustine Kulbis, OSM becomes pastor.
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2003
Fr. Timothy Kremen, OSM becomes pastor.
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2010
Fr. Hugh Guentner, OSM becomes pastor.
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2013
OLMC undergoes extensive renovations to fix lighting, paint, etc.
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2015
OLMC restores the windows to their former glory.
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2017
OLMC is placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The occasion included a special Mass in Italian, presided by Auxiliary Bishop, Jorge Rodriguez.
A North Side Story
For our 125th Anniversary in 2019, we announced the release of a three-part docuseries entitled A North Side Story. Each episode explores a distinctive aspect of our church: history, events, and heritage. Produced by Dominic Dezzutti of PBS12 and with the help of our Marketing Committee, we are pleased to present the docuseries here in its entirety.
National Historic Designation
In April 2017, we were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. That November, Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodríguez celebrated a special Mass in Italian for the occasion. Thanks to Dominic Dezzutti, VP of Content at CPT-12, we can preserve the memories of the celebration.
A Detailed History
On April 3, 2017, the National Park Service designated Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church (built in 1904) to the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural and historical significance. The large brick church, dominated by twin square towers with copper domes surmounted by white crosses and defined by a larger-than-life statue or Our lady of Mount Carmel, is “a fine example of the Romanesque Revival (architectural) style” that swept the United States in the late 19th century. Moreover, historians write, Our Lady of Mount Carmel “exhibits long standing and ongoing cultural significance to the state’s Italian-American community, and specifically to Denver’s Little Italy, for its enduring, multi-generational traditions and heritage transplanted directly from Italy.”
Thus the National Park Service recognizes what Our Lady of Mount Carmel parishioners have known for generations: this remarkable church lies at the center of Denver and the American West’s profoundly important stories of immigration, faith, and a resilient community’s simultaneous embrace the traditions of the old country and the opportunities of a new land.
“As Living Stones We Are Built into the House and Altar of God”
We are proud of the church’s grandeur; in the Romanesque Revival Style we see the long story of our faith. And yet, Saint Augustine wrote, the true temple of God is made not of inert rock, but of human hearts, the voices of our parish.
Until the 1960’s, when Denver’s Italian Americans began their exodus from North Denver to the suburbs, the voice of the parish was exclusively Italian and the parishioners almost exclusively descended from southern Italy: the Mezzogiorno or “the land that time forgot.” The braccianti, those defined by their strong braccia, strong arms, arrived first, seeking pane e lavoro, bread and work. They settled in “The Bottoms” along the South Platte River near the bustle of Union Station and the stench of the Stockyards and dedicated their first years in America to securing the funds to retrieve their parents, siblings, wives, and children from the poverty, overcrowding, limited life expectancy, and natural disasters that had long plagued southern Italy. Mother Frances Cabrini – the Italian born founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, first American to be canonized, an early patron of The Mount Carmel School and Queen of Heaven Orphanage, called to Denver to bring “the holy joys” to “our poor emigrants”- wrote that the hard work involved in building Denver and the American Wets “the hardest labour is reserved for the Italian worker” (Voyages (1906) qtd. In Cabrinian Colorado Missions, 9) The Italian workers said simply “America è icci,” “this is America,” America is here” holding up their work-stained hands (qtd. In Gambino, Blood of my Blood, 84).
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is a spectacular crowning testament to this hard work. As they were financially able, and as they were joined by family, these Italian immigrants migrated from The Bottoms north and uphill to what became “Little Italy.” By 1900, over 3,000 Italian immigrants lived in North Denver. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and its numerous satellite social and educational services became the emotional and geographic center of this community. Its bell, fondly christened “Maria del Carmelina” by parishioners, could be heard throughout the neighborhood. The bell was North Denver’s “heartbeat,” one immigrant son remembered regulating life in Denver “the way church bells did in the old country.”
The southern Italians had left an old country in which church and state were indistinguishable. The Catholic Church was the preeminent institution in their lives. Saints’ days and feast days marked the passage of a year. Church rituals – births, baptisms, first communions, confirmations, graduations, marriages, funerals-marked the milestones of a life. The laws and rituals of the Church guided their lives and their decisions. The immigrants did not relinquish this hold when they became American.
Holding on, however, was not always easy. The first wave of Italian immigrants to North Denver found only the Irish-Catholic Saint Patrick’s Church, where priests did not speak their language and were unfamiliar with the uniquely Italian liturgy. This first wave organized in 1891 as the Mount Carmel Society, under the leadership of Father Mariano Felice Lepore, and devoted their considerable energy and less-considerable money to construction of a neighborhood church. Dedicated on Palm Sunday in 189, this simple wood church burned down only four years later. The Denver Times reported that all of Little Italy mourned: “ ‘Santo Rocco mio; Madonna mia; che disgrazia’” (August 27, 1898).
Photo credit: Larry Daly, Hank Fanelli, & Bob Kochevar
And as surely as they mourned, they rebuilt more solidly, more substantially, of fire-proof brick and plaster – a church that would endure at the center of their and their American descendants’ lives. Denver’s Frederick William Paroth designed the new Our lady of Mount Carmel Church, Frank Kirchoff supervised its construction, and, on December 19, 1904, Bishop Nicholas Matz of the Archdiocese of Denver celebrated its Dedication Mass. Bishop Matz anointed the high altar with holy oil and intoned, in communion with its congregants, the ancient antiphon of the Feast of Dedication: “Open wide the doors and gates. Lift high the ancient portals. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord. “Prior to the high Mass, he joined his “singing, flag-waving, flower-carrying” parishioners in a celebratory parade through the streets of Little Italy. It was, historian Thomas Noel reports, “a bright, sunny ‘Italian’ day.”
In the likeness of Things Divine”: Romanesque Architecture
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church marks the entrance to downtown Denver, its bell towers and copper topped domes clearly visible from Interstate 70 and of old North Denver know the church as a gateway and beacon; when we see it, we know we’re home. Historians, however, remind us that the church’s architectural significance extends beyond this appreciation. In its architectural form – its domes, arches, elaborate murals and statuary, symmetrical bulk and majestic presence – Our Lady of Mount Carmel tells a story extending to ancient Rome.
In the first decades after the death of Christ, practitioners of the early Catholic Church added the “Roman Arch” to the small scale of the ancient Greek Temple, allowing grand spaces to be spanned in a material reflection of the Church’s grand sweep; this same arch spans Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s entrance and defines its naves. Upon the fourth century transfer of the seat of the Roman Empire from Rome to Byzantium, the dome entered Catholic architectural vernacular; we see echoes of Byzantium in Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s copper-topped domes. By the 12th century, as the darkness of Europe’s Middle Ages lifted, church construction resumed in what became known as the Romanesque tradition: a conscious modeling of the grand public structures of ancient Rome and the early Church. The Romanesque tradition is replete with iconography: with murals and statues that testify to God’s presence on earth and with the elaborate gilt embellishment that honors St. John’s directives that the “tower of Jerusalem shall be built up of jewels” (Roman Breviary, Reformed). The interior of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a jewel box. Finally, Catholic immigrant communities across the United States manifested their connection to the Old World, to Rome, and to the first Church with their revival of the Romanesque tradition, modified to incorporate local building materials: a modern Denver “accent” to an older, larger story.
This ancient story and the more-local and more-modern “brick city” accent are read in the architectural lines, the interior iconography, the doomed towers, the uplifted crosses, and the brick construction of Our lady of Mount Carmel Church.
An entire generation of Denver’s Italian immigrants never learned to drive – they had no need. Everything they needed was in North Denver: their jobs, schools, businesses, ballparks, social organizations, parochial schools, and – at the geographic, cultural, and emotional heart of this community of faith and blood – their church. Again and again, Denver’s Italian-American community confirms the centrality of the church to their lives and their families’ stories. Parishioners report their membership in the church’ s fraternal organizations, their hard work in support of the church festivals and bazaars, their baptism and marriage in the church where their parents and their parents’ parents were baptized and marries (Zahler, Italy in Colorado, passim). It was there here that Denver’s Italian Americans saw the history of their community manifested most clearly. One third –generation parishioner remembers that “the immigrant women wore black, prayed the rosary aloud, and responded to the invocations in Italian. The second-generation, born in America, wore colors and pill-box hats, prayed more quietly, and responded to the invocations in English”. (Daly, Bellezza di Mamma, 77). And yet, they prayed together – and continue to pray together. Here, the National Register designation affirms, is a significant piece of our nation’s story: “first, second, third, and even fourth generations of families are parishioners; the parish is a maze of interrelated people whose lives have been all been closely associated”.
This continuity and active participation belies rapid changes in the neighborhood. The streets surrounding Our Lady of Mount Carmel are less Italian these days. Many of the descendants of the first generation of Italian immigrants have moved to the suburbs, replaced most recently by a younger and more ethnically diverse population. The parish has adjusted. The old families continue to be dedicated Mount Carmel parishioners, commuting from the suburbs to Mass, supporting all church functions and activities, and welcoming the new residents of old North Denver to the congregation. As the neighborhood changes, the church remains constant.
Thus did Saint Augustine envision the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places honors both the inert rock and the human hearts that have made Our Lady of Mount Carmel the centerpiece of a community for over 100 years.
Prepared by the National Register Nomination Committee (Frances Coloroso Daly, Sharon Losasso Johnson, Bob Kochevar) and Ann Emmons with the support of Rev. Hugh M. Guentner, OSM, Pastor. Published in October 2017 issue of Andiamo newspaper.
View the National Historic Registration Detail for even more information.