Lay Carmelites: New Beginnings at St. Simon Stock Parish

Lay Carmelites: New Beginnings at St. Simon Stock Parish

Carmelites from Ireland who had already started serving in Our Lady of the Scapular parish in Manhattan were asked to take on the responsibility of beginning a new parish in the Fordham section of the Bronx to serve the Irish immigrants who were rapidly moving into the area. It was to be called St. Simon Stock parish. The first mass was celebrated in the new parish in March, 1920, on Palm Sunday. Shortly thereafter, Irish societies were formed in the parish, and a Lay Carmelite community and other confraternities were formed among interested parishioners and Catholics in the surrounding area. The community grew into one
of the largest communities in New York. The Lay Carmelite community at St. Simon Stock church continued to grow until the 1960s, when many of the Irish immigrants and their descendants began to move to other parts of New York, such as Coop City, Rockland County, and Long Island. At the same time, Hispanics, predominantly from Puerto Rico, moved into the parish. Eventually immigrants from many other countries such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Central America joined them. The Lay Carmelite community in the parish began to dwindle in number as the demographics of the area changed and the members of the St. Simon Stock chapter joined Lay Carmelite communities in other locations, such at Our Lady of the Scapular in 28th Street in Manhattan.

For many years attempts were made to form another local chapter of Lay Carmelites at St. Simon Stock. One of the challenges was the language difference. The now St. Simon Stock-St. Joseph parish is predominantly Spanish-speaking, while all of the other local chapters in the St. Elias Province are English-speaking. About two years ago, Fr. Von Eric Maria Sandoval, O.Carm., expressed an interest in beginning a Lay Carmelite community in the parish since materials became available in Spanish and there were people interested. The decision was made to make another effort to begin a chapter that would meet in Spanish under the direction of Fr. Von Eric Maria Sandoval, O.Carm., and Fr. Michael Kissane, O.Carm., in collaboration with the Provincial Lay Carmelite office based in Middletown.

In 2023, parishioners were invited to consider becoming a Lay Carmelite, and eight responded. Since then, they have met monthly to learn about the responsibilities of a Lay Carmelite, the Lay Carmelite Rule, spirituality, and history. On March 25, 2024, after completing their initial formation, eight candidates were accepted to continue their formation as Lay Carmelites in a beautiful Rite of Reception ceremony held in Spanish in the chapel of St. Simon Stock-St. Joseph Church. They include: Altagracia M. Almanzar, Milagros Bermudez, Rafaela Caraballo, Ivette Cardona, Sharon Cardona, Adelaida Ospina, Lourdes Victoria, and Ines Ulerio. In the ceremony each candidate renewed their baptismal promises and expressed a desire to continue to follow Jesus more deeply according to their state of life. This new chapter of Lay Carmelites, the Flower of Carmel chapter, was begun.

In his homily, Fr. Von encouraged all the new members to continue their journey in Carmel. They were given the ceremonial scapular of the Lay Carmelites, and each candidate promised to continue their journey in Carmel.

May God bless each of the new Lay Carmelites and be with them as they continue to live the Carmelite Charism in their families and neighborhood.

Very Rev. Michael Kissane, O.Carm.