Workmen and trucks from F & D Truck Company of Worcester arrived at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on Mulberry Street early this morning (Monday) to prepare the building for demolition.
The stained glass windows and other sacred objects had previously been removed. Workers Monday were taking out anything that was left inside the church.
Some people who were outside the church for various reasons early today (Aug. 19) expressed sadness about its impending demolition.
“It’s sad,” said a worker with F & D, who refused to give his name. “I was married here. My three children were baptized here.” He said it was unfortunate that the company “drew the straw” to do the demolition.
“We have to clean the church out,” he said, shortly before workers began loading pieces of pews into an F & D vehicle to be taken to a warehouse. He said the inside of the church is in poor condition.
He said it was hard to say when outside demolition would begin, but it would probably be next week. Demolition must be done more delicately than would happen with a wrecking ball, because of the church’s height, he said. Mulberry Street, which runs in front of the church, will have to be closed for the mechanized portion of the process, when large machinery is used, he said.
Domenic Mercurio, who joined the merged parish, Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Our Lady of Loreto Church, came to Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s parking lot Aug. 19 to board a bus for a beach trip with his wife and son. He said Joan D’Argenis, religious education director, periodically organizes such trips.
“We reserved it a long time ago,” he said. “It’s not going to be fun,” given his fearful anticipation about what the site where the church stands would look like when they returned.
“I didn’t sleep at all last night,” he said. “It’s a very bitter day.” Fearing the church’s demolition two weeks ago “I was so relieved when it was still here,” he said.
“This is hard because the Knights of Columbus started their council here,” he said. “My identity has always been based here.” He said he’s always been the Knights’ chancellor.
“It’s our church, but we’re not in charge,” he said. “We have to accept things. We have to stay united with our priest. It’s a building, but a lot of us have a hard time accepting that it’s only a building, because of the memories.”
“It wasn’t just a building; we were a family,” said another beach trip participant, who refused to give her name. “I made all my sacraments here and I got married here. My children were starting to make their sacraments here.” They don’t know yet where they will go to church, she said. She said she taught religious education at Our Lady of Mount Carmel for 20 years.
“It’s a sad day when you’re taking down a church,” said Kathleen Coffey, who lives at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Apartments and helps with one of the gardens between their building and the former rectory.
“I don’t want to be here when it goes on,” she said of the demolition. “That’s why I booked my PT (physical therapy) today.” She was waiting for her ride between the rectory and apartment building.
A member of St. Peter Parish, she said she was glad her 103-year-old neighbor, who belonged to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and recently died, didn’t have to see the demolition.
“I’m OK with it,” Miss Coffey’s fellow-gardener Mary Chenaille said of the demolition. “It’s just in bad shape, parishioners have decreased, the funds aren’t there. It’s time to say goodbye. It’s happened to a lot of other churches. … The highway is too much for it.” She said she was never a member there, but was raised Catholic and is now a Quaker with Worcester Friends Meeting.