As a Catholic parishioner, born into an Italian-American family, I was brought up with a strong faith in Catholicism. Many of us were baptized, received communion, confirmed and married within her walls. Our church served as a place where many of us found solace, a place where many of us reflected on our life's problems, a place where we became a family, and finally a place where many traditional memories were made.

It appears now, that church officials, have seemingly turned a deaf ear to our many pleas to them to save her. Our Lady of Mount Carmel has been the only constant in an ever changing neighborhood. The church, and its boundaries, served the community as a recreational area for our children to play ball, as a place to hold annual Italian American feasts, a place to worship God.