Cutting the ceremonial ribbon are from left: John Gilmore, President, Board of Directors, Charlotte Gilmore, his wife; Alderman Leslie Hairston, 5th Ward; Bishop Arthur Brazier, Pastor, Apostolic Church of God; Reverend Dr. Leon Finney, President, The Woodlawn Organization; Reverend Carl Markelz, O.Carm., Principal and President Mount Carmel high school; Most Reverend Joseph Perry, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago; John Kelly, Chairperson, Campaign for a New Century of Excellence; David Lenti, Director of Institutional Advancement; Philip Sherlock, President Student Council.

We gather today to celebrate 105 years of following Jesus’ demand to let our light shine before all.” With this statement, Reverend Carl Markelz, O.Carm., Principal and President of Mount Carmel High School in Chicago officially began the blessing and ribbon cutting ceremony of the school’s newest facility.

It was a perfectly enjoyable warm sunny day, not the normal weather for a day in late September in Chicago, but as one observer there stated, “It is Mount Carmel weather… Our Lady is shinning upon us.”

On Friday, September 30, the eve of the Feast of Saint Therese of Lisiuex, members of the community came together to give thanks for the new addition to Mount Carmel, a school that has stood the test of time for over a hundred years and counting. Bishop Arthur Brazier, the pastor of the First Apostolic Church of God, which has over 15,000 members and is located in Chicago’s Woodlawn area, echoed the theme that was heard throughout the ceremony when he said, “The light is constantly there, shining brighter than ever before.”

For him and the many that spoke at the dedication, Mount Carmel High School in Chicago has stood at the corner of 64th and Dante Avenue solidly for the community through it all. The school has become a cornerstone of Chicago’s Southeast side, from its first beginning in 1900, when Father Cyril Feehan and Father Cyril Kehoe traveled from Niagara Falls, Ontario, and opened a school with a mere 14 students, to the thriving home of knowledge it is today, housing over 800 students.

It weathered the tough times through world wars and through a period of time when much turmoil and changes happened to this neighborhood and many believed it was no longer a safe place to go to school. It was then that the light of Mount Carmel almost went out. But still, it stood the test. According to Reverend Dr. Leon Finney, President of the Woodlawn organization and neighborhood advocate, who has been equally responsible for improvements in the Woodlawn area, “It is a beacon on top of the mountain.”

It was clear that those that had come to help celebrate were themselves rich in the tradition that has made Mount Carmel High School a community beacon. Assembled for the dedication were neighboring clergy, teachers, principals, political figures, alumni, contributing donors, retired teachers and of course a stream of Carmelite brown, present to bask in the beam of celebration this day.

There is good reason to be proud of this accomplishment. In five years time, almost $15 million dollars has been raised to build an 80,000 square foot, two story complex, complete with a student gathering area, school sport shop, faculty dining room, media room, gymnasium, weight room, track, technology and science labs, elevator, and even a roof top garden.

	Reverend Peter McGarry, O.Carm., assisted by a Carmel high school student prepares to bless the new building

The building’s magnificent presence, with its curved prominent entranceway, gleaming brightly in the morning sun welcomes both visitors and students alike. The student Commons Center, which seats 450, promotes an inviting place to eat, gather, relax or prepare for the classes of the day. The new McCarthy Center features two state-of-the-art Computer Labs, so that students can learn both formats, Mac and IBM, seamlessly. There is also a new lab for natural sciences.

The new Gilmore wing is home to the President and Office of Institutional Advancement. Along with the President and Director of Advancement, the Marketing Department and Alumni offices are also located there.

The new Frank Kiszka Suite is the ideal meeting place for alumni. These facilities feature ample space for conferences or meetings and include a video projection screen and kitchen area.

The gymnasium is the highlight of the Convocation Center. It features a main basketball court which seats 1,000 fans, three practice basketball courts, four volleyball courts, an elevated running track, a weight room and a hitting facility for baseball. It also houses the new Athletic Office headquarters, coaches’ office, trainer’s room and locker rooms.

Honored guests (seated) and the wave of student body standing behind them enjoy both the ceremonies and the warmth of the day.

“The boys come over to tutor our children,” Velma Cooksey said, when asked what the presence of Mount Carmel High School in this community means to her. Velma, the principal of Wadsworth school in Chicago’s Woodlawn community, embraces the good work that the students do.

The celebration began with the opening prayer given by the Most Reverend Joseph Perry, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago. “Today, we ask God’s blessing on this center of seeking, learning, teaching and physical activity,” he said. “We ask that those entrusted with the education of young people in this institution may teach their students how to join the discoveries of human wisdom with the truth of the Gospel so that they will be able to keep the true faith and to live up to it in their lives.”

Most Reverend Joseph Perry, D.D., Auxillary Bishop of Chicago admires the new Convocation Center facility shown to him by the Reverend Carl Markelz, O.Carm., Principal of Mount Carmel High School.

There were magnificent speeches, which were followed by blessing the walls of the new structure and cutting the ribbon which heralded the official opening of this new Convocation Center. The day was filled with the kindest of tributes to the Carmelites and teachers of the past and the present and the generous donors who have helped accomplish this vision; but perhaps the most noticeable tribute was a silent one. Standing behind the honored guests was the student body. All assembled in suit coat and tie, listening attentively. This quiet presence became the whisper of God. I wonder how they felt, knowing that so many have given so much, so that they could have a future of greatness.

The Carmelites of the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary have brought the mountain to the people, a shining beacon to welcome future generations of minds, bodies and spirits to the tradition of excellence.

Perhaps the student body said it best. After the last speech and the last prayer were said, in unison the entire student body exclaimed the last line of the day; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for Us!