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By Joseph Kerzich, In May, Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, Illinois (MCHS) convened its annual Alumni Banquet, honoring several alumni for their personal and professional successes. One such honoree was Father Tracy O’Sullivan, O.Carm., a MCHS alumnus, class of 1954. For his continued commitment to pastoral ministry he received the “Father Aquinas Colgan, O.Carm., Humanitarian Award.” Upon graduating from MCHS, Joseph O’Sullivan, as he was then known, entered the Carmelites. He professed his Simple Vows in 1956 after his novitiate year in New Baltimore, Pennsylvania, receiving the religious name “Tracy.” On May 26, 1962, he was ordained a Catholic priest at the Cathedral of Saint Raymond of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois. In 1964 O’Sullivan was assigned to Saint Clara Catholic Church, in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago. The realities of poverty and insufficient housing in that African-American community would prove to be a training ground for Father O’Sullivan. Between 1966 and 1968, O’Sullivan served the nearby Saint Cyril Parish, which stood adjacent to his high school alma mater. Throughout this period Father O’Sullivan served as a community organizer with “The Woodlawn Organization.” “For years Father Tracy has given his voice to those who did not have a voice of their own. This has not always been accepted nor welcomed. But I think Tracy realized long ago that bringing Christ to the people in this way was his gift,” said Father William Harry, O.Carm., Western Commissary Provincial. In 1984 O’Sullivan returned to Saint Clara/Saint Cyril, by then combined into one parish, as pastor. In 1989 he was appointed Director of Formation at Whitefriars Hall in Washington, DC. There, he was responsible for the quality of formation of future Carmelite priests. In 1994 Father O’Sullivan transferred to Saint Raphael Parish, Los Angeles, California. The church is located in south-central Los Angeles, and is home to both African-American and Hispanic populations. Today as pastor there, Father O’Sullivan continues to guide and support the lay leadership in community outreach and spiritual enrichment. Father Peter McGarry, O.Carm., Moderator of the Mount Carmel High School Alumni Association, announced the award, “Father Tracy has given himself to the issues of peace and social justice. We are proud that he is a true Man of Carmel.” The Humanitarian Award is named after Father Aquinas Colgan, O.Carm., fellow Chicagoan and Mount Carmel alumnus. A United States Army Chaplain with the 124th Infantry Regiment during World War II, Colgan was engaged in the Battle of Mindanao, Philippines, in 1945. While rescuing wounded army corpsmen during front-line action, Chaplain Colgan was killed. The “O’Sullivan mark” on the Mount Carmel Caravan spans several generations. Father Tracy followed his three older brothers, Timothy, John and Cornelius as a graduate there. Today, with numerous nephews and great-nephews who followed him, Father Tracy is one of thirty-three O’Sullivan men who are Mount Carmel Alumni. This alumni gathering proved to be a highlight for Father Tracy’s large family: the O’Sullivan’s, as well as his brothers in Carmel
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