A Timeline of Parish History - Click on highlighted link to view photo

1880 - About fifty Catholic families live in the Ridgewood area.

1888 - Enough Catholic families in Ridgewood to establish a congregation.

1889 - Father Michael Nevins is appointed to establish the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

1890 - Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Carrigan deed the Union St. house and adjacent lot to the church. The house is used as a rectory and church.

1890 - Rev. Dr. Charles Mull becomes pastor.

1890 - August 24 - Cornerstone is laid for OLMC, a wood building in Byzantium style and will seat 250 parishioners.

1901 - Rev. Father Paul T. Carew begins Mission Churches in Wyckoff and Ramsey.

1908 - Rev. Edward M. O'Malley becomes pastor and remains pastor for thirteen years.

1912 - Purchase of entire city block on Passaic St.

1914 - September 20 - Cornerstone of new church is laid on the Passaic St. property.

1915 - July 4 - New Gothic-style church seating 500 people is dedicated.

1920 - James D. Craig deeds 24 Passaic St. property, site of OLMC's present rectory.

1921 - Father Edward F. Kirk becomes pastor and remains pastor for 29 years.

1923 - Our Lady of Mount Carmel School opens with 35 students. Sister Fidelis Angela of the Sisters of Charity is its first principal.

1930 - Because of increasing enrollment, a new school is built to educate 150 students.

1930-1945 - The OLMC community weathers both the Great Depression and World War II and aids those in need.

1949 - OLMC Mission Church is established in Glen Rock. A modern cafeteria is installed at the school. The Home and School Association is formed.

1950 - Father Kielty handles Church administration during Father Kirk's illness and for 15 months after Father Kirk's death.

1950 - Father Kielty helps Knights of Columbus acquire their clubhouse at Broad and Hudson Streets.

1951 - Monsignor James F. Kelley, former president of Seton Hall College, is appointed pastor of OLMC.

1951 - Additions are made to accommodate ever-increasing enrollment.

1959 - Existing Church is razed to make way for current Church.

1960 - October 29 - Cornerstone is laid for current classic Basilica Church.

1967 - In accordance with the Decree on Ecumenism, OLMC participates in an "Open House" with other churches in the area.

1976 - Monsignor James F. Kelley retires. Monsignor Francis J. Houghton becomes pastor.

1976 - Ann Holland becomes first full-time director of Religious Education.

1977 - Karen Chiappini becomes the parish's first full-time music director.

1977 - Robert V. Thomann is the first member of the parish to be ordained to the Order of Permanent Deacon.

1980's - Expansion of the number of parish ministries and redesign of several interior church areas occur during this decade.

1989 - Our Lady of Mount Carmel celebrates its 100th. Anniversary.

1989 (October) - Msgr. Charles J. McDonnell becomes pastor, after retiring from the Armed Forces.

1991 (September) - Fr. Robert G. Gibney becomes pastor of OLMC.

1997 (June) - Msgr. Ronald J. Rozniak becomes pastor of OLMC.

2002 (June) - Inauguration of OLMC's Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel.

Directions to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church
One Passaic Street
Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450

Directions are also available online at Mapquest.com. Click here to access Mapquest. You will be able to type in your starting point to get a detailed map and directions to the church.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is located in downtown Ridgewood, NJ. 

1. From Route 17: Take the Ridgewood Ave. exit. Continue on Ridgewood Ave. for approximately two miles into the center of Ridgewood.
2. From South Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland: Take N.J. Turnpike North to Exit 11 (Garden State Parkway). Stay on GSP to Exit 165 (Ridgewood exit). Coming off Exit 165 you'll be on Ridgewood Ave. going West. Stay on Ridgewood Ave. (over Route 17 and through town) for about 3 miles. ***
3. From Long Island and New York City: Take either George Washington Bridge or Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey. From Lincoln Tunnel, take Route 3 to Route 17 North. (From George Washington Bridge take Route 4 to Route 17 North.) Stay on Route 17 about 3.5 miles to exit marked "Ridgewood Ave. - Ridgewood" (not Ridgewood Ave. - Oradell). You'll be on Ridgewood Ave., will cross over Route 17 and proceed about 2 miles through town. ***
4. From Upstate New York, Westchester and Connecticut: Take Tappan Zee Bridge and follow the signs for Garden State Parkway South which you will take to Exit 165 - Ridgewood. This will put you on Ridgewood Ave. going West. Stay on Ridgewood Ave. (over Route 17 and through town) for about 3 miles. ***

• (Alternately, if more convenient, you can get to New Jersey via the George Washington Bridge - if so, follow the directions in #3 above.)
• (If New York Thruway is more convenient, take it South to Exit 15 (Suffern) which will exit you on Route !7 South where you will proceed for about 12 miles. Exit at sign "RIdgewood Ave. - Ridgewood" (which comes immediately after exits marked "Paramus Road - Ridgewood" and "Linwood Ave. - Ridgewood." After exiting onto Ridgewood Ave. go West about 2 miles through town.)

*** On left will be a park one block long - at end of park turn left onto Oak St. (the Ridgewood Coffee Company is on the left corner), and make the next right onto Hudson St. The church will be right in front of you.

Metered parking:

• After you turn left onto Oak St., make the next left, and you will find parking around Van Neste Park OR...
  Make the next right and you will find a parking lot on the right OR...
  On-street parking is also available on Hudson and Passaic streets (surrounding the church).
• Monday through Saturday: 25 cents per hour.
• Sunday: free

How to contact us at
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
One Passaic St., Ridgewood, NJ 07450