by Mark Sullivan

Our Lady of Mount Carmel's pastor has issued a message to parishioners committed to reopening the shuttered, crumbling church: If you want it repaired, you'll have to pay for it yourselves. "I made very clear to them the ball is in their court," said Monsignor F. Stephen Pedone. "They have their work cut out for them." Monsignor Pedone said he has told the Mount Carmel Preservation Society, a group of parishioners dedicated to saving the historic Italian-American church building on Mulberry Street, they must raise $200,000 in cash by June 1, 2017.

That sum would go to the Diocese of Worcester to repay a loan made to repair the church building's facade. Next, he said the preservation group would have to hire an engineer to assess the interior of the church building, and to pay for any repairs deemed necessary, at a cost yet to be determined. At that point, if the city then inspects the building and approves an occupancy permit, Monsignor Pedone said, he will agree to celebrate one Mass in the Mount Carmel Church building each weekend.

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Source: http://www.telegram.com/