Parish profile – St. Mary of Mount Carmel, Long Prairie

St. Mary of Mount Carmel Parish was founded in 1851. There are currently 720 households. Judy Hedlund, who was the parish secretary for over 30 years, answered the following questions about the parish.

Q: What is the most interesting facet of your church building?

A: I think the most interesting facet now is the newly restored sanctuary, which was completed in the spring of 2013. The wood-framed walls and peak, which had been built to tie into the false ceiling installed in the body of the church in the late 1960s, were removed and the original high arch was restored.

Decorative painting trims the walls and the dome as in the original design, along with the addition of brighter lighting, creating a heavenly vision. The new wall murals to each side of the sanctuary lend themselves to meditation on the Divine Mercy and the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Another addition is the lighted cross in the steeple of the church. This cross was specially crafted to make use of the stained glass window that was removed due to danger of collapse.

Q: What is the most popular program at your parish?

A: I think the most popular, longest-running ministry in our parish is the Christmas outreach, which was begun in approximately 1998.

Families who have lost a loved one, the homebound and those who have had serious or lengthy illnesses receive a goodie tray shortly before Christmas, which includes homemade cookies, candies and bread, prepared and personally delivered by parish volunteers.

We feel that this ministry builds community and demonstrates compassion for those who struggle with loss and loneliness during the Christmas season. A great camaraderie has also developed with those who volunteer, as many return year after year to assist and serve; most years, between 35 and 45 trays are delivered.

 Q: What is an interesting historical fact or anecdote about your parish?

A: Father John Schenk was a well-respected and popular priest who served St. Mary’s Parish for nearly a decade beginning in 1874. His death Sunday, April 15, 1883, from a bullet wound is shrouded in mystery. He carried a .22 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver in his vest pocket. Long Prairie was no longer a frontier town and this habit was considered an oddity, especially for someone who rarely ventured outside the village limits or encountered wild animals.

Suicide, though not completely ruled out, was greatly diminished by the sequence of events. It is speculated that Father Schenk dressed for work, put on his vest and removed the gun, which caught on the cloth and misfired, striking him above and downward into the heart. He then put on his cassock, which did not have a bullet hole or gunpowder trace as did the vest. He then walked, mortally wounded, to church and dismissed the handful of girls waiting for Mass, and returned to the rectory where two parishioners found him.

The gun was found lying on a rocking chair in his room. A 10-foot marble monument, costing $200, was dedicated to his memory Sunday, Nov. 2, 1883. This story is found in “The Mount on the Prairie,” the history of St. Mary of Mount Carmel.

Meet the pastor

Father Omar Guanchez grew up in Maracay, Venezuela, a partner diocese of the Diocese of St. Cloud. He is the oldest of four, and has two sisters and one brother. His parents and siblings live in Venezuela. He also has a nephew and two nieces. The St. Cloud Diocese sent missionary priests to Maracay in the 1960s, and one of those priests, Father Richard Walz, was Father Guanchez’s pastor.

Father Walz passed away Sept. 26, 2014, but his example of self-giving, service to God and spiritual guidance remained with many people, including Father Guanchez.

Father Guanchez was ordained June 6, 2009, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud. He served the parish of St. Andrew in Elk River for two years and the Melrose cluster, with parishes in Melrose, Meire Grove, Greenwald and Spring Hill, for three years. His current parish is St. Mary of Mount Carmel, where he has served for two-and-a-half years.

Q: What inspired you to become a priest?

A: The good pastoral work of Father Richard Walz. He inspired me to do well for the glory of God, and help people in their spiritual journey. My admiration for him grew to the point that I wanted to be like him; so God utilized him and God patiently guided me through the steps that led me to priesthood. I’m happy for saying yes to God, because, as a priest, I get to see amazing changes in people’s lives and in my own life as well. God’s work never stops impressing me. I’m amazed to see his hands at work through my pastoral ministry. I also have the opportunity to meet great people who love God and try to make a better world.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your daily life as a priest?

A: What I enjoy most about my daily life as a priest is that no day is the same as another. Every day I have the opportunity to witness what God will do through me and around me. Thus, I never get bored because every day brings a different challenge that will probably bring me closer to God through prayer. Besides the joy of celebrating the sacraments (which I truly enjoy doing!), I also have chances to do good deeds and make differences in people’s lives in a very humble way.

Q: What is the theme of a favorite homily that you preached?

A: The theme of my favorite homily is heaven. I like talking about heaven because I think we need to daydream about that awesome place where God lives and where all of us want to go after this life. The logo of our parish school in Long Prairie puts it well: “Destination Heaven!”