jan 2, 1923 - Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church

Description:

1923 Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church built: In 1923, Bishop John Ward appointed the Recollect Augustinian Fathers to minister to the growing Mexican population in the Armourdale district of Kansas City, Kansas. The Mexican population had no church of their own, and Fr. Luis Buldain, the first priest dispatched from Topeka, made arrangements to hold services in the basement of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church.

In 1924, Fr. Nicholas Zabalza created a benevolent society of Mexican immigrants (Sociedad Benefica del Nuevo Templo) to raise funds to build a new sanctuary. These efforts were aided by the work of the Guadalupe Guild, a group of women from other Catholic parishes, and by July 1925, work began on the new sanctuary. The cornerstone was laid in August 1925, and the church was completed and held its first baptism, wedding and funeral before the end of the month.

In 1935, excavations began for a basement under the church, which was not completed for over a year. Nearly all of the work was done by the parishioners themselves. The church was destroyed by the 1951 Kansas River Flood, which collapsed the south tower and collapsed the east wall. The Archdiocese decided against rebuilding and instead consolidated the parish with St. John the Divine in Argentine. Source: https://khri.kansasgis.org/