Monsignor Stephen Downes

We joyfully welcome our new Pastor,
Monsignor Stephen Downes
("Father Steve"),
who started on July 1st
and who celebrated his official installation on Oct 11th!Welcome to Mt. Carmel!!

On October 11th, 2009 a special Installation Mass of Monsignor Stephen Downes as new pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church took place at twelve noon. Bishop Thomas Curry co-celebrated the Mass with Monsignor Downes and delivered a very warm welcoming speech. The various Parish Ministries were represented and gave Monsignor Downes symbolic items as an affirmation of his now being their pastor.

Don and I arrived about 10 minutes to 12:00 and were fortunate enough to find 2 seats in the last pew. The church was packed. A group of St Mary's parishioners made the long drive up from Palmdale. There were some old friends from St Raphael's scattered through the church. I don't know their names but the faces were familiar.

As the beautiful bells tolled 12 the procession began from the back of the church. At the start of the Mass a group of Knights of Columbus followed the altar boys and behind them were Father Steve and Bishop Curry. The processional hymn was a favorite for young and old, "Holy God We Praise Thy Name". The choir was amazing and the acoustics great. They were accompanied by an organ and a baroque trumpet.

Father Steve looks the same...maybe a little more silver in his hair. He will be 69 in December and he said he is in the "evening" of his life. But he said a lot of people in the Parish are in their 80s and 90s and they think he's a kid! He said he was called to a woman who was dying that asked to be baptized. He did baptize her...and she was 103! So he conceded perhaps he is not yet in the "evening of his life."

He was touched to see the familiar faces from St Mary's and St Raphael's among the new faces of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. His brother and sister in law flew in from Dublin to attend.

He said when the people from his former Parish, St Mary's in Palmdale, saw the beautiful Mount Carmel Church they asked him..."Why didn't you build us a church that looks like this!?" He told them.."If I had $10 million more I would have!". He mentioned that his last Parish had 10,000 families registered.

Father Steve remarked that most of his fellow classmates are retired but he looks forward to his new assignment. He said he enjoys "new beginnings." Bishop Curry had encouraged him to return to the Santa Barbara region and he was hapapy to do that.

He said he was pleased to be associated with Our Lady of Mount Carmel as he was fond of so many Carmelite saints,especially St John of the Cross. Father Steve said that he had been a priest for 43 years and that at his ordination they had been given a holy card of St John of the Cross. On the card was the quote:"In the evening of your life you will be judged by your love"

He is the same sweet humble man from Dublin. I hope they treat him well. They are very lucky to have him as their pastor.