The Carmelite Heritage Room, dedicated in memory of William Murphy, at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Middletown, New York, has moved to a new space. Previously located in a room at the rear of the Edith Stein Conference Center, the Heritage Room is now welcoming visitors in the open area between the shrine and the provincial offices. The space provides visitors to browse the displays wherever the shrine itself is open. It is also able to better accommodate the growing number of visitors to the Shrine.

The new Carmelite Heritage Room was the brainchild of Fr. Mario Esposito, O. Carm, Prior Provincial of the Province of Saint Elias, and Fr. Mark Zittle,  O.Carm, the Provincial Procurator. As part of a multi-faceted transition of the Shrine, Carol Bezak, the Shrine Director, coordinated the transition effort. A former Lay Carmelite office was transformed into the new Heritage room under the skillful direction and hard work of Tim Conklin, the Director of Operations and Maintenance.

The Carmelite Heritage Room will showcase material found in the Provincial Archives, where thousands of historical documents, records of Provincial events, photographs, works of art, and religious objects are cataloged and maintained. Currently various chalices used over the history of the province are displayed. There is also artwork and a display on the life of Carmelite St. Titus Brandsma who was canonized in May 2022.

Four display cases will allow visitors to get an up-close look at material that tells the story of the province that began at Our Lady of the Scapular Church of Mt. Carmel at 28th Street in New York’s Manhattan in 1889. The plan is for some of the displays, which will be themed, to change every two months.

Currently one of the cases holds ancient books from the 16th century in Spanish and Latin. Another holds some of the writings of Alfred Isacsson, O. Carm., an authority on the province’s history and the founder of the provincial archives. A third case contains Scapular magazine and other publications of the province. The final display case holds brochures from the now demolished St. Albert’s Junior Seminary and vocation materials.

Currently, the Rev. Alfred Isacsson, O. Carm. Provincial Archives is under the direction of Vincent Begley. Mr. Begley was historian for 10 years at Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh, New York and was the historian for Fordham University’s 150th anniversary in 1991.

Visitors to the Carmelite Heritage Room are heartily welcome.