Otsego County was founded in 1840 and organized in 1875 due in part, to an active lumbering industry, expansion of the railway system, available land, and a wave of immigration. That wave of immigration brought Polish immigrants to Gaylord from Germany and occupied Prussian Poland.
Rev. Francis Xavier Szulak (1863-1903) was a Jesuit missionary born in Poland. He organized parishes in New York, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Michigan including St. Mary’s Church in Gaylord. He used to visit this area about four times a year. He obtained two lots from the Michigan Central Railroad Co. in 1878. The original wooden-structure church was built in 1881 just north (across the street) of where the current structure stands today. Originally part of the Diocese of Detroit, the parish joined the newly formed Diocese of Grand Rapids in 1882.
As the Polish community continued to grow, there was a succession of Polish-speaking priests who served St. Mary Church during its early years. March of 1888 saw the first resident pastor, Rev. L Opyrchalski, who led the congregation for about one year. After his departure, Rev. V. Zaleski from Saginaw served until 1890 when Rev. M. Grochowski was appointed pastor also staying for about one year. The congregation was next served by Rev. Alex. Lipinski, until 1892 when the first serving priest, Father Casimir Skory took the helm. Father Skory served for 12 years (1892-1904). Under his pastorate, he founded St. Mary’s School in 1893 served by Dominican Sisters.
As the population and congregation grew, the original church became too small to accommodate this growth, and a new church was commissioned to be built under the pastorate of Father Skory. In 1900, construction began on the second St. Mary Church across the street which is the site of the Mount Carmel Centre as it stands today.
The Neo-Gothic style church was constructed at a total cost of around $15,000. The cost of the clock was $530. The main altar and two side altars cost $700. The 14 stained glass windows cost $580 and were donated by area families. These names remain on the windows to this day. At the time it was completed, and for years to come, it was the largest building in the area.
The congregation around 1900 consisted of almost 200 families and continued to grow. The church remained in service to the catholic community for over 70 years becoming a cathedral with the creation of the Diocese of Gaylord on July 20, 1971. As the cathedral of the Diocese, it was immediately too small as it only seated 200 persons. Plans were made to construct a larger place of worship and the present-day cathedral was built and dedicated in 1976.
Another notable figure and influence in the growth of the parish was Monsignor Francis Kaminski who served as pastor of St. Mary’s for 44 years. He is fondly remembered to this day.
This historic landmark exists today because of the foresight of a dedicated group of individuals who saw the beauty and importance of this church and its history and united to preserve it for future generations. In 1985, fearing the building would be razed, the Mt. Carmel Historical Group was founded and purchased the building and grounds from the Diocese of Gaylord. It was named the Mount Carmel Centre.
The Mount Carmel Centre has been designated a Michigan Historical Site and since 2005 it has been on the Michigan Register of Historical Buildings.
Today, the Mount Carmel Centre provides a venue for community arts, activities, and cultural pursuits of various kinds. The group creates events and also rents the building to individuals for their use. Such events have been plays, special sales, musical performances, recitals, receptions, demonstrations of art forms, and tours, among others. Extensive restoration has taken place and continues to preserve this 124-year-old landmark. Proceeds from events and rentals go directly back into the Centre for preservation and restoration. The Centre has been granted a tax-exempt status as a non-profit corporation.