A native of Salem, Massachusetts Fr. Leonard entered the Carmelites in midlife following a corporate career in marketing. Ordained to priesthood in 1998 his assignments have been: Vice President of Joliet Catholic Academy in Joliet, Illinois, Parochial Vicar at St. John of the Cross parish in Mississauga, Ontario Canada, and as Vocation Director for the Carmelites. Coming to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in 2004, Fr. Leonard was appointed pastor in 2006.
Biography – Fr. Peter Byrth, O. Carm.
Fr. Peter was born in Maitland, South Australia on November 26, 1933. He was the youngest of three boys whose lives were disrupted when their father drowned when Fr. Peter was six years of age. His mother proved to be a very resourceful and intrepid widow and the boys had an interesting life in the small town on Yorke Peninsula (the one in the shape of a foot going down towards Kangaroo Island . . . look it up on a map!) Fr. Peter won a scholarship to a boarding school in Adelaide, the capital city. At the end of his years there he won a Commonwealth Scholarship to university but felt called to the Carmelite priesthood and entered the Novitiate in Sydney in 1952. The Carmelites provided him with a new name, Fabian, which he was pleased to drop after Vatican Council II. Fr. Peter was ordained a priest in 1959 and after studies at Melbourne University he taught at Whitefriars College, Melbourne and was subsequently named Headmaster at St. Simon Stock School in Sydney. Following this he was elected Provincial of the Australian Province of Carmelites. After twenty years of priestly ministry he was granted a sabbatical in the United States. Two weeks after returning to Australia Fr. Peter suffered a heart attack following which he saw the light and decided to make the United States his home. No regrets! Fr. Peter has now lived in the United States for twenty-six years.
Biography – Sr. Regina M. Chassar, SSJ
A native of Bethlehem, Penna., she was taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph and entered that community after graduating from Bethlehem Catholic High School. She received her Bachelor's degree from Chestnut Hill College and her Master's degree in Theology from St. Charles Seminary. She received a Certificate in School Administration from Chestnut Hill College/ Villanova University and a certificate as a Master Catechist from the Diocese of Camden.
Before taking the position as Director of Religious Education at Mount Carmel, she held this same position in parishes in the Diocese of Paterson, Camden, and Newark. Her previous experience was in the area of school administration and elementary/secondary education in the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey.
Biography- Sylvia Cosentino
A product of Catholic education, Sylvia has a BS degree in education and MA degree in administration and supervision. She was an elementary school teacher for 29 years and a vice-principal for six years at St. Joseph School in Oradell, NJ. She was awarded Teacher of The Year from the Archdiocese of Newark and is an honored member of both The Manchester’s and Strathmore’s Who’s Who of executive and professional women. Her philosophy of education is to provide a value-oriented school experience to each child while helping them to reach their potential in a safe and faith-filled environment. Her objective is to help all children to reach their goal: intellectually, socially, morally and personally while building on their faith values.
Biography-Sr. NoraLohan, MFIC
Sr. Nora Lohan is a member of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. She holds a B.A. degree in English from St.FrancisCollege, Brooklyn, and a M.A. degree in theology from St. Bonaventure University, Olean, N.Y. Sr. Nora pursued graduate studies in school administration at Manhattan College, N.Y. and has acquired certificates in many fields of education. For many years Sister has worked in the field of Catholic Education, as an elementary school teacher and as principal, which included five years as principal of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, Tenafly. Throughout her educational career Sr. Nora remained actively involved in the field of religious education and parish life. Sister served as a pastoral minister at St. Laurence Parish, Brooklyn prior to returning to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel as the Parish Liturgist.
Biography-Sr. Marian Bandille, MFIC
Sr. Marian Bandille, a native of Brooklyn, NY, is a member of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. She holds a B.A. in Education from Mount Alvernia College, Newton, MA and an M.A. in History from Villanova University, Villanova, PA. She studied for one year at the Institute of Religious Formation, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO and holds certificates in Spiritual Direction and Gerontology. Her ministry experiences include teaching in elementary and secondary schools, Pastoral Ministry, and a number of years in leadership in her religious Congregation. Sister was serving in her Community in Newton, MA prior to coming to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Biography- Deacon David Loman
Deacon David Loman has been a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel since 1975. He and his wife, Carol, have two children and four grandchildren. He has been active in the business community as an automobile dealer for more than forty years. Deacon Loman was ordained for the Archdiocese of Newark in 1992. In addition to his ministry at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, he serves as a chaplain in the New Jersey Prison System.
Biography- Deacon Lex Ferrauiola
Lex and his wife Wanda have lived in Tenafly since 1978. They areblessed with four adult children: Danny, David, Julie and Meg. Lex was ordained to the diaconate in May of 1992 by Archbishop Theodore McCarrick. Since ordination he has been assigned to Our Lady of MountCarmel. In addition to parish ministry, Lex has served through:outreach with homeless people; youth ministry centered on the martial arts with inner city teenagers; support groups with adults; ministry with teenagers in juvenile detention; and hospital ministry.Professionally, Lex has worked in Information Technology since thelate 1960s. He currently holds the position of Vice President,Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Hackensack University Medical Center. He received a B.A. degree in Philosophy from Lehman College in New York and is currently earning a masters degree in Pastoral Ministry at St. Mary's University of Minnesota. Lexand Wanda are black belt master instructors certified by the WorldTaeKwonDo Federation in Korea. They have been teaching martial arts since 1981.
Biography – Peter Coll
Peter Coll, Mt. Carmel’s Director of Music, plays an integral part in the task of liturgical preparation for the parish. He remains committed to the enabling of the assembly’s full participation in the liturgy as well as to providing musical setting conducive to meditative prayer. Peter holds degrees from Rutgers University, Hunter College (CUNY), and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center. At Mt. Carmel he serves as cantor, choir and folk ensemble director, music instructor in the parish school, as well as soloist for weddings and funerals. He is an active member of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians and the Society of Ethnomusicology.
Biography – Elliot Guerra
Elliot Guerra is a recent graduate of Seton Hall University where he double majored in English and Catholic Studies. His previous position was as the Director of Student Activities at the Center for Catholic Studies in South Orange, New Jersey. He is the founding editor of Arcadia: A Student Journal for Faith and Culture published out of Seton Hall University; and has written, produced or directed over a dozen theatrical productions. His interests are varied including sports, volunteer service and the arts. He will be attending graduate school beginning with the 2008-09 academic year.
