In 1959, Archbishop Cushing invited the Carmelite Friars to participate in a new ministry in the Archdiocese of Boston.

The developments of shopping centers (ie: clusters of stores in the suburbs) were in the experimental stage at the time and Archbishop Cushing thought that the Church should be a part of that experiment. The Carmelites readily agreed to be a part of this new ministry and signed a lease with the developers of the North Shore Shopping Center in Peabody, Massachusetts.

Since the inauguration of the shopping center in January of 1960, the Carmelites have responded to the spiritual needs of the customers and employees of the shopping center, now known as the Northshore Mall.