Our Lady of Mount Carmel
From Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers
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Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the Patron Saint of the Carmelite order and known for The Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel which is believed to grant miraculous salvation. Her feast day is July 16th.
The Carmelites were a hermetic order of monks and nuns dwelling in the Holy Land during the late 12th and 13th centuries. The order was partially defined by their devotion to The Blessed Virgin Mary in terms of chivalry and medieval romance. According to legend, Our Lady of Mount Carmel appeared to a man named Simon Stock, the head of the then-persecuted Order of Carmelites. The Carmelites were working for the order's acceptance in Europe, where it had only recently arrived and Simon was determined to convert the king and receive assistance from the Pope during this difficult time for the order. Our Lady of Mount Carmel appeared to him in a vision, wearing the Brown Scapular. The scapular is still seen today around the necks of devotees to Mother Mary, and over the centuries it has become invested with various indulgences and blessings by various Popes, as well as a great deal of folk belief in its efficacy and spiritual power. Those who die wearing the scapular are said to avoid the fires of Hell; many Catholic soldiers and others who have reason to fear they might die unshriven will wear the scapular.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is usually shown in traditional Marian colors of blue and white, with the Brown Scapular draped around her neck, holding the Infant Jesus.
