Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel - July 16th

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Reprinted from this Our Lady of Fatima Chapel email: 

Today, the Church joins with all the Friars, Brothers and Sisters of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel in honoring our Blessed Lady's great generosity towards this Order which is especially dedicated to her.

According to Carmelite chronicles, the Order has its origin with disciples of the prophets Elias and Eliseus. They lived on Mount Carmel in Palestine, where they honored the Holy Virgin who would someday give birth to the Saviour. When reality replaced the symbol, the hermits of Carmel converted to the Catholic Faith.

In the 12th century, many Europeans who followed the Crusaders to Palestine joined these hermits. A rule was established and the Order began migrating back to Europe. Soon, many persecutions raised against the Carmelite contemplatives in Europe. Saint Simon Stock, the Superior General, turned with confidence to the Blessed Virgin.

On July 16th, 1251, Father Stock knelt in prayer when suddenly before him the most Holy Virgin appeared and presented him with the Brown Scapular; a loose sleeveless garment destined for the Order of Carmel. The garment was given as an assurance, for all who died wearing it, of the Blessed Virgin's heavenly protection from eternal death. An extraordinary promise indeed, but one requiring a life of prayer and sacrifice. Devotion to the blessed habit spread. Pope after Pope enriched it with special indulgences and many extraordinary miracles put their seal upon its grace and efficacy.

For centuries, Catholics have been placing themselves under the Blessed Virgin's powerful protection by being enrolled in the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This confraternity has long been one of the largest within the Catholic Church. It encompasses countless souls, who through this simple means become members of Our Lady's special family and affiliate themselves with the Order of Carmel.

At Lourdes in 1858, the Blessed Virgin chose to make Her last apparition on July 16th; and then again, during her last appearance at Fatima in 1917, Our Lady of Mount Carmel was seen holding out her Brown Scapular, bidding farewell to the three shepherd children.

It's not a mere coincidence that the Blessed Virgin chose to draw attention to herself as Our Lady of Mount Carmel during the last visits of these important apparitions. When Sister Lucia was asked why the Blessed Virgin appeared this way in her final visit, she replied: “Because Our Lady wants us all to wear the Scapular. It is the sign of our Consecration to her Immaculate Heart.” 

Our Lady Presents the Brown Scapular to Saint Simon Stock - July 16th, 1251

When the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Simon Stock, she was surrounded by countless angels, as she held the Brown Scapular towards him, while saying:

“Receive, my beloved son, this habit of thy order. Whoever dies invested with this Scapular shall be preserved from the eternal flames. It is a sign of salvation, a sure safeguard in danger, a pledge of peace and of my special protection until the end of the ages.”

This has since become known as the Scapular Promise. Truly, astounding words! Yet they have also been very much misunderstood. Certainly Our Lady did not mean that one who wears the Scapular may live a sinful life without fear of incurring eternal punishment. Rather, she meant that those who wear the Scapular devoutly will either persevere in the state of sanctifying grace, or they will be granted the grace of perfect contrition at the hour of death.

For the fulfillment of the Scapular Promise, there are three conditions:

1. Enrollment in the Scapular Confraternity
2. The soul must sincerely try to lead a good life
3. The soul must wear it constantly - most especially at the moment of death

Confraternity members share in all the prayers and works of the Order of Carmel. According to the Carmelite Friars at the National Scapular Center, every priest has the right to invest the faithful in the Brown Scapular.

As a sacramental, the Brown Scapular is productive of grace based on the dispositions with which it is worn. If a person wears it devoutly, Our Lady will watch over him and assist him until he has reached the port of salvation.

The wearing of the Scapular is itself an act of devotion.  When one wears it with fidelity  and love, they render habitual homage to Our Lady. However, it's not just an indication that one has a mere devotion, but its a sign of a life lived in her; a sign of our union with her; a sign of our consecration to her Immaculate Heart.

In order to profit most by wearing the Scapular, we should fervently think of our consecration to Mary in moments of temptation and instinctively fly to Her; pleading for the grace to overcome the enemy of our souls.

The Sabbatine Privilege

The Blessed Virgin has promised to save those who wear the Scapular from the fires of hell; she will also shorten their stay in purgatory if they should pass from this world still owing some debt of punishment. This promise is found in a Bull of Pope John XXII. The Blessed Virgin appeared to him and spoke of those who wear the Brown Scapular:

“I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in purgatory I shall free so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting.”

The Most Holy Virgin assigned certain conditions which must be fulfilled:

1. Wear the Brown Scapular continuously
2. Observe chastity according to one’s state in life
3. Recite the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(With a priest's permission, the Rosary can be substituted for the Little Office).


Our Lady once revealed to Venerable Dominic of Jesus and Mary:

"Although many wear my Scapular, only a few fulfill my conditions for the Sabbatine Privilege."

Tragically, most Catholics are unaware of Our Lady's promises. It is a wonderful act of charity to make the Sabbatine Privilege known to everyone. In a book about the suffering souls, a soul was asked: "What is the average stay of the souls in Purgatory?" The Poor Soul answered: "From thirty to forty years!"

We can understand the great importance of making Our Lady's Privilege known. Its good to always have a Brown Scapular on hand to give away to someone in need. We may meet someone who is devout to Our Lady, yet unwilling to spend more than a few minutes a day in prayer. For such a soul, the wearing of the Scapular may lead to a deeper devotion, perhaps to the daily Rosary; in time to a long chain of special graces which will lead to their salvation.

Even non-Catholics may benefit from us giving them a Scapular: An elderly man was rushed to the Saint Simon Stock Hospital in New York City, unconscious and dying. The nurse, seeing the Brown Scapular on the patient, called for a priest. As the priest was saying the prayers for the dying, the man became conscious and spoke up:

"Father, I am not a Catholic." "Then why are you wearing the Brown Scapular?" asked the priest. "I promised my friends to wear it and say one Hail Mary a day." "You are dying," the priest told him. "Do you want to become a Catholic?" "All my life I wanted to be one," the gasping man replied. This man was baptized, received the last rites and died in peace. Our Lady took another soul under her mantle, through her Scapular!

Guidelines of the Brown Scapular

+ It must be made of woven wool - not felt or matted wool.

+ Its color may be any shade between brown or black, but preferably brown.

+ It must consist of two rectangular shaped pieces of cloth connected by cord, string or chain, which must be sewn directly to the wool.

+ It must be worn over the shoulders on the body's front and back.

+ It may be decorated with pictures, but this is not necessary.

+ A person who is enrolled in the Brown Scapular is enrolled for life.

+ The Scapular used in the enrollment ceremony is blessed, but subsequent replacements need not be blessed or conferred in a ceremony.

+ The Scapular is a sacramental. When it is worn out it should be burned or buried.