Jul-16 Feast of Our Lady of Carmel
July 16: Our Lady of Mt Carmel and the brown scapular When I was young, my mother gave me a brown scapular of Our Lady of Mt Carmel. I didn't know her full story. Today is her feast day so allow me to tell you what I have learned ... The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel serves to remind the faithful of our Blessed Mother’s promise of special protection and heavenly graces to all those who wear the brown scapular, a sign of salvation and a safeguard in danger. The feast Our Lady of Mount Carmel was assigned to 16 July, because on that date in 1251, according to Carmelite traditions, a scapular was given by the Blessed Virgin to a hermit St. Simon Stock on Mount Carmel in north Israel (site of the fountain of Elijah) when the monastic order was in great peril of collapse. The Blessed Mother answered Simon’s prayers by giving him the Scapular , telling him: “Hoc erit tibi et cunctis Carmelitis privilegium, in hoc habitu moriens salvabitur” ( This shall be the privi...