Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Lady of Mount Carmel or the Virgin of Carmel is the title given to the Blesses Virgin Mary
in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a
feast day which is celebrated on July 16th. It is an optional memorial feast in the Roman
Catholic Church and is used to celebrate the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to
Carmelite Saint Simon Stock on July 16th, 1251.

History

Mount Carmel is a mountain range in Israel, close to the port city of Haifa, which is near
where Christ lived as a child. Which has led many people to consider it a holy mountain.
Even before it became home to the Carmelite monks who would eventually call it home
during the 12th century. These monks were particularly devoted to the Blessed Virgin
Mary and regarded her as their patroness.

According to Carmelites, Mount Carmel has been home to their order since ancient
times. Which is an idea that has been disputed by many. However, despite the
controversy, Pope Honorius III approved the order during the early 13th century. On July
16th, 1251 St. Simon Stock is said to have seen the Blessed Virgin Mary and that she
had given him the Carmelite habit – the Brown Scapular. According to Carmelite
tradition, anyone who wears the Brown scapular faithfully – while remaining faithful to
the Virgin Mary – will be delivered early from Purgatory when they die.

In 1609, Robert Cardinal Bellarmine would look closely at the origins of the feast, as well
as the origins of the Carmelites, and would decide that The Feast of Our Lady of Mount
Carmel was indeed the patronal feast of the Carmelites. Once this was done, word of the
feast began to spread far and wide. It would become approved to be celebrated in parts
of Italy, Austria, Portugal and Spain. This continued until it was placed on the universal
calendar of the Latin Church by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726.

Carmel Feast 2021- Patna Women’s College