Our Lady of Mount Carmel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Our Lady of Mount Carmel |
|
|---|---|
Our Lady of Mount Carmel by Pietro Novelli, 1641
|
|
| Approval | 30 January 1226, during the pontificate of Pope Honorius III 1587, during the pontificate of Pope Sixtus V |
| Patronage | Carmelites, Chile, Bolivia, Catemaco, Aylesford, Roraima, Birkirkara, Jaboticabal, Valletta, Pernambuco, Villalba, Hatillo, Higuerote, Carlopoli, protection from harm, protection from dangerous situations, deliverance from Purgatory |
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also called Virgin of Carmel, is a special title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, by the Catholic Church. She is seen as the protector of the Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits who lived on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. This was in the late 1100s and early 1200s.
These hermits built a small chapel dedicated to Mary. They thought of her as the "Lady of the place." In the 1800s, Our Lady of Mount Carmel became the patron saint of Chile.
Since the 1400s, many people have shown their devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel through the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This is also known as the Brown Scapular. It is believed that Mary gave this Scapular to an early Carmelite named Simon Stock around the 1200s. The special day to celebrate Our Lady of Mount Carmel is on July 16.
The first big celebration for Our Lady of Mount Carmel likely happened in England in the late 1300s. It was a way to thank Mary for helping the Carmelite Order during its tough early years. The celebration was first on July 17. But on the European mainland, this day was already used for Saint Alexis. So, the date changed to July 16, which is still the day it's celebrated on the Roman Calendar today. A Latin poem called "Flos Carmeli" (meaning "Flower of Carmel") is often sung during this special Mass.
Contents
The Carmelite Order's Beginnings
The Carmelite Order was the only religious group started in the Crusader States. In the 1200s, some Carmelites moved west to England. They set up a group there around 1241–1242.
A story from the late 1300s says that Simon Stock had a vision of Mary. He was an early leader of the Carmelite Order in England. In this vision, Mary gave him the Brown Scapular. This Scapular became part of the Carmelite uniform after 1287. The story says Mary promised that anyone who died wearing the Scapular would be saved. This Scapular is a special item that shows a person's dedication to Mary and their connection to the Carmelite order. It means Mary offers special protection and asks wearers to dedicate themselves to her.
In 1642, a Carmelite named John Cheron published a letter. He claimed it was from Simon Stock's secretary in the 1200s. However, historians later found that this letter was likely a fake, probably made by Cheron himself.
Despite this, many people believed in Simon Stock's vision. The fake letter said the vision happened on July 16, 1251. This date is the same as the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Because of this, the feast day and the Scapular became strongly linked for many centuries.
The celebration of Our Lady of Mount Carmel did not originally have a direct link to the Brown Scapular or Simon Stock's vision. This connection grew over time. Simon Stock was never officially made a saint, but his feast day was celebrated in the church. The Carmelite monastery in Aylesford, England, was rebuilt in 1951. A special item belonging to Saint Simon Stock was placed there.
In Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, people have a strong devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. She is the patron saint of many places there. The names Carmen and María del Carmen are also very popular for girls in these countries.
An annual festival called Mamacha Carmen takes place in the Paucartambo District in Peru. It includes a procession with a statue of Mary and traditional dancers. Devotion to the Virgen del Carmen is especially strong in coastal towns of Spain.
In Brooklyn, New York, the feast day is celebrated for ten days every July. A very tall tower, about 65 feet high, with a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on top, is lifted and paraded. The festival ends on July 16, the actual feast day.
Carmelite Beliefs About Mary
The Carmelites see Mary as a perfect example of a life focused on prayer and deep thought. They believe she is a model of good qualities. She was the person closest to Jesus Christ. Carmelites see her as the one who best guides Christians to Christ. Just as she told the servants at the wedding at Cana, "Do whatever he [Jesus] tells you." Carmelites also see Mary as a Spiritual Mother. The Stella Maris Monastery (Star of the Sea) on Mount Carmel is considered the main spiritual center of the order. It is named after a traditional title for Mary.
Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, an expert on Carmelite spirituality, wrote that devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel means:
a special call to the interior life, which is preeminently a Marian life. Our Lady wants us to resemble her not only in our outward vesture but, far more, in heart and spirit. If we gaze into Mary's soul, we shall see that grace in her has flowered into a spiritual life of incalculable wealth: a life of recollection, prayer, uninterrupted oblation to God, continual contact, and intimate union with him. Mary's soul is a sanctuary reserved for God alone, where no human creature has ever left its trace, where love and zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of mankind reign supreme. [...] Those who want to live their devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel to the full must follow Mary into the depths of her interior life. Carmel is the symbol of the contemplative life, the life wholly dedicated to the quest for God, wholly orientated towards intimacy with God; and the one who has best realized this highest of ideals is Our Lady herself, "Queen and Splendor of Carmel".
People who are devoted to Mary of Mount Carmel might pray to her using this prayer:
O most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me you are my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in this necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Sweet Mother I place this cause in your hands. Amen.
Church Teachings on Devotion
A statement from the Church in 1996 explains that:
Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel is connected to the history and spiritual values of the Carmelite Order. It is shown through the Scapular. So, anyone who receives the Scapular becomes part of the order. They promise to live according to its spiritual way of life.
Kieran Kavanaugh, a Carmelite, explains this spiritual meaning:
The Scapular is like a Marian habit or piece of clothing. It is both a sign and a promise. A sign of belonging to Mary; a promise of her motherly protection, both in this life and after death. As a sign, it means three things together: first, belonging to a religious family especially devoted to Mary, the Carmelite Order; second, dedicating oneself to Mary, having devotion and trust in her Immaculate Heart; third, a desire to become like Mary by copying her good qualities, especially her humility, purity, and spirit of prayer.
Connection to Purgatory
Since the Middle Ages, Our Lady of Mount Carmel has been linked to purgatory. Purgatory is believed to be a place where souls are cleansed from sins after death. In some pictures, Mary is shown with angels and people wearing Brown Scapulars. These people are asking for her help. In 1613, the Church stopped images from being made of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel going into purgatory. This was because some wrong ideas were being taught about special benefits linked to the Brown Scapular.
Today, the Carmelites do not strongly promote the idea of the "Sabbatine Privilege." This was a belief that Mary would free souls from purgatory on the first Saturday after their death if they wore the Scapular. Instead, they encourage belief in Mary's general help and prayers for people after death. They especially encourage devotion to Mary on Saturdays, which are dedicated to her.
Reported Appearances
There is a small church in Acquafondata, Italy, where Mary of Mount Carmel is said to have appeared on July 16, 1841. The children who saw Our Lady of Fátima in 1917 also said Mary appeared to them under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. She is also said to have appeared to Simon Stock, giving him the Brown Scapular. The Garabandal apparitions in Spain (1961–65) were also reported as images of Mary of Mount Carmel.
The Miracle of Palmi
In Palmi, Italy, people celebrate the anniversary of an earthquake every year on November 16. This earthquake happened in the city in 1894. An event connected to it has been called the "miracle of Our Lady of Mount Carmel."
For 17 days before the earthquake, many people reported strange eye movements and changes in the color of a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Local newspapers also wrote about these events.
On the evening of November 16, people quickly organized a procession. They carried the statue of the Virgin of Carmel on their shoulders through the streets. When the procession reached the edge of the city, a strong earthquake shook the whole area of Palmi. Most of the old houses were destroyed. However, only nine people died out of about 15,000 residents. This was because almost everyone was outside watching the procession and not trapped in the collapsing buildings. Because of this, the city celebrates the 1894 procession every year with fireworks, lights, and festive stalls.
The Catholic Church has officially recognized this event as a miracle. On November 16, 1896, the statue of the Virgin was crowned. This was based on a special order from the Vatican in 1895.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Peace
The first atomic bomb was set off in the United States at the Trinity test site on July 16, 1945. This site was near Alamogordo, New Mexico. This date is the same as the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Because of this, the Catholic anti-war movement has made a connection between the two.
In 1990, a priest named Rev. Emmanuel Charles McCarthy started a "16 July Twenty-Four Hours Day of Prayer." This prayer is for forgiveness and protection from Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It takes place at the Trinity Site in the New Mexico desert. Every year on July 16, a prayer vigil is held at the Trinity site. People pray for peace and for the removal of nuclear weapons.
Gallery of Statues
Statues of Our Lady of Mount Carmel usually show her with a Brown scapular.
-
Boston, USA
-
Https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RgYkiJ8Eukc/V9yuMDiDReI/AAAAAAAAAtU/0Pu-mZzX JcmFNAToRjDKBAiZxlZbdB6ACK4B/s1600/IMG 8883.JPG
Nuestra Señora del Carmen de San Sebastian, Quiapo, Manila, Philippines
Places Named After Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Angola
- Igreja Nosso Senhora do Carmo, Luanda, Angola
Croatia
- The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Brela, Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia
Hungary
- Little Saint Therese Basilica and Monastery, Zala megye, Keszthely
Panama
- Iglesia Nuestra Sra. del Carmen (a.k.a. Iglesia del Carmen), Panama City
Philippines
- Basilica of The National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New Manila, Quezon City
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Quezon City
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Pulong Buhangin, Santa Maria, Bulacan
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Project 6 Parish, Quezon City
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Balilihan, Bohol
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Seminary, Tumbaga I, Sariaya, Quezon
- The Minor Basilica of San Sebastian, Pasaje del Carmen St, Quiapo, Manila
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish, Tariji, Tarlac City
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish, Barasoain, City of Malolos, Bulacan
- Nuestra Señora del Carmen Parish, Duat, Pulungmasle, Guagua, Pampanga
Spain
- Puerto Del Carmen, Tías, Canary Islands
United States
- Río Carmel, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
- National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Middletown, NY
- Mount Carmel, IA
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, Mount Carmel, IA
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, Altoona, PA
See also
In Spanish: Virgen del Carmen para niños
