St. Simon Stock

After the Crusades, the Englishman St. Simon Stock (d. 1265) reorganized the Carmelites as mendicant friars. He was an early prior general of the Carmelite religious order.

On May 16, the Catholic Church remembers St. Simon Stock, a twelfth- and thirteenth-century Carmelite monk.

St. Simon Stock was born to a very illustrious family in Kent County, England (c. 1165), of which his father was governor. From his infancy he turned all his thoughts and affections to attain to the most perfect love of God.

St. Simon Stock is associated with the brown scapular of the Carmelite order. St. Simon Stock was one hundred years old when he died.

On July 16, 1251, Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock in the town of Aylesford, England. “Whosoever dies in this garment (the Brown Scpular) shall not suffer Eternal fire. It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a ..."

He who dies clothed with this habit shall be preserved from eternal fire. It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of danger, and a pledge of special peace and protection." The scapular (from the Latin, scapula, meaning "shoulder blade") consists of two pieces of cloth, one worn on the chest, and the other on the back, which were connected by straps or strings passing over the shoulders.

Scapular

One of the signs in the tradition of the Church from many centuries ago is the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It is a sign approved by the Church.

The Brown Scapular is a sacramental worn around the neck. It was given to St. Simon Stock, of the Carmelite Order, by Our Lady, in England, in the 13th century.

One way in which Mary is honoured in the Carmelite family is through the Brown Scapular. The Scapular is a symbol of Mary's protection.

On July 16, 1251, Our Lady appeared in the Carmelite habit and held out the Brown Scapular to St. Simon Stock in response to his prayers on behalf of the men.

Through this scapular Our Lady promised a special protection for all members of the Carmelite Order

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Mary, the Mother of God, has a multitude of titles under which she is invoked.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is Mary, mother of Jesus. Carmel is a mountain in Northern Israel, where the Carmelite order was founded in the twelfth century. Our Lady of Mount Carmel personifies the “enclosed garden” created solely for God and watered by Him, containing all beauty, grace, and virtues.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel means Mary as she is honoured in the Carmelite Order. Mary is first seen as patron. This is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The brown scapular and the rosary are given by her. Blessed Virgin Mary said to St. Dominic: "One day through the rosary and the scapular I will save the world." The scapular is an external sign of the filial relationship established between the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and queen of Mount Carmel.

The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated each year on July 16. At Lourdes in 1858, the Virgin chose to make her last apparition on July 16. The feast was assigned to 16 July, because on that date in 1251, according to Carmelite traditions, the scapular was given by the Blessed Virgin to St. Simon Stock.