Tom Perna on Our Lady of Carmel, St. Simon Stock, and the Brown Scapular

"[Today], July 16, is the feast day of Our Lady of Carmel, a very important feast day in the life of any Carmelite and really anyone that wears and has a devotion to the Brown Scapular. The story of the Brown Scapular and Our Lady of Carmel begins with a Carmelite saint known as St. Simon Stock.

"In the mid 13^th century, Simon Stock, entered the Carmelite Order in Kent, England, after turning 40 years of age. He was sent by his superiors to Mount Carmel (Holy Land), where he enjoyed a life of prayer and penance. When the Saracens retook the region in 1238, during the Second Crusade, Simon Stock and many of his Carmelite brothers had to flee the area, many of them returning to England in 1242.

"From a very early age, Simon Stock had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is believed that the Carmelite Order saw great growth under the care of Simon Stock because of his great love and admiration for Our Lady, and eventually the Brown Scapular. He and the Carmelites would need her intercession when the Catholic Church tried to oppress them with decrees from the Councils of Lateran IV and the Lyons II.

"Not having any friends in the hierarchy with influence, the Carmelites prayed to Our Lady to save them from extinction. On July 16, Our Lady’s intercession came through for the Carmelites. . . ."

In a recent commentary, Tom Perna, Director of Family Catechesis at Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Gilbert, AZ, reflected on Our Lady of Carmel, Saint Simon Stock, and the Brown Scapular.

To access his complete post, please visit:

Tom Perna: Our Lady of Carmel, St. Simon Stock, and the Brown Scapular (15 JUL 19)