Brown Scapular Enrollment - Sunday after 9:00 am Mass

Would you like to begin a devotion in the Church... a special practice of dedication which brings you closer to the Lord and His Blessed Mother? You can be enrolled in the devotion of the Brown Scapular this Sunday, June 22nd following the 9:00 am Mass. Scapulars will be provided, and the enrollment is appropriate for children and adults alike. After the ceremony, we will all celebrate at coffee and donuts together. Join us!

The Brown Scapular 

The 13th century was a turbulent time and the Church was threatened by enemies on all sides. It was then that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Simon Stock, Superior General of the Carmelite Order, on July 16, 1251, and in her hand she held what we know as the Brown Scapular, and she gave this promise:

"Take this Scapular, it shall be a Sign of Salvation, a Protection in Danger and a Pledge of Peace. Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire."

The scapular was to be worn as a particular sign of devotion to Mary, and she in return promised her care and protection to the wearer.

In the beginning, only Carmelites wore the scapular. By the 14th century, the privilege extended beyond the order. It began to be worn by lay people associated with the Carmelite order, and then other religious, as a sign of committed devotion to the Blessed Mother. In the 17th century, the devotion of wearing the scapular was promulgated to the universal church by Pope Paul V, and the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel established on July 16th.

The wearing of the Scapular fosters a true devotion to Mary that is based on her supernatural mission in the redemption of mankind. The Scapular teaches a practical confidence in the intercession of the Blessed Virgin to obtain for its wearer the grace of final perseverance, or a happy death. The two general conditions to obtain this benefit are that one must honor Mary by wearing the Scapular faithfully until death and endeavor sincerely to lead a Christian life. This reliance on Mary's intercession for the gift of final perseverance rests on the promise to Saint Simon Stock that all who die wearing the Scapular will not suffer the eternal flames of hell. This tradition is known as the "Scapular promise."

The scapular devotion also teaches that the aid of Mary may be confidently expected in purgatory by all those who have faithfully worn the Scapular and have fulfilled two other conditions: the practice of chastity according to one's state of life and the daily recitation of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin or the rosary. According to Church tradition, Our Lady will free from Purgatory any souls who have worn the scapular and fulfilled these conditions on the first Saturday after their death. This is called the “Sabbatine privilege”.

In addition to the special care of Our Lady during and after life, enrollment in the Brown Scapular also makes a person part of the Carmelite family throughout the world. Wearers of the scapular therefore share in all of the prayers and good works of the Carmelite Orders.

Many popes and saints have strongly recommended wearing, the Brown Scapular to the Catholic Faithful,St. Teresa of Avila, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Robert Bellarmine, Pope John XXII, Pope Pius Xl and XII, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XV.

In order to receive the spiritual blessings associated with the Scapular, it is necessary to be formally enrolled in the Brown Scapular by either a priest or a lay person who has been given this faculty. The Scapular is essentially a "habit". Those who receive it are associated more or less closely with the Order of Carmel and dedicate themselves to the service of Our Lady for the good of the whole Church. Once enrolled, the enrollment is for life and need not be repeated. Anyone, adult or infant, who has not previously been enrolled may be enrolled in the Brown Scapular. Participation in this devotion is open to non-Catholics as well.