Priest Rafael de Mosteyrín offers Exaudi readers this article on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Scapular she gave to Saint Simon Stock.

The apparition of the Virgin to Saint Simon Stock took place in London in the year 1261. The Blessed Virgin, surrounded by countless angels, promised him special protection over the Carmelite Order. At the same time, she gave him the Scapular of the Carmelites with this promise: “Receive, my most beloved son, the Scapular of your Order, sign of my brotherhood, privilege for you and all Carmelites. Whoever dies with it will be saved from eternal fire. Behold the sign of salvation, salvation in danger, covenant of peace, and an everlasting pact.”

Later, Pope John XXI confirmed with his authority the Scapular of Carmel and the Sabbath Privilege, transcribing the following words of the Virgin Mary: “I, Mother of graces, will come down on the Saturday after their death and will free all those who are in Purgatory and will take them to the holy mountain of eternal life.”

The requirements demanded by the Church for us to benefit from this promise are:

• Having the scapular imposed by a priest authorized to do so, and wearing it regularly.
• Maintain chastity according to one’s state.
• Pray three Hail Marys every day.

There are many miraculous events throughout history that express the Blessed Virgin’s faithfulness to her promise. I will tell you about one that occurred to Cardinal Vicente Enrique y Tarancón in 1938, which he himself recounted, as Bishop of Solsona, in a pastoral letter about the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel:

“It was the month of June 1938. Barely two months before, the nationalist forces had arrived in the Mediterranean, liberating the parish of Vinaroz, in Castellón

A letter from the military authorities requested our cooperation in providing spiritual assistance to ten prisoners condemned to death. At eleven o’clock at night, the prisoners entered the chapel. Eight of them confessed immediately, and with great and visible displays of repentance and fervor. One, who had been a political commissar in the Red Army, barely allowed us to approach him. All our attempts were in vain, and we were unable to persuade him to confess.

They asked me to try again, but I was terribly disappointed when, after talking to him for more than half an hour, he told me that he had completely lost faith and that I should stop wasting my time with him.

I was stunned for a moment, almost at a loss for words. But, inspired, no doubt, by the Blessed Virgin, I dared to suggest:

-Would you do me a favor?

“Whichever you want,” he replied, “as long as you don’t ask me to confess.”

“Would you allow me,” I added, “to impose the Holy Scapular on you?”

“I have no objection,” he told me. “I don’t care about these things; but if it will please you, you can do so.”

I immediately placed the Holy Scapular of Carmel on him and immediately withdrew to pray for him to the Blessed Virgin. He went to sit in a corner at the end of one of the pews in the room. Not even five minutes had passed when I heard a kind of roar and loud, broken sobs, which alarmed me. I entered the room again and heard him say to me:

“I want to confess, I want to confess. I don’t deserve this grace from God. The Virgin has saved me.”

To the admiration and astonishment of everyone present, he confessed, without stopping to shed tears for a single moment, with a truly extraordinary and touching contrition. And when, at the last minute, before taking them to the place of execution, I said goodbye to them, he embraced and kissed me, saying:

Thank you, Father; thank you for the immense good you have done for me. In Heaven, I will pray for you. Thank you, and see you in Heaven.

I was moved by that scene and my tears joined hers, as I gave thanks to the Lord for that marvel and thanked the Blessed Virgin for allowing me to witness that splendid manifestation of her maternal and merciful love.”