Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a name used by the Carmelite Order of Friars, Nuns and Lay people for the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Order origins go back to the 12th Century when a group of Christian hermits chose to settle on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. There they built a Chapel at the centre of their hermitage and dedicated it to The Blessed Virgin Mary. Mount Carmel is still perceived as the Carmelites spiritual centre and the Blessed Virgin Mary their Spiritual Mother.
Many miracles have been attributed to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Perhaps the best known occurred in 1894 when Palmi, a town of around 15,000 inhabitants in Southern Italy, was struck by an earthquake. The quake destroyed most of the buildings but only nine people lost their life. The reason for the very low death rate was that fortunately, most of the town folk had left their homes; they were partaking in a hastily organised prayer procession behind a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to the edge of their town. The procession had been quickly arranged following reported facial and other changes to the same statue over the previous 17 days.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel:
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Glory be to the…
