My Personal Story & Memoir about the Brown Scapular (Edition #2)
Christine recalls her first encounter with a Brown Scapular as a child + provides some useful resources + an FAQ from the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular
“He who knows how to forgive prepares for himself many graces from God. As often as I look upon the cross, so often will I forgive with all my heart.” (Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, Entry #390, page 175).
by: C. Henriques Pérez
[Memoir: Edition #2]
The Rosary Hour Podcast™ © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED COPYRIGHT © Travessa da Senra House Press, 2022 - “My Personal Story & Memoir about the Brown Scapular” (EDITION #2 for ONLINE PUBLICATION)
July 16, 2022 - Feast of Our Lady of Carmel
When I was a little girl growing up in Steeltown, Ontario, I went on pilgrimage to a Marian Shrine with my very short grandmother and her six adult children.
It was one of the only times everyone in my family was together before she died in 2014 — my Uncle visited from Australia, my Aunt from New York, another Aunt flew in from Los Angeles and another Aunt travelled to Canada from the Philippines.
My grandmother wore tinted round sunglasses and always carried a classic Gucci bag with the red & green insignia. The bag threading, I still recall, was the same colour brown as the Scapular that she pulled out from it to give to me that day.
“Dees eez a Scap-yoo-larrh,” she explained to me in a thick Filipino accent.
I was seven or eight at the time wearing my navy runners, long white tube socks, and pink tennis shorts.
Nodding in agreement, though I didn’t know what the Scapular was, I obediently allowed her to place the sacramental around my neck.
I was a little girl who didn’t speak much: you just said “okay” to your elders and listened for instructions.
I was a silent child, very quiet and docile until life transformed that personality, on some level, by the end of grade school, when I had all kinds of questions I couldn’t keep silent.
At the shrine, I still recall sitting on the edge of the grey concrete seat that surrounded the faded copper water fountain — green like mint chocolate, and in what city I cannot recall.
But I can still imagine the waft of café french fries, and the thick warm summer breeze. I had an ice Coca Cola in my hands, given to me out of my father’s aqua blue cooler drink stash that lived in the trunk of his grey and maroon Malibu.
I loved the sweet syrup of cola, mixing it with all kinds of other drinks at recess at Catholic grade school when we’d sit on the chair rafters and pretend to be chemists from MIT.
And I still have vivid memories of the Gift Shop where my aunts and uncles purchased several Brown Scapulars at that Marian shrine — grabbing them from a clear glass bowl, then passing them around reverently, to stow them in their equally lovely Gucci purses before we all headed out for a Pancit Canton restaurant feast.
When my grandmother placed a Brown Scapular around my neck, she said:
“Keep deez”.
She didn’t speak much English. And much of my time with her was spent listening to Connie Francis and Doris Day and all her favorite hit 1980s songs.
She loved to listen to Kenny Rogers, and his philosophy was imposed on my formative upbringing with the force of the Latin Mass.
Kenny’s country sound was on cassette tape repeat — the volume of the AM/FM radio ghetto blaster was usually cranked to 7 or 8 because grandma was losing her hearing.
Kenny taught me over the years his profound Southern wisdom when his lyrics resonated through every single molecule of our little suburban home on Upper Paradise with ideas on how to “live life”.
And that was my ‘ethical training’ — before I even knew who God or the Gospel or the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was.
I didn’t go to Church as young a child, nor did I read the Bible, unless looking at stick figures from the New Testament — given to my father by Judge Sheila Copps when he came to Canada — counts as reading the Bible. I flipped through that Bible many times, wondering what the words meant.
Stick pictures of Satan telling Jesus to bow down and worship him.
Stick pictures of Jesus on the cross.
Stick pictures of the wise men crossing the desert to find the Christ child.
All of these images remained in my mind until Mr. F unlocked their meaning by telling our class to get out to buy the New American Bible with the signature of Pope Paul VI — so we could strive to study all of the Old Testament in grade 9 Religion class before we went on to tackle all of the New Testament in grade 10 Religion class with Sister M.
Before high school, anyway, “street smarts” I was told as a young girl by my stern father, was what Kenny Rogers could pass on — and that knowledge was very useful to the limited arsenal I could access to manage future spiritual battles.
Papa loved teaching me things little children should know through his beloved LP collection. My grandmother didn’t aways agree with him, but in this case, “street smarts” was their mutual definition behind the genius of Kenny Rogers.
So I listened with even greater intent to understand the Gospel according to Kenny documented in the lyrics of his famous song “The Gambler” that grandma’s ghetto blaster seared into my long term memory to this day.
(Hit the video play button below and listen to this 3 minute song at least five to ten times in a row to imagine the way Kenny’s essence transfigured my childhood.)
“Every gambler knows the secret to surviving”….
“Knowin’ what to throw away”
“Knowin’ what to keep”.
So, with that wisdom in mind, I kept that Brown Scapular.
And for many years beyond my first communion, I knew it was important somehow.
I am sorry to admit that I didn’t ever think to ask what the Brown Scapular symbolized or the story behind it. Nor did I wear it because the rough plastic that surrounded the brown felt was “itchy” and “scratchy”.
I resolved as an adult to carry the Brown Scapular — and it would accompany me on all my major airline trips — in my wallet, not around my neck, and beside my Canadian passport.
At the time, I was totally unaware of the reasons to wear the scapular daily, and I was clueless about how the felt on the string related to the Rosary, or the Sabbatine Privilege.
In a nutshell, I carried an item with superficial knowledge and my heart neither contained the wonderful stories behind the Brown Scapular devotion, nor the Carmelite saints who lived it; and I didn’t yet recognize the opportunity to make a silent consecration to Jesus through the Blessed Virgin Mary.
So, if you are like me, you would appreciate Fr. Mark Goring’s answer to the question, “What is the promise of the Brown Scapular?” See the video below:
The interior life of the Carmelite order, Fr. Goring explains, centres around virtues of “humility” and “purity” both of which arise from “sacrifice” and a life of “chastity” enabled by a daily devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Ask your priest / Spiritual Director to approve.)
Father Goring examines the miraculous aspect of wearing the Brown Scapular — and the commitment that allows for assistance from Heaven to live a life “worthy” of “eternity”.
This ‘silent consecration’ to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a way for us to proclaim our devotion without words and it is a beautiful way to honour the Blessed Mother.
In Episode 44 of Living Divine Mercy, published on July 14, 2022, Father Chris Alar further explores the story of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
If you wish to read an informative article, our friends at Holy Rosary Parish in Ontario posted today the following piece on Twitter entitled “Wear the Scapular, Pray the Rosary — Why Our Lady of Mount Carmel Appeared at Fatima” by: Joseph Pronechen https://www.ncregister.com/blog/scapular-rosary-carmel-fatima-link.
A longer discussion is presented by “The Catholic Talk Show” for those interested in a roundtable conversation.
Rediscovering The Brown Scapular
More recently, my husband was helping me clean out our downstairs office to our little townhome, and we found that very same Brown Scapular given to me by my grandmother all those years ago, with a picture of Simon Stock and Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The tassel had broken in half and thus I had to replace the old one, so I ordered a new Scapular from the St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal for our daughter’s first Holy Communion when she was in grade 1 last year.
Yet even with that online purchase, I knew more about St. Joseph’s ‘oil’ and the miraculous stories of Brother André Bessette — but still had no inkling about the Brown Scapular!
I was speaking with our senior members of The Rosary Hour Podcast group yesterday in British Columbia during our home stay with them for the next 3 weeks.
Izzy and Rembrandt explained to me that many aspects of the Catholic Faith, while they were growing up in the 1960s, and with regards to the Mass, the Rosary and sacramentals, in particular, were never totally explored in a deep intellectual way outside the sermons of a priest and/or the classroom conversations around the memorized lines of the Baltimore Catechism.
And without the accessibility of the internet, or YouTube, it wasn’t really their personal custom in the 1960s etc. to look up this or that devotion or catechetical teaching nor to understand it, let alone reconfigure it in light of Vatican II, or Papal writings, which made passing on the Faith and its Traditions somewhat problematic due to some of the complex realities in which these documents were interpreted.1
Thus, like them, all those years ago, my grandmother knew the Scapular was important as a “symbol”, but the promises of the devotion didn’t ever present themselves in any of our conversations.
When I woke up today, I received a notification buzz about a 9 a.m. Scapular enrolment mass:
And again, I must confess, that until this morning, I didn’t know that a priest needed to enrol Parishioners in the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular! (Neither did my family in BC, for that matter!)
Being unable today to exit the house for any mass in downtown Vancouver — I was quite ill and homebound; thus, I decided instead to look up the FAQ on the Sisters of Carmel website to find out more — once and for all, to understand what the Brown Scapular that my grandmother gave me, meant.
Here is what I found:
this FAQ list provides a good summary regarding the promises of the Brown Scapular. SEE: https://www.sistersofcarmel.com/faqs-the-brown-scapular/ for the original document.
I hope this little personal story can help you or someone you know re-discover the power of this beautiful devotion to the Mother of God!
We’ll be posting soon our interview with Doctor Fr. Matthew Schneider, as well as our Micro Masterclass #2 with His Eminence, Cardinal Collins — “What is Heaven?” soon.2
[Memoir: Edition #2]
AN INVITATION TO PRAY THE GLOBAL ROSARY WITH US ON TWITTER
If you want to pray a Global Rosary daily with us and our friends in Coatbridge, Scotland and Attymass in Ireland where Fr. Patrick Peyton was born, please follow Rosary Mum, St. Augustine’s Youth, Fr. Kane or Attymass on Twitter. Here is Father John’s post. Please follow his parish on Twitter and consider making a pilgrimage to Attymass this summer.
The Rosary Hour Podcast™ © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED COPYRIGHT © Travessa da Senra House Press, 2022 - “My Personal Story & Memoir about the Brown Scapular” (EDITION #2 for ONLINE PUBLICATION) by: Cristine Henriques-Pérez
BROWN SCAPULAR FAQ - REPOST
1. What is Our Lady’s promise in wearing the Brown Scapular?
“Whoever dies invested with this Scapular shall be preserved from the eternal flames. It is a sign of salvation, a sure safeguard in danger, a pledge of peace and of my special protection until the end of the ages.”
What are the conditions requisite for gaining the Our Lady’s promise of the Brown Scapular?
To observe exactly what has been prescribed regarding material, color, and shape of the Scapular, that is it must be 100% brown wool in a rectangular shape.
To be enrolled in the Scapular by a priest.
To wear it continually.
Please note that there are no special prayers or good works that are necessary to receive the promise. The Scapular is a silent prayer that shows one’s complete consecration and dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Scapular is a devotion whereby we venerate Her, love Her, and trust in Her protection, and we tell Her these things every moment of the day by simply wearing the Brown Scapular.
3. Who may be invested in the Brown Scapular?
All the Catholic faithful should be enrolled. It is customary for children to be enrolled after their First Holy Communion. Even infants can be invested.
4. How do I enrol in the Brown Scapular?
Any priest can enrol or invest you in the Brown Scapular. There is a formula of investiture that the priest performs. If you would like a copy of the investiture formula, please go to this link and scroll to the bottom of the page: https://www.sistersofcarmel.com/brown-scapular-information.php
5. Who can enrol me in the Brown Scapular?
Any Catholic priest can enrol you. It was once customary that only the Carmelite Fathers were permitted to enrol the lay faithful, and special permission was needed for any other priest to perform the ceremony. However, this devotion has spread so far and wide throughout the Catholic world that now the Church has given permission to all priests to invest the faithful in the Brown Scapular.
6. Is there a special formula for investiture?
Yes. If you would like a copy of the investiture ceremony in either Latin or English, please click here.
7. What is the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular?
Once invested in the Scapular, a person automatically becomes a member of the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular. What is meant by the Confraternity is that, having been enrolled in the Scapular, you belong to a spiritual family whereby you have the privilege of being affiliated with the Carmelite Order, participating in the merits of the Carmelite Fathers and Religious in life and in death, as well as receiving the promises of Our Lady through the Scapular. Although at one time it was customary to inscribe one's name in the Confraternity Register (the parish priest would do this for all those he enrolled by sending the names to a Carmelite convent where the Confraternity was canonically erected), it is no longer the practice to do so. Part of the reason for this is that the Scapular has become, thanks be to God, such a universal sacramental and devotion that the Church has taken away this obligation upon the lay faithful. It is sufficient to be invested in the Scapular to be a member of the Confraternity.
8. How do I enrol in the Confraternity?
By being invested in the Brown Scapular by a priest.
9. Can an ordained deacon enrol a person in the Brown Scapular?
No, an ordained deacon cannot enrol a person in the Scapular. Only an ordained priest of the Catholic Church can perform the investiture.
10. How must I wear the Scapular in order to receive its benefits?
You must wear it over the shoulder so that one part hangs over your chest and the other side hangs over the back. Both parts cannot be carried in the front or the back, otherwise, the wearer runs the risk of not receiving the promise.
11. May the Scapular be fastened or pinned to my clothing?
The Scapular must hang over the shoulders with one side hanging in the front and the other side hanging in the back. However, one may sew or pin the scapular to an undergarment to hold it in place or to keep it from rising about one's neck.
12. What if I'm allergic to wool?
If one has a serious allergy to wool or has irritation of the skin, one can wear the wool scapular over one's clothing, encase the wool scapular in plastic, or wear the Scapular Medal with an image of the Sacred Heart on one side and an image of Our Lady on the other side.
13. Does the Scapular have to be 100% wool?
Yes. Cotton, silk, and any other material is strictly forbidden.
14. May I use a chain instead of a cord for my Scapular?
Yes, just as long as the scapular itself is 100% wool.
15. What shape does the Scapular have to be?
It must be rectangular or square. It cannot be oval, round, or polygonal.
16. May the Scapular have any other images on it?
It is permitted to ornament the Scapular with images or pictures, such as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel or the Carmelite shield. However, the wool brown color of the Scapular must predominate.
17. Does the Scapular have to be touching the skin?
No, it may be worn over or under any part of the clothing.
18. May one wear a different color of the Scapular?
Different color Scapulars do exist as sacramentals in the Church for other devotions, such as the Red Scapular in honor of Our Lord’s Passion. However, the Brown Scapular that the lay faithful wear is a miniature of the Carmelite Religious Habit, and since that Habit is brown in color, it has always been regarded as the proper color for the Scapular. However, black wool is permissible.
19. Must I always wear the Scapular or may I take it off?
In order to receive the promise, the Scapular must always be worn. We must understand that by wearing the Scapular we show our consecration and devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Our Blessed Mother cannot be pleased in any one who out of vanity or fear takes it off whenever it is not convenient to wear it. By wearing it we make an open profession of our faith, confidence, and love of Her.
20. May I take my Scapular off to bathe?
Yes.
21. May I wear a Scapular Medal as a replacement for my Scapular?
No. However, our modern Popes, notable St. Pius X and subsequent Popes, have declared that in necessary cases such as in foreign or tropical climate missions, the Scapular Medal with an image of the Sacred Heart on one side and an image of Our Lady on the other side may be worn instead of the wool Scapular. The Scapular Medal can also be worn in case of real necessity or for very serious reasons, such as an allergy to wool. But if the Scapular Medal is worn for insufficient reason, such as vanity or convenience, the wearer runs the risk of not receiving the benefit of the Scapular promise. It is important to remember that the small Scapular worn by the lay faithful is meant to be a miniature version of what the Carmelites wear as part of their Religious Habit, which is never substituted for anything else.
22. If I need a new Scapular, do I need to be re-invested?
No. If your Scapular has worn out or has broken, you only need to get another one and put it on. The blessing and investiture is still valid for the new Scapular, since the blessing is predominately given to the person who is invested in the Scapular.
23. What are the indulgences granted to those who devoutly wear the Scapular?
1.A plenary indulgence on the day of receiving the Scapular. Conditions: Confession and Communion.
2.Plenary indulgence at the moment of death. Conditions: Confession, Communion, and devout invocation with the lips, or at least with the heart, of the Holy Name of Jesus.
3.Reciting the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary devoutly – 100 days indulgence.
4.Each time the Scapular is kissed – 500 days indulgence.
24. What is the Sabbatine Privilege?
It is the promise piously to be believed, that the Blessed Virgin Mary gave to Pope John XXII in a vision, that She will deliver Her faithful children who have worn the Scapular devoutly from purgatory soon after their death, notably the first Saturday after death. “As a tender Mother, I will descend into purgatory on the Saturday after their death, and will deliver them into the heavenly mansions of life everlasting.” (Words of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Pope John XXII). This Sabbatine Privilege was promulgated and taught through the famous Bull Sacratissimo Uti Culmine (Sabbatine Bull) of Pope John XXII in 1322 and given definitive ratification in 1908 by the Holy See.
25. What are the requirements for obtaining the Sabbatine Privilege?
To wear the Brown Scapular continuously.
To observe chastity according to one’s state in life.
The daily recitation of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary OR to abstain from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays OR with the permission of a priest say 5 decades of the Holy Rosary.
Sources:
Mary In Her Scapular Promise by John Mathias Haffert
Irish Ecclesiastical Record, 1883
Decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences and Holy Relics, 1844-1868
Manual on Indulgences, Father Schneider’s German edition
Sabbatine Bull of Pope John XXII, Sacratissimo Uti Culmine
Fifteen Minutes at the Feet of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Discalced Carmelite Fathers, College of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, by Rev. Father Ludovico of the Sacred Hearts, OCD
Apparitions and Shrines of Heaven’s Bright Queen by William J. Walsh
Carmelite Devotions compiled by a Carmelite Tertiary, 1956.
Catholic Encyclopedia
See Fr. John Flader “The Sabbatine privilege” https://catholicleader.com.au/features/the-sabbatine-privilege/
FOOTNOTES
For a longer discussion, in the Catholicism Series — look to Bishop Barron’s commentary on Vatican 2 and the differences between COMMUNIO https://www.communio-icr.com/ and CONCILIUM.
Also see: The Catholic Thing https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2022/07/the-war-of-the-conciliar-succession-continued
Visit our YOUTUBE channel to watch His Eminence, Cardinal Collins