Marian Devotion in Carmel

The greatest devotion to Mary is to celebrate the mysteries of her life in the Liturgy - both the Mass and the Divine Office. The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on 16th July is our principal feast of the year, but there are also many other important feasts of Mary that have a special place in our liturgical calendar.

IMPORTANT FEASTS OF OUR LADY 1 January: Mary, Mother of God 11 February: Our Lady of Lourdes 25 March: Annunciation 31 May: The Visitation June: Immaculate Heart of Mary 16 July: Our Lady of Mount Carmel 15 August: Assumption 8 September: Our Lady's birthday 15 September: Our Lady of Sorrows 7 October: Our Lady of the Rosary 21 November: Presentation of Our Lady 8 December: Immaculate Conception

Saturday is traditionally a day of special devotion to Mary, and when no other feast falls on that day, we always celebrate a Votive Mass and Office in honour of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Every Saturday we solemnly sing the Salve Regina in honour of Our Lady, holding lighted candles and wearing our mantles (white cloaks).


Mary has a special place in our prayer every day. Each evening we always sing a hymn to her after Night Prayer, feeling her motherly presence and love at the end of the day. The traditional Carmelite hymn to Mary is "Flower of Carmel" - there are many versions of this hymn, this is the English translation:

Of course, the Brown Scapular which is worn by each of us as part of our Carmelite habit, is a sign of our relationship to Mary and her protection of us. We carry out a solemn blessing of scapulars and enrollment of any person who wishes each year on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel -  16th July, and we prepare for the feast by a special novena.



The Rosary is a popular prayer, not only for Carmelites, but it plays an important part in our daily life of prayer. It helps us to grow in love for Mary and her Son Jesus as we meditate on the mysteries. Normally only one set of mysteries is prayed at a time. Meditation on each mystery is accompanied by saying one Our Father, 10 Hail Mary's and one Glory be...

The Joyful Mysteries The Annunciation of the Lord The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth The Birth of the Lord The Presentation in the Temple The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple	The Sorrowful Mysteries The Agony in the Garden The Scourging at the Pillar The Crowning with Thorns The Carrying of the Cross The Crucifixion
The Luminous Mysteries The Baptism of Jesus The Wedding at Cana The Proclamation of the Kingdom The Transfiguration The Institution of the Eucharist	The Glorious Mysteries The Resurrection The Ascension The Descent of the Holy Spirit The Assumption of Mary The Coronation of Our Lady in Heaven

The gentle presence of Mary is found in her caring for all the Church, in her continous prayer for us, 'now and at the hour of our death' (Hail Mary). We can become aware of her presence if we think of her now and again, speak to her, ask for her guidance, and consider how she would act in the circumstances in which we may find ourselves. We can go further and enjoy and relax in her presence.

Over the centuries, Mary has been a Mother and Sister to all Carmelites. We also remember the saints of the family of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel who are now in the glory of heaven, who, like Mary, are our models of life and protectors. You can read about our Carmelite saints on the next page.