We Are Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish

ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 16, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

When speaking of the brown scapular, Pope Pius XII once said: “The devotion to the Carmelite scapular has brought down on the world a copious rain of spiritual and temporal graces.”

On the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16, here are 12 keys to explaining the brown scapular and its use:

1. It is not an amulet.

The scapular is not a charm or an automatic guarantee of salvation, nor is it a dispensation from living the demands of the Christian life. St. Claude de la Colombière once said: “You ask, what if I would want to die with my sins? I answer you, then you will die in sin, but you will not die with your scapular.”

2. It was an article of clothing.

The word “scapular” comes from the Latin “scapulae,” which means “shoulders” and was originally an overlapping article of clothing worn over the shoulders by monks at work. The Carmelites adopted it as a sign of special dedication to Our Lady, seeking to imitate her dedication to Christ and neighbor.

3. It is a gift from the Virgin Mary.

According to tradition, the scapular, as it is now known, was given by the Virgin Mary herself to St. Simon Stock on July 16, 1251. Mary told him: “It must be a sign and a privilege for you and for all Carmelites: Whoever dies wearing the scapular will not suffer eternal fire.” Later, the Church extended the use of the scapular to the laity.

4. It is a mini habit.

The scapular is like a miniature Carmelite habit that all devotees can wear as a sign of their consecration to the Virgin Mary. It consists of a string that is worn around the neck with two small pieces of brown cloth attached. One is placed on the chest and the other on the back, and it is usually worn underneath clothing.

5. It is a service uniform.

St. Alphonsus Liguori, a doctor of the Church, said: “Just as men are proud that others wear their uniform, so Our Lady, Mother Mary, is pleased when her servants wear their scapular as proof that they have dedicated themselves to her service, and they are members of the family of the Mother of God.”

6. It has three meanings.

The scapular stands for the maternal love and protection of Mary, for belonging to Mary, and for the gentle yoke of Christ that she helps us to bear.

7. It is a sacramental.

The brown scapular is recognized by the Church as a sacramental — that is, a sign that helps us to live a holy life and to increase our devotion. The scapular does not impart grace as the sacraments do, but it disposes the person wearing it to the love of the Lord and to repentance if it is received with devotion.

8. It can be given to a non-Catholic.

A dying man was reportedly brought to St. Simon Stock Hospital in New York City. A nurse noticed he was wearing the brown scapular and called a priest. As prayers were said over him, the man regained consciousness and told the priest that he wasn’t Catholic but wore the scapular as a promise to his friends. The priest asked the man if he wanted to become Catholic, and before he died the man received baptism and anointing of the sick.

9. It was seen in one of the Fátima apparitions.

Lucia, the visionary of Our Lady of Fátima, reported that in her last apparition (October 1917), Mary appeared with the Carmelite habit, the scapular in her hand, and said that her true children wear it with reverence. Mary also asked that those who consecrate themselves to her wear it as a sign of that consecration.

10. The scapular has been discovered undamaged after burial.

Blessed Pope Gregory X was buried with his scapular and, 600 years later when his tomb was opened, the object was intact. Something similar happened with St. Alphonsus Liguori. St. John Bosco and St. John Paul II also wore the scapular, and St. Peter Claver vested the scapular with those he converted.

11. There’s a preferred way to receive the scapular.

The imposition of the scapular should preferably be done in community, and in the ceremony the spiritual meaning and commitment to the Blessed Virgin should be clearly expressed. The first scapular must be blessed by a priest and placed on the devotee while reciting the following prayer:

“Receive this blessed scapular and ask the Most Holy Virgin Mary, on her merits, that you may wear it without any stain of sin and that she guard you from all adversity and bring you unto everlasting life.”

12. Only the first scapular you receive needs to be blessed.

When the first scapular one receives is blessed, the devotee does not need to ask subsequent scapulars to be blessed. Those that are worn out, if they were blessed, should not be thrown away but should be burned or buried, as is suitable for sacramentals.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 15, 2025 / 19:07 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV made his first “getaway” from Castel Gandolfo to visit the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception of the Poor Clares of Albano, located within the Papal Villas.

After celebrating Mass on Tuesday morning in the chapel of the Carabinieri station in Castel Gandolfo, where he is staying during his vacation, Pope Leo headed to the nearby monastery, where he was warmly welcomed by the nuns.

The pontiff paused in prayer in the monastery chapel, sharing a moment of silence and contemplation with the sisters, whom he later greeted one by one, emphasizing that “it is beautiful that the Church knows your life, because it is a valuable testimony.”

The encounter generated various images of tenderness, reflected in the joyful and grateful faces of the Sisters of St. Clare, whose mission is to pray for the pope, for the Church, and for all of Vatican City.

The Monastery of the Poor Clares of Albano, founded in 1631 during the pontificate of Urban VIII, has maintained a special bond with the Holy See since its origins.

According to the official website of the Vatican City State, its foundation was due to the generosity of Princess Caterina Savelli and the prince and princess of Albano, who donated the monastery to Sister Francesca Farnese, founder of the Farnese Monastery in Viterbo and promoter of a reform of strict Poor Clare observance.

Throughout the centuries, the nuns have lived in this monastery a life of silence, prayer, and contemplation, faithful to the charism of St. Clare of Assisi. They have also received visits from pontiffs, especially during the summer months.

Pope Francis visited the community for the first time in July 2013, where he emphasized the “incalculable value” the sisters attribute to prayer.

“I came here because I know you pray for me! I am so grateful for all you do for the Church: prayer, penance, caring for one another... Your vocation to the contemplative life is beautiful,” Francis said.

During a visit by Pope Benedict XVI to the monastery in 2007, the pontiff emphasized that “the spiritual bond that exists between you and the successor of Peter is very close.”

St. John Paul II, during a meeting with them in August 1979, affirmed that, of all the people “the pope loves dearly, you are certainly the most precious.”

“The vicar of Christ has an extreme need for your spiritual help and counts above all on you, who, by divine vocation, have chosen the better part, which is silence, prayer, contemplation, the exclusive love of God.”

Aware of this tradition, Pope Leo XIV chose to visit them as well. Before saying goodbye, he signed the monastery’s book of honor and prayed the Lord’s Prayer with the sisters.

As a sign of gratitude, Pope Leo gave the community a chalice and paten for the celebration of Mass, and the sisters, in turn, presented him with an icon of the face of Jesus.

ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 15, 2025 / 17:46 pm (CNA).

The Syrian Catholic archbishop of Homs in Syria, Jacques Mourad, has issued an urgent appeal for the future of the Christian presence in Syria amid a situation marked by violence, poverty, and the collapse of institutions.

Born in Aleppo and a member of St. Moses the Abyssinian Monastery, Mourad — who was kidnapped by ISIS in 2015 and managed to escape after five months of captivity — painfully expressed his concern for the present situation in his country: “Today, Syria has ceased to exist as a country,” he stated in an interview with the Vatican news agency Fides.

However, he has not lost hope or his spiritual conviction: “Jesus wants his Church to remain in Syria. And this idea of emptying Syria of Christians is certainly not God’s will.”

Syria is going through a period of great uncertainty following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024. Although the end of his government raised expectations of a democratic transition, violence has intensified and the humanitarian crisis continues.

Various armed factions are vying for power, especially in key cities such as Idlib, Aleppo, and Damascus, resulting in targeted killings, massacres, arbitrary arrests, and people disappearing.

Consecrated the archbishop of Homs, Hama, and Nabek in 2023, Mourad recalled with regret the recent massacre of Orthodox Christians in Damascus on June 22 as they participated in the Divine Liturgy at St. Elijah Church. At the command of the Lord in biblical times, the prophet Elijah anointed Hazael as king of Syria.

Back in 2013, two Orthodox archbishops were abducted and have never been found. 

“Every government is responsible for the security of its people. And I’m not just referring to Christians. Many Sunni Muslims, many Alawites have also been killed, many have disappeared. This government is persecuting the people. All the people,” he openly charged.

According to the prelate, both the Assad regime and the current one “have no respect for the Syrian people and their history.”

Adding to the violence is the daily hostility suffered by the baptized. The archbishop denounced the practice of people driving around in official cars with loudspeakers proclaiming verses from the Quran and calling on Christians to convert.

“They drive by in government security cars and through loudspeakers, call on Christians to convert. If we then ask the security officials why they are acting this way, they tell us it’s an individual initiative. But meanwhile, they continue to use the security cars… The people no longer believe in this government,” he commented.

Regarding rumors about a possible renewal of the armistice with Israel, Mourad said that “almost all the Syrian people want peace, including with Israel, because everyone is tired of war. But if an agreement were reached now, it would only be because Syria is weak. It would be another act of humiliation for the people.”

The humanitarian situation in Syria

According to the archbishop, the humanitarian situation in Syria is also devastating. “A large part of the population lives below the poverty line; we are massacred, humiliated, and worn out.”

“We lack the strength to regain our dignity on our own. If there is no sincere political support for the people, and not the government, we are finished,” he firmly stated.

Despite everything, the archbishop insisted that the Church can and must be a source of hope: “The Church is the only reference point for hope for all the Syrian people, not just for Christians. We do everything possible to support our people.”

That’s why he has personally visited all the parishes in his archdiocese to encourage the faithful. “Thanks be to God, I always feel the Lord accompanying me in the words I address to the people,” he said.

Mourad also emphasized the importance of dialogue between religious communities in a deeply wounded country: “In Homs, encounters are encouraged with all communities: Alawites, Ismailis, Sunnis, and Christians.”

“Everyone we meet is concerned about government policy, including Muslims. We are united because we are all in the same boat,” the archbishop remarked.

The reconstruction of Syria

In his vision for the reconstruction of the country, Mourad highlighted the role of the Church in specific areas: “It is essential that the Church be deeply involved in the reconstruction of schools and the entire educational system in Syria. And also in the construction of decent hospitals for our people.”

Currently, schools are functioning in Aleppo and Damascus, but “in Homs there’s nothing,” he lamented.

The prelate therefore urged action also on behalf of young people: “We need to revive pastoral and cultural centers that can support the human and cultural growth of our young people. And also homes for young people who want to get married. In this way, all young people can be encouraged to stay in the country, not to leave.”

Finally, with firm hope, the archbishop said that “resources are lacking, but the horizon is clear: This is how we can go forward on our Church’s journey in Syria. Because this is, without a doubt, the will of Jesus.”

“Jesus wants his Church to remain in Syria. This idea of emptying Syria of Christians is certainly not the will of God. We have a duty to protect our faithful and do everything possible to guarantee the future of the Church in Syria,” he affirmed.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 15, 2025 / 15:58 pm (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe is calling on churches across the nation to mark the “somber milestone” of the 80th anniversary of the detonation of the first nuclear bomb, which took place in New Mexico in 1945.

The detonation of the Trinity explosion in the Jornada del Muerto desert, part of the Alamogordo Bombing Range, occurred at 5:29 a.m on July 16, 1945. In a statement released July 14, Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe invited churches to ring their bells at that time this Wednesday, July 16, “as a call to prayer for peace and nuclear disarmament” and to remember “humanity’s entry into the atomic age.” 

To commemorate the anniversary, the archbishop, along with Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces and Bishop James Wall of Gallup, “will gather with select faith and lay leaders at the Trinity test site for a private prayer and meditation service.”

“Together, they will pray for the end of the wars that plague our world and to protect us from the ongoing threat of nuclear devastation,” the archdiocese said.

The Trinity explosion was felt within a 160-mile radius that covered an area populated by about 500,000 people, most of whom were Latino or Native Americans.

Those near the test area reported that they did not receive warnings about the detrimental effects of the nuclear explosion, which took place just a few miles from their homes. Following the detonation, nearby residents reported a surge in cancer cases, an increase in infant deaths, and other health issues related to contamination and radiation.

“Additionally, clergy are encouraged to include prayers for peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons in the prayers of the faithful during the Mass of the day, celebrated in honor of the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a significant Marian feast in the Catholic Church.”

The archdiocese stated that it “is fitting to seek Our Lady’s intercession for peace, protection from the threats of war and nuclear weapons, and for the conversion of hearts away from violence.”

“As the mother of Christ, the prince of peace, invoking her aid on this feast emphasizes the Catholic Church’s hope for a world free from the peril of nuclear conflict.”

On July 13, the archdiocese held an interfaith vigil in Albuquerque with a number of groups calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons worldwide.

At the event, Wester called Pope Francis‘ statement that nuclear weapons are immoral “groundbreaking” and asked the faithful to “to speak the truth” on the matter.