Our Patron Saint:
Blessed Virgin Mary
Patroness of the Carmelite Order
Feast Day:
July 16
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. During the late 12th and early to mid 13th centuries, the first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. They built a chapel near their homes and dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin. The liturgical feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated on July 16. The primary object of the feast was in thanksgiving to the Blessed Mother, for all the benefits she had accorded the difficult early existence of the Carmelite Order.