Saint Anne, Mother Of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast Day - 26 July

Quoted from catholic-saints.info [1]:

The Story and History of Saint Anne

The story and history of Saint Anne. Saint Anne was the spouse of St. Joachim, and was chosen by God to be the mother of Mary, His [Son's] own blessed Mother on earth. They were both of the royal house of David, and their lives were wholly occupied in prayer and good works. One thing only was wanting to their union - they were childless, and this was held as a bitter misfortune among the Jews. At length, when Anne was an aged woman, Mary was born, the fruit rather of grace than of nature, and the child more of God than of man. With the birth of Mary the aged Anne began a new life: she watched her every movement with reverent tenderness, and felt herself hourly sanctified by the presence of her immaculate child. But she had vowed her daughter to God, to God Mary had consecrated herself again, and to Him Anne gave her back. Mary was three years old when Anne and Joachim led her up the Temple steps, saw her pass by herself into the inner sanctuary, and then saw her no more. Thus was Anne left childless in her lone old age, and deprived of her purest earthly joy just when she needed it most. She humbly adored the Divine Will, and began again to watch and pray, till God called her to unending rest with the Father and the Spouse of Mary [the Holy Spirit] in the home of Mary's Child [the Son, Lord Jesus Christ].

[1] http://www.catholic-saints.info/roman-catholic-saints-a-g/saint-anne.htm

Saint James The Apostle Feast Day - 25 July

Quoted, in part, from Catholic Daily Readings [1]:

Nothing is known of St. James the Greater’s early life, though it has been established that he is the son of Zebedee and Salome and brother of John the disciple.

The title “the Greater” was added to St. James’ name to help distinguish him from the Apostle James “the Less,” who is believed to have been shorter than James “the Greater.”

Saint James the Greater was one of Jesus’ first disciples. James was fishing with his father and John the Apostle when Jesus came to the shores of the Sea of Galilee and called for the fisherman, who were unable to catch any fish that day, to dip their nets in the water once again.

When the fishermen followed Jesus’ instructions, they found their nets full, and after emptying the fish on board, the boats nearly sank from their weight.

Later, James was one of only three called by Jesus to witness his Transfiguration, and when he and [John,] his brother[,] wanted to call fire upon a Samaritan town, both were rebuked by Jesus.*

[*Quoted from Biblegateway, Luke 9:51-55, New International Version:

51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. [2]]

Following Christ’s Ascension, James spread the Gospel across Israel and the Roman kingdom as well. He traveled and spread the Word for nearly forty years in Spain.

[According to ancient local tradition, on 2 January AD 40, the Virgin Mary appeared to James on the bank of the Ebro River at Caesaraugusta, while he was preaching the Gospel in Spain. She appeared upon a pillar, Nuestra Señora del Pilar, and that pillar is conserved and venerated within the present Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, in Zaragoza, Spain. [3]]

Later, James returned to Jerusalem but was martyred for his faith by King Herod, who decapitated him. Saint James the Greater is known as the first apostle to die.

[[A]fter his martyrdom at the hands of Herod Agrippa, his disciples carried his body by sea to Iberia, where they landed at Padrón on the coast of Galicia, then took it inland for burial at Santiago de Compostela. [4]]

In the ninth century his remains were discovered and moved to a tomb in Santiago de Compostela. Today, his remains can still be found in the Cathedral of Santiago [in Galacian, Catedral Basilica de Santiago de Compostela. [5]]

[1] https://catholicreadings.org/saint-of-the-day-july-25-saint-james-apostle-date-of-birth-country-of-birth-profession-place-of-work-date-of-death-place-of-death-feast-day-beatification-date-canonization-date/

[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+9%3A+51-55&version=NIV, quoted without reference.

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_the_Great, quoted with hyperlinks and references.

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_the_Great, first paragraph, third line in the section entitled Mission in Spain and burial at Compostela, quoted without hyperlinks.

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela_Cathedral

Saint Mary Magdalene Feast Day - 22 July

Luke 7: 44-50, quoted from BibleGateway, Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition [1]:

44 And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon: Dost thou see this woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet; but she with tears hath washed my feet, and with her hairs hath wiped them.

45 Thou gavest me no kiss; but she, since she came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint; but she with ointment hath anointed my feet.

47 Wherefore I say to thee: Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much. But to whom less is forgiven, he loveth less.

48 And he said to her: Thy sins are forgiven thee.

49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves: Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

50 And he said to the woman: Thy faith hath made thee safe, go in peace.

Quoted from aciafrica.org [2]:

On July 22, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Mary Magdelene, one of the most prominent women mentioned in the New Testament.

Her name comes from the town of Magdala in Galilee, where she was born. Scripture introduces her as a woman “who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out” (Lk. 8:2).

Some scholars identify Mary Magdalene with the sinful woman who anointed the feet of Christ with oil in the house of Simon the Pharisee (Lk. 7:36-50). Others associate her with Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (Lk. 10:38-42, Jn. 11). Some believe the three figures to be one person, while others believe them to be three distinct individuals.

What the Scriptures make certain about Mary Magdalene is that she was a follower of Christ, who accompanied and ministered to him (Lk. 8:2-3). The Gospels record her as being one of the women present at Christ’s crucifixion.

In addition, she was the first recorded witness of the Resurrection. The Gospels all describe Mary Magdalene going to the tomb on Easter morning. When she saw that the tomb was empty, she stood outside, weeping. Jesus appeared to her and asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” (Jn. 20:15)

She did not recognize him, however, and thought he was the gardener, until he said her name, “Mary!” (Jn. 20:16) Upon hearing this, Mary recognized him. She returned to the grieving disciples to announce to them the message of the Resurrection.

Pope Benedict XVI spoke about Mary Magdalene in his address before the Angelus on July 23, 2006. He referred to her as “a disciple of the Lord who plays a lead role in the Gospels.”

The Pope recalled Mary Magdalene’s presence “beneath the Cross” on Good Friday, as well as how “she was to be the one to discover the empty tomb” on Easter morning.

“The story of Mary of Magdala reminds us all of a fundamental truth,” Pope Benedict said. “A disciple of Christ is one who, in the experience of human weakness, has had the humility to ask for his help, has been healed by him and has set out following closely after him, becoming a witness of the power of his merciful love that is stronger than sin and death.”

[1] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+7%3A+44-50&version=DRA

[2] https://www.aciafrica.org/news/3915/today-july-22-we-celebrate-st-mary-magdalene#:~:text=On%20July%2022%2C%20the%20Church%20celebrates%20the%20Feast,of%20Magdala%20in%20Galilee%2C%20where%20she%20was%20born.

An Article On Traditionis Custodes Written By Peter Kwasniewski, Ph.D.

Below is the link to the article published on The Remanant  by Peter Kwasniewski, Ph.D., entitled Traditionis Custodes: The New Atom Bomb --https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/5473-traditionis-custodes-the-new-atom-bomb

Quoted from Wikipedia [1]:

Traditionis custodes (Guardians of the tradition) is an apostolic letter issued motu proprio by Pope Francis, promulgated on 16 July 2021. It restricts the celebration of the Tridentine Mass of the Roman Rite, sometimes colloquially called "Latin Mass" or "Traditional Latin Mass". The apostolic letter was accompanied by a letter to the bishops of the world.

 

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditionis_custodes#:~:text=Traditionis%20custodes%20From%20Wikipedia%2C%20the%20free%20encyclopedia%20Traditionis,2021%2C%20restricting%20the%20celebration%20of%20the%20Tridentine%20Mass., quoted without hyperlinks.

Saint Vincent de Paul Feast Day - 19 July

The following quoted paragraphs are from Wikipedia [1]:

Saint Vincent de Paul, was a French Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poor. In 1622 Vincent was appointed a chaplain to the galleys. After working for some time in Paris among imprisoned galley slaves, he returned to be the superior of what is now known as the Congregation of the Mission, or the "Vincentians" (in France known as "Lazaristes"). These priests, with vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability, were to devote themselves entirely to the people in smaller towns and villages. Vincent was zealous in conducting retreats for clergy at a time when there was great laxity, abuse, and ignorance among them. He was a pioneer in clerical training and was instrumental in establishing seminaries, and founder of the Congregation of the Mission and Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul.

Saint Vincent de Paul has a charity named after him by Blessed Frédéric Ozanam. He was renowned for his compassion, humility, and generosity. Vincent was canonized in 1737 and is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. 

...

In 1737, Vincent's feast day was included in the Roman Calendar for celebration on 19 July, this date being chosen because his day of death was already used for the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian. The new celebration was given the rank of "Double", which was changed to the equivalent rank of "Third-Class Feast" in 1960. The 1969 revision of the General Roman Calendar transferred his memorial to 27 September, moving Cosmas and Damian to 26 September to make way for him, as he is now better known in the West than them.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_de_Paul, quoted without hyperlinks, references and emphasis.

Were These Words Of Jesus Taken Into Account Before Announcing Restrictions On The Latin Rite Mass?

Luke 9:49-50, quoted from Biblegateway, NIV version [1]:

49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

See also Mark 9:38-40, quoted from Biblegateway, NIV version [2]:

38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.[”]

 

The reference made to "cup of water" above could perhaps be thought of as the cup of the new covenant (see 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, quoted from Biblegateway, NIV version [3]):

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

 

See also Luke 22:19-20, quoted from Biblegateway, NIV version [4]:

19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

And Matthew 26:26-28, quoted from Biblegateway, NIV version [5]:

26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

And Mark 14:22-24 too, quoted from Biblegateway, NIV version [6]:

22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them.

 

Why should it matter whether the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (the central and indispensable part of the Catholic Mass) takes place during the Tridentine Mass or the Novus Ordo Mass?

What harm will the Catholic Church suffer if both the Tridentine Mass and the Novus Ordo Mass are being offered under the same roof?  These words of Jesus from Mark 9:30 is repeated here to underscore this point: "for whoever is not against us is for us." [7]

[1] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+9%3A+49-50&version=NIV

[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+9%3A38-40&version=NIV

[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+11%3A23-25&version=NIV

[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+22%3A19-20&version=NIV

[5] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+26%3A26-28&version=NIV, quoted without reference.

[6] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+14%3A+22-24&version=NIV, quoted without reference.

[7] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+9%3A+40&version=NIV

Continued - Celebration Of Tridentine (Latin) Mass Restricted - Letter To Bishops & Apostolic Letter "MOTU PROPRIO" - 16 July 2021

Link to the article entitled Text of pope’s letter to bishops on celebration of Mass  published by Our Sunday Visitor: https://osvnews.com/2021/07/16/text-of-popes-letter-to-bishops-on-celebration-of-mass/

Quoted from St. John Cantius Church [1]:

Today Pope Francis issued the Motu Proprio, Traditionis Custodis, [2] concerning the use of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Understandably this presents questions for our friends and the faithful of our parishes. 

Perhaps this is a good time to review the prophesy of Saint Francis of Assisi.  Quoted from novusorderwatch.org [3]:

“A Man, not Canonically Elected, will be raised to the Pontificate… In those days Jesus Christ will send them not a true Pastor, but a Destroyer”

Virgo Sacrata  also has this to say: "St. Francis of Assisi had a gift of prophesy about a future Church crisis such as ours.  He described a corrupt pontificate where Our Lord had placed a 'non-canonically elected destroyer' into the visible seat." [4]

Catholic Truth  published an article entitled  Was Pope Francis canonically elected?  The paragraphs below quoted in part come from this article [5]:

... In fact, long before Benedict’s announcement of impending resignation, a close personal friend of mine, the late Mons. Mario Marini, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission «Ecclesia Dei», informed me of the well organized plot in Rome, in the Northern Italian bishoprics, and in the French hierarchy, to pressure and coerce Pope Benedict to resign. From the beginning the Modernist progressives wanted him out. Cardinal Daneels publicly expressed his displeasure with the election of Cardinal Ratzinger immediately after the cardinals elected him. Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor likewise made the very telltale remark that same day, saying, “We didn’t get our man.” The one he referred to as “our man” was Mario Jorge Bergoglio SJ.

...

    Almost immediately upon assuming the papacy, John Paul I’s pontificate was quickly turning into a potential catastrophe for ecclesiastical Freemasonry. He was going to purge the Vatican bank and remo[v]e it from Masonic control under Bishop Paul Marcinkus, and he announced to Cardinal Villot his intention to remove the three of the highest ranking Masonic prelates (Villot himself, Casaroli and Card. Ugo Polletti) from the Roman Curia and replace them with conservatives. About an hour later, Pope Luciani was dead. His body was discovered the following morning. The murder of the pope was carried out by P2 Freemasons....Already, three days before the death of John Paul I, Archbishop (and future Cardinal) Eduard Gagnon had said to Fr. Mario Marini, “They’re going to kill this pope. He is trying to make too many changes, and too quickly.” Three days later, Marini called Gagnon after having just learned of the death of Pope Luciani —  Marini asked Gagnon, “Do you remember what you told me three days ago?” Archbishop Gagnon replied, “I remember very well, and they did it.”

     Archbishop Gagnon not only predicted the murder of Pope John Paul I, but he also predicted the election of Cardinal Wojtyla as a compromise candidate in the second 1978 conclave....So, John Paul II was not the choice of the progressivists in 1978, he was not “their man”, but a compromise candidate acceptable to both sides. 

      After some years, when it became clear that in moral and disciplinary matters John Paul would not budge from the traditional position, and he would seek a rapproachment with the SSPX, rather than a hard line, the progressivists grew increasingly impatient with him, and set in motion the movement to oust him. . John Paul II even said while visiting  Ancona around 1995 or 1996 that he was not leaving and would stay put. Back then, “their man” was the other Jesuit heretic, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini SJ. The Wojtylian pontificate lingered on and on as Cardinal Martini became old and decrepit (nearly 80 years old) when John Paul II finally died. Whereas in the 90s, in diplomatic circles and where the “good and the great” meet, when Martini was present, index fingers discreetly pointed him out as the next pope. By the time Pope Wojtyla died in 2005, it was too late for Martini — the ‘powers that be’ now wanted the younger Jesuit (heretic), Bergoglio to succeed the Polish pope. However, too many non-European cardinals rallied behind Ratzinger after his funeral homily for John Paul II, so they still didn’t get their man — they got the hated “German Shepherd”, also known as “God’s Rotweiller”, Joseph Ratzinger.

     After Pope Benedict issued Summorum Pontificum, freeing the celebration of the traditional Latin liturgy so hated by the progressivists, and after backtracking on some progressive positions of Vatican II, and reforming the liturgy of the Mass rite of Paul VI along conservative lines, the progressivists led by ecclesiastical Masons were determined to oust him. It even reached the point that death threats were transmitted to him. I was informed by a cleric close to Pope Benedict about the threats well before Benedict announced his resignation. So, I had no difficulty believ[i]ng the reports of Fr. Santiago (a personal collaborator of Pope Benedict) and Alberto Villasana about the coercion, threats and pressures to oust Pope Benedict. Now that Freemasonry has “their man” at the top of the Vatican, we can expect to eventually hear a dissenting reaction from Pope Benedict and his followers, as Francis pursues the Masonic policy of the utter demolition of Catholicism and a radical reform of the Church that would transform it into a Masonic  “dogma free Christianity”, and merge it into intercommunion with the other denominations and non-Christian religions. Meanwhile, there is growing awareness among Catholics that “Francis [I]” is increasingly manifesting himself to be exactly what St. Francis of Assisi foretold in his deathbed prophecy — “uncanonically elected”, and, “not a true pastor but a destroyer.” 

[1] https://www.cantius.org/post/regarding-the-moto-proprio-traditionis-custodes

[2] Motu Proprio, Traditionis Custodis link: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/20210716-motu-proprio-traditionis-custodes.html

[3] https://novusordowatch.org/saint-francis-assisi-prophecy-destroyer/, quoted without bold emphasis.

[4] https://www.virgosacrata.com/st-francis-of-assisi-prophecies.html#:~:text=St%20Francis%20of%20Assisi%20%281181%2F1182%20%E2%80%93%203%20October,a%20%E2%80%9Cnon-canonically%20elected%20destroyer%E2%80%9D%20into%20the%20visible%20seat.

[5] https://catholictruthblog.com/2013/12/30/was-pope-francis-canonically-elected/

Celebration Of Tridentine (Latin) Mass Restricted - 16 July 2021

Quoted from Catholic Culture (last paragraph) [1]:

Priests who already celebrate the traditional Latin Mass “should request from the diocesan Bishop the authorization to continue to enjoy this faculty,” Pope Francis said. Priests ordained after July 16, 2021 “who wish to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass “should submit a formal request to the diocesan Bishop, who shall consult the Apostolic See before granting this authorization.”

Quoted from apnews.com [2]:

Under the new law, bishops must also determine if the current groups of faithful attached to the old Mass accept Vatican II, which allowed for Mass to be celebrated in the vernacular rather than Latin. These groups cannot use regular churches; instead, bishops must find alternate locations for them without creating new parishes.

...

“This is an extremely disappointing document which entirely undoes the legal provisions,” of Benedict’s 2007 document, said Joseph Shaw, chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales.

While Latin celebrations can continue, “the presumption is consistently against them: bishops are being invited to close them down,” Shaw said, adding that the requirement for Latin Masses to be held outside a parish was “unworkable.”

...

Benedict had issued his document in 2007 to reach out to a breakaway, schismatic group that celebrates the Latin Mass, the Society of St. Pius X, and which had split from Rome over the modernizing reforms of Vatican II.

But Francis said Benedict’s effort to foster unity had essentially backfired.

The opportunity offered by Benedict, the pope said in a letter to bishops accompanying the new law, was instead “exploited to widen the gaps, reinforce the divergences, and encourage disagreements that injure the Church, block her path, and expose her to the peril of division.”

Francis said he was “saddened” that the use of the old Mass was accompanied by a rejection of Vatican II itself “with unfounded and unsustainable assertions that it betrayed the Tradition and the ‘true Church.’”

Christopher Bellitto, professor of church history at Kean University, said Francis was right to intervene, noting that Benedict’s original decision had had a slew of unintended consequences that not only created internal divisions but temporarily roiled relations with Jews.

...

Rorate Caeli, a popular traditionalist blog run out of the U.S., said Francis’ “attack” was the strongest rebuke of a pope against his predecessors in living memory.

“Francis HATES US. Francis HATES Tradition. Francis HATES all that is good and beautiful,” the group tweeted. But it concluded: “FRANCIS WILL DIE, THE LATIN MASS WILL LIVE FOREVER.”

Messa in Latino, an Italian traditionalist blog, was also blistering in its criticism.

“Mercy always and only for sinners (who are not asked to repent) but no mercy for those few traditional Catholics,” the blog said Friday.

For years, though, Francis has made known his distaste of the old liturgy, privately labeling its adherents self-referential naval-gazers who are out of touch with the needs of the church. He has cracked down on religious orders that celebrated the old Mass exclusively and frequently decried the “rigidity” of tradition-minded priests who prioritize rules over pastoral accompaniment.

[Prior to Vatican II, many holy saints had celebrated the traditional Mass.  For example, Saint Augustine of Hippo [3], Saint Thomas Aquinas [4], Saint Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney [5] and others.  Were they, according to Bergoglio, "self-referential naval-gazers" and "out of touch with the needs of the church"?] 

Traditionalists have insisted that the old liturgy was never abrogated and that Benedict’s 2007 reform had allowed it to flourish.

They point to the growth of traditionalist parishes, often frequented by young, large families, as well as new religious orders that celebrate the old liturgy. The Latin Mass Society claims the number of traditional Masses celebrated each Sunday in England and Wales had more than doubled since 2007, from 20 to 46.

But for many, the writing was on the wall as soon as Francis stepped out onto the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica after his 2013 election without the ermine-trimmed red velvet cape that was preferred by Benedict and is a symbol of the pre-Vatican II church.

The restrictions went into immediate effect with its publication in Friday’s official Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.

[1] https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=51562

[2] https://apnews.com/article/latin-mass-pope-francis-restrictions-benedict-6f50b9bc219d423f99267fddcdf23cf6

[3] http://www.augnet.org/en/life-of-augustine/in-africa-again/1202-augustine-the-priest/

[4] https://ucatholic.com/saints/thomas-aquinas/

[5] https://www.reginamag.com/saint-jean-baptiste-marie-vianney-confessor/

Commemoration Of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel - 16 July

Quoted in part from America Needs Fatima [1]:

Mount Carmel is the biblical site where the prophet Elias battled the 450 priests of Baal in a public spiritual contest which led to their defeat and ruin as Scriptures aptly recorded. (1 Kings 18:19-40). It was also here where Elias sent his servant seven times to the mountaintop to look for rain after years of drought which ended as he proclaimed, "Behold a little cloud arose out of the sea like a man's foot." (1 Kings 18:44).

We can find Mount Carmel on the Mediterranean coast of Israel, overlooking the modern-day city of Haifa. 

It rises 1742 feet above sea level and towers above the Mediterranean coastline and its limestone rocks form a cliff-like landscape.

...

Any account on the story of Our Lady of Mount Carmel could not fail to mention the role that St. Simon Stock played especially in relation to the brown scapular. We could trace Simon Stock’s origin to the County of Kent in England where he was born around 1165. Being of English descent, he was also known as Simon Anglus.

...

Tradition says that Our Lady responded to their call [due to suffering from "much persecution and oppression from secular clergy and other orders which prompted the monks to have recourse to the Blessed Virgin in the year 1251"] through an apparition to Simon Stock on Sunday July 16th, 1251 as he knelt in prayer. She appeared holding the Child Jesus in one arm and the brown scapular in the other hand while uttering the following words: "Hoc erit tibi et cunctis Carmelitis privilegium, in hoc habitu moriens salvabitur" (This shall be the privilege for you and for all the Carmelites, that anyone dying in this habit shall be saved.) On 13 January 1252 the Order received a letter of protection from Pope Innocent IV, defending them from harassment. [Emphasis  original.]

St. Simon Stock lived a holy life for 100 years and died in the Carmelite monastery at Bordeaux, France on May 16, 1265.

[1] https://www.americaneedsfatima.org/Our-Blessed-Mother/the-origins-of-devotion-to-our-lady-of-mount-carmel.html