July 16 is the day that the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel throughout the world. Mount Carmel is the mountain in the middle of the plain of Galilee on which the prophet Elijah called down a miracle of fire from the Lord, to show the people of Israel who had strayed that “The Lord is God!” and that the prophets of Baal were worshiping a false god.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late 12th and early to mid 13th centuries. They built a chapel in the midst of their hermitages which they dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, whom they conceived of in chivalric terms as the “Lady of the place.” Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is also the patron saint of Chile.
To celebrate this feast our residents at St Joseph’s Home were served delicious mid afternoon treats by the Little Sisters and members of the staff. Those in attendance enjoyed fresh fruit,pastries and coffee. Pictured cooking freshly made zeppole is our own uber volunteer Jim Francese. Also pictured is a table that includes Rosemary & Rudolph D’Onofrio, Peggy Bierster, Dorothy Wild and Marge Carafello.
July 16th the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel