Devotion to Blessed Mother deepens at Viscount parish

St. Alphonse Pastor Fr. Emmanuel Olusola presides at the recent celebration. (Photo submitted)

Posted By: Kiply Lukan Yaworski April 10, 2019

Brown Scapular investiture held at St Alphonse Parish

By Fr. Emmanuel Olusola, Pastor

[Viscount, SK]  –  History was made Sunday April 7, 2019, in the parish community at Viscount, SK, where 15 members of St. Alphonse were invested with the Brown Scapular of Our Lady.

In recent times, devotion to the Blessed Mary has been on the increase in the tri-parish cluster of Viscount, Colonsay and Allan. Faithful of these communities gather to pray the Holy Rosary before every Saturday evening Mass and before every weekend Masses in the Marian months of May and October. The Brown Scapular devotion is an addition to the various ways of nurturing the faith in these communities.

The Scapular itself is a small item that is worn or carried by those who have been invested, evocative of the religious habit historically worn by Carmelite religious communities. As a sacramental the Brown Scapular is an external sign of a relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Prior to the investiture on April 7, the parish council deliberated on the need for this devotion and commissioned Cindy Binsfeld, who is the parish coordinator of Liturgical committee to explain to the congregation the reasons for embracing this devotion. Through the efforts of Mark Greasley, the Scapulars, books and other resource materials were obtained from the Fatima Centre.

During the investiture, I elaborated on the need to embrace this devotion as a way of being more active in the life of the parish and an opportunity to receive the promises that go with it.

This devotion is one of the earliest in the history of the Church since it has been related to the experience of prophet Elijah on Mount Carmel as recorded in the book of Kings. As time went by, the initial community of devotees was transferred in 1242 AD from Mount Carmel in Palestine to Aylesford, England. On July 16, 1252, Saint Simon Stock who was the Superior General of the Carmelite Order prayed to Our Lady for help and she later appeared to him and handed him the Scapular with the promise that, “anyone who dies clothed in the Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.”

It is hoped that devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary will continue to lead us closer to her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. For the people of God in Viscount, the investiture with the Brown Scapular will continue to be a memorable event in the annals of our parish, and it is a call for more participation in the other aspects of the life of our parish community.