Where did the devotion to the scapular come from?

The Catholic Church's devotion to wearing the brown scapular, also known as Our Lady's habit, comes from the vision St. Simon Stock had of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  St. Simon Stock was elected prior general of the Carmelites in 1247.  Simon came into his position facing many problems.  The Carmelites had nearly been wiped out by the plague, and few men were entering the Order.  Also, persecution and mockery were being inflicted upon the Carmelites.  Simon begged Our Lady to send them a protection, the kind of protection a lord showed over his people.  On July 16, 1251, Our Lady answered his prayer and appeared to St. Simon.  In this vision, she gave him the scapular, along with the promise: "Whosoever dies wearing this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire."  While at first the Carmelites were the only ones to wear the brown scapular, Our Lady's offer of this sign of her favor was not just to the Carmelite Order, but to the whole world.  Soon religious and laity all over the world wished to be able to share in the protection of Our Lady.  Countless miracles and conversions have been credited to the scapular, which has also led to the widespread devotion.

What is the scapular?

The scapular in its original form has been a part of religious garb for hundreds of years as early as the 6th century.  It was, and still is, worn by Benedictines, Cistercians, Carmelites, Carthusians, Dominincans, etc...  The word scapular comes from the Latin scapulae which means "shoulders".  The original scapular was a long, narrow piece of cloth with a hole in the middle for the head, worn over the shoulders so that half of the scapular hung in the front and the other half hung down in the back.  Some orders sewed hoods onto the back of the scapular.  The purpose of the scapular, like an apron, was to protect the cassock or habit from dirt and wear and tear.  When Our Lady chose to bestow her special protection upon those who wore the scapular, she did not invent a new part of the religious habit, but rather utilized a piece already in use.  When the promise made to St. Simon Stock became widely known, and devotees to the scapular grew in number, the smaller version of the scapular (as seen to the right), which most of us are familiar with today, was approved by the Vatican so that it may be worn under the clothes with more convenience.

The Carmelite Scapular is not:
a  magical charm to protect you
an  automatic guarantee of salvation
an excuse for not living up to the demands of the Christian life 

It is a sign which stands for the decision to:
-follow Jesus like Mary
-be open to God and to His Will
-be guided by faith, hope and love
-to pray at all times
-to discover God's presence in all that happens around us

Why should we wear it?

The scapular is not a magic charm or a free ticket into heaven, nor is it an excuse to live an immoral life.  The scapular is a visible sign that you are pledging to live a Christian life with Mary as your example.  To wear the scapular is a sign of devotion the the Blessed Virgin Mary.  St. Claude says "because all forms of our love for the Blessed Virgin and all its various modes cannot be equally pleasing to her...I say without a moments hesitation the the Brown Scapular is the most favored of all!"  Our Lady told St. Simon Stock that she wished her children to wear the scapular, the garment she chose to signify her protection.  Mary has promised that she will obtain the graces and protections necessary for those who show their devotion to her by wearing the scapular.  She will not let her children fall into the eternal fire, but rather protect them under her mantle, the brown scapular.  By wearing the scapular, you visibly show that you desire to live a holy life, and you trust that God, through the intercession of Mary, will give you the graces you need to reach heaven.

What is the sabbatine privilege?

The sabbatine privilege is a special promise extended to all that wear the scapular and are enrolled in the scapular.  The privilege was approved by Pope John XXII, and was later confirmed by Pope Gregory XIII, Pope Clement VII, and Pope St. Pius V.  The privilege states that those souls who keep the necessary requirements of the privilege will be released from purgatory by Our Lady the Saturday after they die.  The requirements are: 1.The scapular must be worn and the wearer must be enrolled in the scapular. 2. Chastity to one's state in life must be observed.  3.  One must fast from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  4.  You must recite the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin or the rosary everyday.

Miracles associated with the scapular

Throughout the centuries since the scapular promise was made to St. Simon Stock, countless miracles and conversions have been credited to the scapular.  The following are just a few examples.

In May 1957, in Westenboden, Germany, an entire row of houses had caught fire.  The inhabitants of one of the houses fixed a scapular to the front door of their home.  Five hours later, 22 homes on the block had burnt to the ground.  Yet amidst the destruction, the home with the scapular attached to it stood unharmed.  This miracle was witnessed by hundreds of people.

Three holy men devoted to the scapular, Pope Bl. Gregory X, St. Alphonsus Liguori, and St. John Bosco, all died wearing the scapular.  When their graves were opened years later, the bodies and vestments had decayed but their scapulars remained perfectly intact.

In November of 1955, a plane carrying 27 passengers crashed in Guatemala.  All the passengers died except for one young girl.  She related that when the plane was going down, she clutched her scapular and cried out to Our Lady for help.  She was burnt and her clothes were tattered and burnt as well, but the girl was overall unharmed and her scapular free from any burns.

(the miracles above were taken from Garment of Grace, published by the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.)

Saints devoted to the Scapular:

Practical information

The Scapular encourages us to live as authentic Christians in line with the teaching of  the Gospel, to receive the sacraments, to profess our special devotion to the  Blessed Virgin, which should be expressed each day, at least  by saying the Hail  Mary.

To receive the full benefit of the scapular, the wearer should be enrolled in the scapular.  People are enrolled in the scapular only once, by a priest.

It is a good idea to have your scapular blessed by a priest, but only the first scapular worn need be blessed.  After that the blessing is carried on to all scapulars worn from then on.

Non-Catholics may wear the scapular, but only Catholics may be enrolled in the scapular.  In fact Non-Catholics are encouraged to wear the scapular because of the great graces they will obtain.

The scapular must be made of cloth and worn over the shoulders by cloth or a cord or a chain.  It may not be pinned or fastened to clothing as a replacement for wearing it over the shoulders.  In necessary cases, such as in missions, the scapular medal may be worn instead.  However, if the scapular medal is worn for insufficient reason, such as vanity or convenience, the wearer runs the risk of not receiving the benefit of the promise.