Brown scapular enrolement?

[Piousp]

Hi there,
I was supposed to be enrolled in the Brown Scapualar by a Carmalite priest. However instead of the normal prayers we said one Our Father, one Haily Mary, and one Glory Be. I know that Carmelites have their own specific enrolement procedure (I’ve heard it at least), but can’t find it. Does anyone know if this was a valid enrolement?
He didn’t mention any of the obligations I’ve just found out about as well.

I know a priest will know more than me, however some priests aren’t orthodox about these things so I just want to check

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It sounds like maybe he wasn’t familiar with the process. I’ve been enrolled twice, the second time was by a Carmelite priest at a traditional Carmelite monastery, and there’s more to it than what you stated. The priest may or may not go over the spirituality requirements - some of them hand out a pamphlet - but the correct requirements for “Carmelite spirituality” for Scapular wearers, from the order, are here: Scapular Catechesis | Meditations from Carmel

I recommend you don’t refer to any other webpages allegedly on the Scapular because many of them contain misinformation.

Since you can get the spiritual benefits of the Brown Scapular without being officially enrolled, I’d suggest that for now you just wear it and practice the spirituality and then get yourself re-enrolled when you have a chance. I would recommend going to a traditional Carmelite monastery or World Apostolate of Fatima (Blue Army) Shrine and see if a priest can enroll you after Mass.

 

[Vico]

Hi there,
I was supposed to be enrolled in the Brown Scapualar by a Carmalite priest. However instead of the normal prayers we said one Our Father, one Haily Mary, and one Glory Be. …

The linked page from Tis_Bearself has:

Is it necessary to enroll people in the Scapular Confraternity for them to share in the spiritual benefits attached to the scapular?

No, those who wear the scapular out of devotion, practice the Order’s spirituality, yet who have no formal association to the Order share in a spiritual affiliation to the Carmelite Order. It gives them the assurances of the graces pertinent to this sacramental. Indiscriminate enrollment in the Scapular Confraternity or other such associations weakens the purpose and mission of those associations and should be avoided.

 

[Justin_Mary]

However instead of the normal prayers we said one Our Father, one Haily Mary, and one Glory Be.

I went to a priest about 20 years ago to enroll me in the Brown scapular. He blessed my scapular similar to the way a priest would bless a rosary.

I didn’t know the difference. There wasn’t an internet to ask back then.

Still, I believe our Blessed Mother has watched over me, protected me, & guided me to life in the Church.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Yes, the Blessed Mother only cares about what is in our hearts, not whether we are properly enrolled.

I would note this from the Scapular Catechesis link I posted - that there is a simple rite of blesisng of the scapular that any priest can do and that the Holy See approves, and a more complex rite of enrolling a person in the Scapular Confraternity that only priests who have been given authority to act on behalf of the Carmelite Order can do.

Who may invest people with the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel?

According to the Rite for the Blessing and Enrollment in the Scapular of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, approved by the Holy See in 1996, any priest or deacon has the faculties for blessing the scapular. A person given authority to act in the name of the order may receive people into the confraternity of the scapular. The official ritual provided by the Holy See makes no provision for someone other than a priest or deacon to bless the scapular.

The first time I was enrolled into the Brown Scapular was at the Blue Army Shrine with a large group on a day when there had been a huge Mass and a lot of stuff going on there (Fatima commemoration). A few months later I happened to be at the local traditional Carmelite Monastery and the priest said he would invest people into the Brown Scapular after Mass and if you weren’t sure if you were invested you could step up and be invested again, so I did that as I honestly couldn’t remember what prayers the priest at the Blue Army Shrine had said, let alone know if he did it right.

If you’re in the US there are also no local Confraternities so it’s not like you’re going to have to attend meetings of them, etc. I understand in Europe, being invested into the Confraternity carries obligations like going to meetings of your local chapter. The US never had these and consequently when we get enrolled we don’t have anything “extra” to do beyond just practicing Carmelite spirituality as we would do even if not enrolled.

 

[Bluebright]

I got invested as part of joining a Carmelite institute by a Carmelite priest so can’t shed much light on the process as it was also an entry into an Order (a little like what Tis says of those in Europe) but it certainly involved more than those prayers. I know I was blessed with hyssop and holy water (and my scapular medal) and answered the priest with certain responses though it was exciting I don’t recall them now. I was given a copy of our constitutions by our president and then we had mass.

 

[Piousp]

Okay, thanks all for your replies !