Brown Scapular Enrollment

[Flautist14]

I have just recently bought my first brown scapular, and have an appointment tomorrow morning with the local priest for the enrollment. I just realized that I haven’t thought of what to wear at the appointment. Father called it a Rite, and every Rite I’ve been to was during mass, so everyone was wearing their Sunday best. Tomorrow, Saturday, is my errand running day, though, so I don’t know how I feel of wearing a nice dress and such to the store, since my regular wear are jeans and a t-shirt (I’m a college student). Would it be okay to wear a nice pair of denim or khaki pants, a modest blouse, and good shoes (like I wear if I attend daily mass)?
Am I over-estimating the expected formality of this event?
Thank-you!

 

[pensmama87]

I have just recently bought my first brown scapular, and have an appointment tomorrow morning with the local priest for the enrollment. I just realized that I haven’t thought of what to wear at the appointment. Father called it a Rite, and every Rite I’ve been to was during mass, so everyone was wearing their Sunday best. Tomorrow, Saturday, is my errand running day, though, so I don’t know how I feel of wearing a nice dress and such to the store, since my regular wear are jeans and a t-shirt (I’m a college student). Would it be okay to wear a nice pair of denim or khaki pants, a modest blouse, and good shoes (like I wear if I attend daily mass)?
Am I over-estimating the expected formality of this event?
Thank-you!

Yes. What you’ve described sounds perfectly acceptable.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I have just recently bought my first brown scapular, and have an appointment tomorrow morning with the local priest for the enrollment. I just realized that I haven’t thought of what to wear at the appointment. Father called it a Rite, and every Rite I’ve been to was during mass, so everyone was wearing their Sunday best. Tomorrow, Saturday, is my errand running day, though, so I don’t know how I feel of wearing a nice dress and such to the store, since my regular wear are jeans and a t-shirt (I’m a college student). Would it be okay to wear a nice pair of denim or khaki pants, a modest blouse, and good shoes (like I wear if I attend daily mass)?
Am I over-estimating the expected formality of this event?
Thank-you!

Don’t be apprehensive. What you describe is fine.

It involves a small ceremony but it is not as formal as you may be thinking. I normally do the little ceremony in the sacristy or at the shrine of the Blessed Virgin – if the church has one – either before or after I offer Mass, if the person is coming for the investiture at the time for Mass. Otherwise, I have done it in a variety of places, including the parish office. I normally always have the rite with me, as it is a popular request. It only takes a few moments.

 

[HungerNThirst4R]

Wait, I just had mine blessed, did I do it wrong? Mine was given to me and is a Padre Pio brown scapular, it came with a prayer to say before putting it on and I did, My priest didn’t instruct me to do anything further.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Wait, I just had mine blessed, did I do it wrong? Mine was given to me and is a Padre Pio brown scapular, it came with a prayer to say before putting it on and I did, My priest didn’t instruct me to do anything further.

Have you ever been invested? If you have, then there is no need to be invested again.

I have no idea what you mean by a “Padre Pio Brown Scapular.” My comment was to the Carmelite Scapular, which I understand to be the subject of this thread.

The rite of investiture may be found in the Book of Blessings although, as a priest, I prefer to use the formula that was provided to me by the Carmelites.

 

[Flautist14]

Thank-you for your answers everyone! It took only ten minutes, and the priest did have the prayers already prepared.

 

[peter26]

Could anyone please tell me what you have to do if you want to wear the Brown Scapular asides from being invested. Do you have to say certain prayers or anything?

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Could anyone please tell me what you have to do if you want to wear the Brown Scapular asides from being invested. Do you have to say certain prayers or anything?

It depends upon what you mean by “wearing” the brown scapular.

If you mean as a member of the Confraternity, which you are after being invested, no; there are no special prayers you must say or practices prescribed (other than the wearing of the scapular or having a priest or deacon bless a scapular medal which may be substituted for the cloth scapular) nor are there any particular obligations assumed.

If you wish to become a Carmelite tertiary and to wear the scapular in that capacity, then there is a rule of life to follow and a structured prayer life and the obligations one assumes as a member of the Carmelite family.

Since you are in the United Kingdom, these are the relevant websites.

ocarm.org/en/content/ocarm/lay-carmel-britain
carmeldiscalcedsecular.org.uk/

 

[peter26]

Thank you very much Father.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Thank you very much Father.

You are welcome. I hope, if you have not had the chance to visit, that you are able to make a pilgrimage to Aylesford. It is in Kent and not far from Maidstone.

It is remarkable what the friars have done in the past decades. It is an incredibly special place, on the banks of the River Medway. It is also one of the sites to which the scapular vision to Saint Simon Stock is attributed. Saint Simon’s skull is preserved in a reliquary at the shrine, where it may be venerated.

The property was bought back by the Carmelites in the mid-20th century and they have developed it into a very special pilgrimage site.

thefriars.org.uk/history.htm

I am happy to share this information also with readers of the forum who are not in Britain and may not be aware of Aylesford.

thefriars.org.uk/

 

[RC1947]

…a scapular medal which may be substituted for the cloth scapular

I remember the use of the scapular medal was permitted only under certain circumstances such as one’s living in a tropical climate, being on active duty in the military, allergy to wool, and others. Have these restrictions changed? If not, what are the other restrictions?

Thank you!

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I remember the use of the scapular medal was permitted only under certain circumstances such as one’s living in a tropical climate, being on active duty in the military, allergy to wool, and others. Have these restrictions changed? If not, what are the other restrictions?

Thank you!

In point of fact, there are those who wish to argue that the motivation of Pope Saint Pius X in granting the concession should govern its application. That, however, is not the case. The permission was broader – and it is the Pope, with his power to bind and loose, that determines sacramentals. He used that power in this case. And it applies to all the approved scapulars – with one exception. Members of the third orders secular were not to use it to modify what their respective rules said concerning their wearing of their scapular because their relationship, like that of a Religious, is different…both to the scapular (which is their proper habit) and to their third order secular. This has been overtaken by subsequent provisions for tertiaries, however. In all cases, the rule or constitution regulates what a tertiary is to do should they wish not to wear the scapular.

This article from The Catholic Encyclopedia may be helpful. It is quite thorough on the topic of scapulars.

newadvent.org/cathen/13508b.htm

Here is the extract for the medal:
Since 1910 and the regulation of the Holy Office of 16 December of that year (Acta Apost. Sedis, III, 22 sq.) it is permitted to wear, instead of one or more of the small scapulars a single medal of metal. This medal must have on one side a representation of Jesus Christ with His Most Sacred Heart and on the other an image of the Mother of God. All persons who have been validly invested with a blessed woollen scapular may replace such by this medal. The medal must be blessed by a priest possessing the faculty to bless and invest with the scapular or scapulars which the medal is to replace. The faculties to bless these medals are subject to the same conditions and limitations as the faculties to bless and invest with the corresponding scapulars. If the medal is to be worn instead of a number of different scapulars, it must receive the blessing that would be attached to each of them, i.e. as many blessings as the number of scapulars it replaces. For each blessing a sign of the Cross suffices. This medal must also be worn constantly, either about the neck or in some other seemly manner, and with it may be attained all the indulgences and privileges of the small scapulars without exception. Only the small (not the large) scapulars may be validly replaced by such medals.
By way of a clarification, this article predates the reform of blessings at the time of Vatican II. Blessings which were reserved are now few and do not involve the scapulars. All of us who are ordained – including those who are deacons – have the ability to bless and invest in the scapulars and if they bless the scapular medal in order for it to substitute for the cloth scapular, it is effective.

 

[kdbueno]

I thought really there is a formal introduction, but I do think that all priests, other than the Carmelite order, is allowed for enrolling someone to the brown scapular ‘confraternity’

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I thought really there is a formal introduction, but I do think that all priests, other than the Carmelite order, is allowed for enrolling someone to the brown scapular ‘confraternity’

There is a rite for the blessing and investiture for the scapulars, which is contained in The Book of Blessings.

As I wrote above, the former provision that the blessing was reserved was abolished by Blessed Paul VI. This was made clear in the Roman Ritual. In turn, The Book of Blessings makes clear that any priest or deacon may do this rite.

 

[His_helpmeet]

I thought really there is a formal introduction, but I do think that all priests, other than the Carmelite order, is allowed for enrolling someone to the brown scapular ‘confraternity’

If I recall correctly, any priest who is permitted to hear confessions can enroll someone in the Brown Scapular.