July 16 honors the Virgin Mary as the Patroness of the Carmelite family. The Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel demonstrates the relationship cultivated with the Blessed Virgin over the eight centuries of Carmelite history.

One of the Stained Glass windows in the Basilica depicts an instance of Our Lady’s intercession on behalf of the Carmelite Order at a critical moment in its history.

Lent is a season to engage in a spiritual purgation to nurture a more peaceful soul that is pleasing to God. It is a time to grow in humility. St. Teresa of Avila names humility as one of three qualities “to possess inwardly and outwardly the peace our Lord recommended highly to us” (W 4, 4).