St. Simon Stock
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St. Simon Stock Feast Day: May 16 Born: 1165 Died: May 16, 1265 Patron: Bordeaux, France St. Simon was born in Aylesford, England in 1165. He was a precocious child, able to recite long prayers before he could read. He left home at age 12 to live as a hermit in the forest eating fruit and herbs. He lived in a hollowed out tree trunk, earning him the name Simon “Stock.” The devil tormented Simon, but relying on the protection of Mary, he prevailed. At age 47, he felt called to join the Order of Carmelites who had just arrived in England from Palestine, having fled the invading Muslims. The Carmelites struggled to gain acceptance in England. Also, the brothers were divided on whether to continue the hermit lifestyle or to become begging (mendicant) friars. In 1215, St. Simon became the Prior of the English Carmelite Monastery. He procured confirmation for the Rule of the Carmelite Order from Pope Honorius III. St. Simon wrote many hymns including the famously beautiful prayer to Our Lady called “Flos Carmeli” that we still sing today. Carmelite friars wore a scapular, a cloth with a hole in the middle that went over the head and draped down the front and the back. This signified the “yoke of Christ.” Grieved over the struggles the Carmelites faced, Simon implored Our Lady for help. Mary, surrounded by a multitude of angels, appeared to St. Simon in Aylesford, England on July 16, 1251. She gave him the scapular of the Carmelites saying, “This shall be a privilege to you and all Carmelites, that anyone dying in this habit shall not suffer eternal fire.” Mary instructed him to make a small version of the Brown Scapular for laity. In order for laypersons to gain the promise of the Brown Scapular, investiture is performed by a priest, the Scapular must be worn continually, and one must be devoted to Mary. It is a sign that one is affiliated with the spiritual family of Carmelites under the protection of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. St. Simon became Prior General of the Carmelite Order for approximately 10 years from 1256 to 1266. He sought further approval for his Order from Innocent IV. St. Simon Stock died in 1256 at age 100 in Bordeaux, France where he is buried. His relics are venerated in Kensington where his tibia resides and at Aylesford, England where his skull is enshrined. .