Our Lady of Miracles

On this Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel I am reminded of the beautiful "miracle of Our Lady of Mount Carmel" which took place in Palmi in Southern Italy in 1894 at the time of an earthquake which had its epicentre in the town. For seventeen days preceding this earthquake, many of the faithful had reported strange eye movements and changes in the colouring of the face in a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – as was reported in the local and national press.  In the evening of 16 November, the faithful improvised a procession carrying the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on their shoulders through the streets. When the procession reached the end of the town, a violent earthquake shook the whole district, ruining most of the old houses along the way. However, only nine people died out of a population of about 15,000 inhabitants, as almost all of the population had been on the street to watch the procession - so that they avoided being trapped inside the destroyed buildings. The town commemorates the 1894 procession each year with firecrackers, lights, and festive stalls.

Intercessions:

Brian Davis – cancer

Cancer: Marie, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Jacqui, Sue B, Theresa K

Siena, Elara – sick children

Wojtek – massive heart attack leaving him incapacitated

David OCDS - housebound

Sophia – blind infant

Joy Smith OCDS – seriously ill

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)