St Peter
From its inauguration as a new parish, the C.U.S.A. army hut on the corner of Humphries and Cabramatta Roads became our “first School/Church”.
Our parish then was known as St Peters Mt Pritchard.
However when the foundation stone for our first purpose built church (the current Parish Centre) was laid by Bishop Thomas Muldoon in December of 1961, he announced that from that day on it would be known as the Parish of Our Lady of Mt Carmel.
The reason for the name change is contained in the book to commemorate the Parish’s 50th Anniversary, titled “The Old & The New – A History of the Parish of Our Lady of Mt Carmel Mt Pritchard” printed in 2011.
The church was officially opened and named “Our Lady of Mt Carmel Mt Pritchard” in 1962 by Bishop James Darcy Freeman.
Our Lady of Mt Carmel
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late 12th and early to mid 13th centuries. They built a chapel in the midst of their hermitages which they dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, whom they conceived of in chivalric terms as the “Lady of the place.”
Feast of Our Lady of Mt Carmel
The liturgical feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated on 16 July. The solemn liturgical feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was probably first celebrated in England in the later part of the 14th century. Its object was thanksgiving to Mary, the patroness of the Carmelite Order, for the benefits she had accorded to it through its rocky early existence.
Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
O most beautiful Flower of Mt. Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendour of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity.
O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to succour me in this necessity; there are none that can withstand your power.
O show me herein that you are my Mother.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us that recourse to thee (3 times).
Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands. (3 times)
Amen
