Day 1 of the Novena to Our Lady of Mt Carmel
Plus the Feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius...
Join us in prayer as we begin the nine day Novena to Our Lady of Mt Carmel.
For all those celebrating the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mt Carmel around the world.
For the Carmelite Order and all Lay Carmelites.
For the needs and intentions of all those praying this Novena, the apostolate of the Fraternal Society of St John the Apostle, Epiphany of Our Lord Shrine, the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, and the Diocese of St Petersburg.
First Day
O Beautiful Flower of Carmel, most fruitful vine, splendor of heaven, holy and singular, who brought forth the Son of God, still ever remaining a pure virgin, assist us in our necessity! O Star of the Sea, help and protect us!
Show us that you are our Mother! (Mention your request here)
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3x)
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in thy hands (3x)
Please offer three Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory Bes in thanksgiving.
"As holy sites go, the Sanctuary Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) in East Harlem should be top of list for Catholics visiting New York. There have been several documented miracles that have been performed by the Blessed Mother at this Shrine. The image located here was proclaimed miraculous by His Holiness Pope Leo XIII and crowned during the pontificate of Pope St. Pius X on July 10th, 1904. It is one of the 3 most holy sites in the Americas as coronated by Pontifical Authority. The two others are Our Lady of Prompt Help in New Orleans, and the Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico. OLMC was built by the neighborhood's Italian immigrant parishioners (who upon completing the cathedral in the style of an Italian mountain village basilica, were only permitted to worship down in its basement). The church has been the center of a religious feast in the street out front each July for the past 140 years. At one time was attended by upwards of 500,000 people. Today, services are offered in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish and Latin."
Saints Cyril and Methodius: Apostles of the Slavs and Pillars of Faith in Czech and Slovak Lands ✝️
For faithful Catholics devoted to the Church’s tradition, the story of Saints Cyril and Methodius is a powerful witness to the Church’s mission of evangelization and the preservation of authentic Christian culture. Their legacy, especially in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, is not just a matter of national pride—it is a testament to the enduring power of the Catholic faith to shape and uplift entire peoples.
The Brothers Sent by Rome
Born in Thessalonica in the 9th century, the brothers Constantine (later taking the monastic name Cyril) and Methodius were chosen by Divine Providence and the Holy See to bring the light of Christ to the Slavic peoples. Commissioned by Byzantine Emperor Michael III and, crucially, supported and sanctioned by the Pope, they journeyed into Great Moravia (present-day Czech Republic and Slovakia) to evangelize the Slavs and translate the liturgy and Sacred Scriptures into the Old Church Slavonic language (Catholic Encyclopedia).
Their translation of the Gospels, the creation of the Glagolitic alphabet (precursor to Cyrillic), and their unwavering fidelity to Rome placed them as true sons of the Church and defenders of the unity of faith. Despite challenges from local Frankish clergy and political authorities, the brothers always appealed to the authority of the Pope, who confirmed their mission and defended their right to use the vernacular in the liturgy—an extraordinary concession for its time, and a testament to the Church’s missionary wisdom (John Paul II, Slavorum Apostoli).
The Shift from March 9 to July 5
Originally, the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius was kept on March 9 in Czech and Slovak lands. However, in 1863, Pope Pius IX moved their commemoration to July 5. The reasons for this change were both pastoral and historical: July 5 marks the date of the arrival of the brothers’ mission in Great Moravia, and the change aligned the celebration more closely with the summer season, making it more suitable for public festivities and pilgrimages (Acta Sanctae Sedis 1863).
Since then, July 5 has become a day of profound religious and national significance. In the Czech Republic, it is known as “Slavic Missionaries Cyril and Methodius Day” (Den slovanských věrozvěstů Cyrila a Metoděje), while in Slovakia it is celebrated as “St. Cyril and Metod Day” (Sviatok svätého Cyrila a Metoda). It is a public holiday in both countries—a rare example in modern Europe of a national holiday rooted in the Catholic liturgical calendar and the missionary work of the Church.
Saints for a Catholic Nation
As Pope John Paul II wrote in his encyclical Slavorum Apostoli, “Cyril and Methodius are a model for all evangelizers and a sign of the perennial youth of the Church, which draws new strength from the Holy Spirit for every age and every people.” (Slavorum Apostoli, 25)