My dear Derebail parishioners, my greetings and blessings to all of you. May the gifts of our Lord and Saviour adorn your lives with abundant material and spiritual favours.

We praise and thank the Lord for the marvelous and generous blessings we have received during the month of June. Through the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we have been blessed with joy, happiness, health, and peace. May these precious gifts and benedictions continue to remain in our lives.

During this month, we also experienced the loss of some of our dear parishioners. We share the pain and sorrow of the bereaved families and assure them of our prayerful support and closeness during this difficult time.

The month of July is usually a month of abundant rainfall. Let us pray that we receive sufficient and timely rains this year for the well-being of all. The month of July appears to be a relatively quiet month with regard to parish activities and programmes. Let us make use of this time to spend more quality moments with our families and dedicate ourselves more deeply to prayer and the reading of the Word of God.

The construction work of the classrooms for catechism classes is progressing well. I sincerely appreciate all of you for responding with generosity and contributing towards this much-needed work. Let us continue to show our generosity and pray that the construction work may be completed soon.

The Voter ID mapping and revision process is currently going on. I request all our parishioners to be attentive and complete the necessary documentation without delay.

We have begun the Sunday Catechism classes with great enthusiasm and zeal. I appreciate all the children for their desire to grow in faith and learn about Christian life and commitment. I also appreciate the parents for taking up the responsibility of sending their children regularly and on time for this important aspect of their spiritual formation.

Papal Intention for July

Let us pray for the respect and protection of human life in all its stages, recognizing it as a gift from God.

Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated in the Catholic Church on 16 July. It honours the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Patroness and spiritual Mother of the Carmelite Order and recalls the deep Marian spirituality associated with Mount Carmel.

Mount Carmel is a mountain ridge in northern Israel with a rich biblical heritage. It is especially associated with the prophet Elijah. In the Old Testament, Mount Carmel is remembered as the place where Elijah defended the worship of the true God and experienced the power of God through prayer.

In the 12th century, a group of hermits settled on Mount Carmel, seeking a life of prayer, contemplation, and imitation of the prophet Elijah. They later developed into the Carmelite Order. The Carmelites cultivated a deep devotion to Mary and honoured her as their Mother, Patroness, and the perfect model of contemplative prayer.

The feast is especially connected with the tradition of the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. According to Carmelite tradition, in 1251, Saint Simon Stock received a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who gave him the scapular as a sign of her maternal protection and care.

The scapular became a symbol of:

• belonging to Mary,
• commitment to Christ,
• a life of prayer and conversion.

The Church understands the scapular as a sign of faith, dedication, and trust in Mary’s intercession. Through this devotion, believers express their confidence that Mary accompanies them in their struggles, encourages them to remain faithful to Christ, and reminds them to live according to the Gospel.

The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel invites us to:

• seek God beyond the distractions of life,
• deepen our life of prayer,
• follow Mary’s example of faith and obedience to God’s will.

May Mother Mary constantly guide us, protect us, and intercede for all our intentions.

Be assured of my prayers and blessings.

Rev. Fr Joseph Martis

Parish Priest