Ana Torres Fonseca
Every year on July 16, the church celebrates one of the most popular Marian devotions, that of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
On that day, the Carmelites celebrate this solemnity, which has its origins on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land, where the Order was founded by a group of 12th-century hermits.
Here, in Rome, there is a church that holds an annual procession featuring Mary seated on a throne with the Baby Jesus in her arms:
FR. GIUSEPPE MIDILI
Parish Priest and Professor, Santa María in Transpontina
This is the shrine that, according to tradition, the Carmelites built next to the tomb of the Apostle Peter. It is a thoroughly carmelite shrine ,with all of the interior iconography dedicated to the saints of Carmel, early saints of the Order, as well as Our Lady. The dome features eight Marian tiles, all of which are connected to the spirituality and tradition of Carmel.
The church of Santa Maria in Traspontina, in the middle of the Via della Conciliazione, houses the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel which was blessed by Pius XI.
It was crowned by Pope John Paul II for the 750 anniversary of the scapular on September 12, 2001, one day after the attacks on the Twin Towers.
FR. GIUSEPPE MIDILI
Parish Priest and Professor, Santa María in Transpontina
The encounter between the community and the Bishop of Rome, Pope John Paul II, was a moment of great spiritual intensity. The Pope wished to crown this image, recognizing that many of the faithful come here to pray to Mary. Crowning Mary means recognizing her role in the history of salvation and, therefore, becoming aware that while we all follow the Lord, we walk the path that Mary shows us.
The fact is that, in addition to housing this image that inspires such devotion among the Roman people, the church holds a great secret: an important relic that few know about.
FR. GIUSEPPE MIDILI
Parish Priest and Professor, Santa María in Transpontina
This church is a reconstruction of the original Traspontina, which was located next to Castel Sant'Angelo, where the statue of Saint Catherine of Siena stands today. It was founded and built here, but later, due to a series of logistical issues related to the Castel, it was moved to this location. So, the old Traspontina was demolished and rebuilt here.
Several relics were moved here from the previous church, whose origins date back to the 7 century, including a terracotta statue of the Pietà, a 15 century crucifix, as well as the two columns where, according to tradition, Peter and Paul were flogged.
In Rome, the feast is celebrated with three processions honoring Our Lady of Mount Carmel. One in the Prati neighborhood close to the Vatican, and two in the picturesque Trastevere neighborhood. Every year, thousands of pilgrims take part in these processions to entrust themselves to a Mother who, as Carmelite tradition reminds us, protects the journey of those who turn to her.
