Carmelites celebrate feast day with special Mass

Friday, Aug. 01, 2025

HOLLADAY — The Carmelite nuns at the Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Holladay celebrated one of their order’s feast days in a special way this year. On July 16, the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, they allowed the monastery to be a pilgrimage site for the Year of Hope.

Pope Francis designated the Jubilee Year 2025 as a time for Catholics to renew themselves as “Pilgrims of Hope.” As part of the year’s events, the Diocese of Salt Lake City designated five parishes as local pilgrimage sites, which are open throughout the year. The Carmelite monastery was designated as a special site on two dates, July 16 and Oct. 8-9. The October dates are the universal jubilee for consecrated religious.

Dozens of pilgrims from all over the diocese attended the special Mass at the Carmel on July 16. The small chapel was filled to capacity; overflow seating and a livestream screen were set up outside.

Bishop Oscar A. Solis presided at the celebration. Concelebrants were Father Martin Diaz, rector of the Cathedral of the Madeleine; Father Rodelio Ignacio, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish; and Father Oscar Marquina and Father André Sicard, who are both assistants to the diocesan judicial vicar. The deacon for the Mass was Deacon Lynn Johnson.

Bishop Solis welcomed everyone to the special celebration and led the rosary before the Mass.

The Carmelite nuns are “always praying for all of us,” Bishop Solis said, explaining that “prayer is not just asking for something, it is speaking to the presence of God, it is being in the presence of God.”

Referring to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which is the title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated as patroness of the Carmelites, Bishop Solis said that the Virgin “reflected on how to become a disciple of Christ by her self-sacrifice and generosity,” and he asked the community to always consider doing good to others and to become beacons of hope, “so we can follow Jesus, glorifying his name.”

The bishop prayed that “we have the faith and perseverance to walk with [God] and to accompany Jesus, who has a special devotion to the Carmelites.”

Bishop Solis thanked the Carmelites “for opening this Carmel to the people of God that come to pray and to celebrate with you, your patroness saint, and those who also come as pilgrims of hope.”

As he closed, he said, “This is for all of us and for the Carmelites: Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.”

Among those attending the Mass to pray with the nuns and to thank them for their continuous prayer for all was Mary Jane Olmant, a parishioner of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish in Holladay, who said she has a great appreciation for the Carmelites.

“They have prayed for many of my family intentions, and for that I will be forever grateful,” she said. 

When she learned that the monastery was granted a special designation as a pilgrimage site, she didn’t hesitate to attend the celebration, she added. “What a wonderful blessing we have, besides our beautiful Carmelites celebrating their patron saint we all are here as pilgrims in this special year.”

The Carmel monastery will also serve as a pilgrimage site on Wednesday-Thursday, Oct. 8-9. Mass will be at 6:30 p.m. each night, with the Sacrament of Confession available from 4:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.