Saint Who?
Saints Who Teach Us about Purgatory
Saint Simon Stock
Priest and religious († 1265) Feast: May 16
Simon was born in Aylesford, England, and took up the life of a hermit as a teenager. It seems he traveled as a pilgrim to the Holy Land and discovered a group of men living on Mount Carmel. These hermits were inspired by the life of the Prophet Elijah. Simon joined their community.
As Muslims expanded their territories, Christians were forced to leave the Holy Land. Simon and the other hermits returned to England and entered the Carmelite order, of which Simon eventually became superior general. According to tradition, he also received a vision of the Mother of God, who gave him the scapular and said, “Whoever dies clothed in this shall not suffer eternal fire; rather, he shall be saved.” Of course, wearing the scapular must accompany a living faith. As Pope Benedict XIV later clarified: “Good works and perseverance in well-doing are still necessary for salvation.”
Clearly, Christians should have a healthy fear of spending eternity in the fires of hell. But as he founded Carmelite monasteries, Simon also preached about fearing the purifying flames of purgatory, which we deserve for our unrepented venial sins. That’s why Simon encouraged Christians to turn to the Blessed Mother for spiritual protection.
Almighty God, grant us a greater trust
in your divine mercy.
