St Simon Stock – May 16 – Carmelite Saints
- Blog St Simon Stock – May 16 – Carmelite Saints
Summary:
Simon, an Englishman, died at Bordeaux in the mid-thirteenth century. He has been venerated in the Carmelite Order for his personal holiness and his devotion to Our Lady. A liturgical celebration in his honor was observed locally in the fifteenth century, and later extended to the whole Order.
History:
St. Simon Stock, also known as Simon Anglus or Simon the Englishman, was born in Kent, England, in 1165 to noble parents. Growing up during a period of intense religious fervor, he showed deep devotion to God from a young age. When he was 12, he left home and became a hermit, living in the hollow trunk of an oak tree. Like the earliest monks, he survived on fruit and water while dedicating his days to prayer and meditation. Alone in his tree, he prayed without ceasing, which inspired the belief that his surname, Stock, comes from the Old English word for a tree trunk.
After two decades of solitude in the wilderness, he returned to society to pursue an education in theology and become a priest. Later, he served as an itinerant preacher and went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. However, his pilgrimage ended abruptly when invading Muslims expelled Christians, forcing his return to England.
Upon returning to his hermitage, Simon remained there until 1212. In that year, his calling to join the Carmelite Order, which had only recently entered England, was revealed to him. Tradition says the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Simon Stock and told him to leave his hermitage and join the order.
Impressed by the Carmelites’ form of monasticism, Simon joined them in 1212. Seeking a deeper commitment, he studied sacred scripture at Oxford and then in Rome. After his studies, he spent several years at Mt. Carmel.
Soon after his arrival, he became vicar general in 1215. In this new role, he defended the Carmelites' legitimacy, a dispute later settled by the Popes. In 1237, Simon attended a general chapter in the Holy Land. Facing Muslim persecution, most monks relocated to Europe, including England.
After Simon returned to England from Mount Carmel with a group of Carmelites, they were sent to found a house at Aylesford, Kent.
In 1247, Alan, the General of the Order, died. Simon was elected to succeed him as the sixth general of the Carmelites. This election happened at the first general chapter of the Carmelite Order held outside the Holy Land, in Aylesford. At that time, he was about 82 years old.
Despite his advanced age, Simon displayed remarkable energy as general and achieved much for the order's benefit. Due to his accomplishments, he is justly regarded as the most celebrated of its generals. After his appointment, Simon led the Order with extraordinary prudence and won widespread admiration. Many described him as a man sent from Heaven to spread throughout Europe the zeal of Elijah.
Under Simon's leadership, the Carmelite Order expanded its influence in England and across Europe. He oversaw the establishment of new Carmelite houses in Cambridge (1248), Oxford (1253), Paris (1260), and Bologna (1260), greatly advancing the Order's growth and providing training for its younger members in those university towns.
Additionally, Simon revised the Rule of the Order, changing it from a hermitic Order to one of mendicant friars. He loved and respected the Order’s traditions but saw the need to adapt to European society. He sought to make the Carmelite way of life practicable in a new European society without altering the essence of the Rule or detracting from the prophetic vocation. Simon secured temporary approval from Pope Innocent IV for the altered rule.
Despite its growth, the Carmelite Order faced many challenges, including opposition from clergy and other religious groups. During these difficulties, the monks prayed to the Blessed Virgin. Tradition holds that she told Simon they should petition Pope Innocent IV. He obeyed, and on January 13, 1252, the Order received a letter of protection.
Throughout his life, St. Simon Stock was deeply devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Tradition credits him as the author of "Flos Carmeli" and "Ave Stella Matutina." He continually pleaded with the Mother of God to grant some privilege to the Order of Carmelites.
Tradition says the Blessed Virgin appeared to Simon on July 16, 1251, accompanied by a host of angels. She held in her hands the scapular of the Order and said to Simon, "This shall be a sign unto thee, and the privilege of all Carmelites, that he who shall die piously, wearing this scapular, shall not fall into the eternal flames." Saint Simon Stock is often depicted as a Carmelite friar holding a scapular or receiving one from the Blessed Virgin.
Later, in 1265, St. Simon Stock passed through Toulouse and met Bl. Jane of Toulouse. She was a devout woman who, after the founding of a Carmelite monastery in the city in 1240, chose to live as a recluse near the monastery, leading a life of great austerity. In meeting Simon, she requested affiliation with the Carmelites. Simon agreed, and Jane became the first member of the Carmelite tertiary order, receiving the habit from him. In Carmelite tradition, she is considered the first woman Carmelite and the founder of the Carmelite Third Order.
Soon after, Simon died on May 16, 1265, at the age of 100 while visiting the Carmelite monastery in Bordeaux, France. His remains were kept in the room where he died, which became a chapel. Eventually, his remains were moved to the Carmelite friary in Aylesford, England.
Saint Simon Stock's life embodied unwavering commitment to the Carmelite Order and devotion to the Virgin Mary. His spiritual leadership and drive for reform left a profound legacy on the Church, especially among the Carmelites, who continue to honor his memory and seek his intercession.
Following his death, reports of numerous miracles began to occur at his resting place. In 1435, Pope Eugene IV permitted the Carmelites of Bordeaux to celebrate a Mass in his honor; this permission was extended to the entire Order in 1564. After the Carmelite calendar reform in 1584, the feast was dropped. In the 17th century, the celebration of St. Simon was reinstated, delisted again in 1972, and finally restored in 1978 with the Pope’s approval.
Prayer:
Father,
You called St. Simon Stock to serve you
in the brotherhood of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
Through his prayers
help us like him to live in your presence
and to work for man’s salvation.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
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