Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Tomorrow the Church celebrates Our Lady of Mount Carmel — the feast that gave us the Brown Scapular, the devotion that has clothed Catholic families for eight centuries. The Scapular is not a charm. It is a promise — Mary's promise to pray for those who wear it and live under her mantle. It is also one of the simplest devotions to hand your children. There is no curriculum for it, no lesson plan, no workbook. You place it around their neck and tell them that Mary is covering them. The Carmelite tradition is built on the interior life — prayer, silence, and the slow work of becoming close to God in the ordinary. In the middle of summer, when the days are long and unstructured and the house is loud, Our Lady of Mount Carmel invites your family into something quieter. If your children have not been enrolled in the Scapular, this week is a beautiful time to ask your pastor. If they already wear one, let tomorrow be the day you tell them again what it means.

"Whoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire." — Our Lady to St. Simon Stock

Website Spotlight: The High School Page

If you have a teenager, this page was built for you.

The High School Page brings together our Teen Lecture Series at UST, teen enrichment excursions, Showcase & Graduation, the Showcase Magazine, the Senior Scholarship, and Houston's only Catholic homeschool National Honor Society chapter.

Behind the login: the High School Resource Hub with transcripts, test prep, dual enrollment at UST with CHECH's own admissions counselor, Newman Guide colleges, gap year programs, and the High School Circle forum.

Class of 2027: NHS applications due in October. Senior Year Roadmap — free monthly college prep emails. Sign up now, parents and students separately.

Bookmark the High School page.

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Upcoming in Houston

Under the Big Top Party — Children's Museum Houston | Saturday, July 18 | Carnival games, workshops, crafts, and circus-inspired fun with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey | Save 25% on Ringling Bros. tickets at NRG Stadium (Aug 6–9) with code CMHOU at Ticketmaster, expires 8/5

Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Alleluia Poetry Contest — Catholic Literary Arts | Grades 7–12 | Compose a poem inspired by St. Francis of Assisi's Canticle of All Creatures | Submissions due September 12 | View the contest flyer

July Book of the Month: Parables of the Gospel — Cluny Media | $10 | St. Gregory the Great's instructive sermons on twelve parables of Jesus — the Good Shepherd, the Sower, the Talents, the Lost Sheep, and more | While supplies last | A CHECH partner

Glassell Early College Program — Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | Ages 15–18 | 14-week semester program | Earn college credit through the University of St. Thomas while building a portfolio | Painting, printmaking, jewelry, analog photography, fashion, ceramics, digital media, and more | Free access to the MFAH permanent collection

Houston Shakespeare Festival — Miller Outdoor Theatre | The Tempest (July 30, Aug 1, 3, 5, 7) and Comedy of Errors (July 31, Aug 4, 6, 8) | 8:15 p.m. with Bard Talk at 7:45 | Free | Produced by the University of Houston | Bring a blanket for the hill — no tickets needed

Obverse and Reverse XIV — Darío Escobar at the MFAH | New installation in the Kinder Building | Soccer balls turned inside out and resewn into forms evoking Baroque clouds — where sport meets sacred art | Free with general admission (Thursdays free for all)

Breakfast Ideas Kids Can Make This Summer — Kitchen Stewardship | Age-appropriate breakfast ideas from toddlers to teens | Smoothies, yogurt parfaits, eggs and toast, overnight oats, and more | From Katie Kimball of Kids Cook Real Food, a CHECH partner