The Diocese of Joliet marked the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on Saturday by asking for Mary to pray for mankind.

“Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us,” the diocese posted on Facebook. 

Mount Carmel is located in northern Israel near the Fountain of Elijah.

According to Franciscan Media, the area was noted because of hermits who started living there in 12th century. A century later, the hermits became known as the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. 

It is believed that Mary appeared to the Carmelite leader, St. Simon Stock, and gave him a scapular, Franciscan Media reported. Scapulars symbolize Mary's protection and encourage the wearer to devote oneself to her. Scapulars also serve as a reminder of our call to prayer and penance, which Mary demonstrated in her life. 

Then, the hermits built a chapel in her honor and devoted themselves to Mary.

The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is one of multiple days that honor Mary every year. The Marians detail all of the days set aside to pay respects to Mary. They include the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, on Jan. 1; the Annunciation on March 25; the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13; the Visitation on May 31; Mary's Assumption into Heaven on Aug. 15; and the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8. 

Catholicism holds Mary is a special place. As a human, like all people, she in need of being saved by God, but as the Mother of God, she is said to have received the highest level of God's grace, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) reports. The bishops attribute Mary's willingness to cooperate with God's plan to give birth, even though it put her life in danger, places her in a crucial role in salvation. Catholics acknowledge Mary as a role model of discipleship, and many ask for her intercession.