{"id":966959,"date":"2018-06-25T08:00:20","date_gmt":"2018-06-25T13:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/?p=966959"},"modified":"2018-06-26T23:02:48","modified_gmt":"2018-06-27T04:02:48","slug":"blessed-isidore-bakanja-martyr-of-the-brown-scapular","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2018\/06\/blessed-isidore-bakanja-martyr-of-the-brown-scapular\/","title":{"rendered":"Blessed Isidore Bakanja – Martyr of the Brown Scapular"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Blessed Isidore Bakanja is the first martyr of the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel whose feast we celebrate on Monday, July 16<\/span>th<\/span>. \u00a0Isidore Bakanja was a young black teenage martyr from the Boangi tribe in Zaire, Africa with plenty of zeal, valor, and faith for the gospel and Our Lady.<\/span><\/p>\n

Receiving the sacraments of initiation in 1906-1907, Isidore immediately became a fervent catechist for the faith. \u00a0Even though he had his own house, he was troubled that the Word of God had not yet reached his own native territory. \u00a0To remedy this he found work in the Ikili plantation. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"On the Ikili plantation, there was a European freethinker named Van Cauter or Longange who hated Christianity and had vowed to get rid of Christianity. \u00a0On one occasion when Isidore was praying the rosary in public Longange warned, <\/span>\u201cI don\u2019t want to see that contraption here. \u00a0Go hide it in your box; you\u2019re here to work and not mumble prayers.\u201d<\/span><\/i> \u00a0On another occasion, Longange declared to Isidore about his Brown Scapular, <\/span>\u201cBakanja, take that contraption off your neck. \u00a0It is disgusting. I don\u2019t want to see that contraption of stupid priests here anymore.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Isidore asked for a work transfer, but Longange replied, <\/span>\u201cI will not give you any such letter!…ask your God for that kind of letter! \u00a0I will not give it to you!\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A few days later Longange saw the Brown Scapular on Isidore and went into a blind fury, <\/span>\u201cWhat\u2019s the meaning of this? What? I told you to take that thing off. \u00a0Why didn\u2019t you do it? Since you don\u2019t want to take it off, you\u2019re really going to get it.\u201d<\/span><\/i> \u00a0He instructed his workers to scourge Isidore with twenty-five lashes reminding us of St. Paul, <\/span>\u201cFive times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one <\/span><\/i>(2Cor.11:24).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Isidore\u2019s faith plus his love and devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel was\"\" unyielding so he refused to take the Brown Scapular off. \u00a0A few days later on February 2, 1909, Longange saw Isidore wearing his Brown Scapular and ordered another flagellation but this time with an elephant whip which had two nails at the end. \u00a0The workers refused to hold down and scourge Isidore any further when they saw his flesh being torn and flayed off his back. Longange threatened them with their lives so a total of 200-250 lashings ripped and shredded Bakanja\u2019s back and body apart.<\/span><\/p>\n

Isidore was one complete wound like Our Lord at Calvary, and he lay in a pool of his own blood. \u00a0He was heard saying, <\/span>\u201c…He did not want me to pray to God\u2026He killed me because I said my prayers\u2026I stole nothing from him\u2026It\u2019s because I was praying to God.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Longange ordered Isidore to be chained and hid in prison which consisted of a room that was used as a rubber factory. \u00a0Because of the confinement, he was drenched in blood and excrement plus the fumes of the burnt rubber provoked agitated coughing. The mosquitos and insects openly biting his wounds adding to the sufferings of this new \u2018Job\u2019. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Isidore said to his friend Moya Mputsu, <\/span>\u201cGod alone knows whether I will die of these wounds, or if I will live\u2026if you meet the priests, tell them that I am dying because I am a Christian\u2026.I don\u2019t feel anything good in my body anymore.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Isidore continued his prayers day and night and like Job, he never complained. \u00a0On July 24, 1909, Fr. Gregoire administered the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and heard his confession. \u00a0He explained to the priest, <\/span>\u201cHe did not want me to wear the scapular\u2026He yelled at me when I said my prayers.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Fr. Gregoire recommend to Isidore to forgive his persecutor and he said, <\/span>\u201cI am not angry with the white man\u2026He beat me. \u00a0That\u2019s his business; it is none of mine. He should know what he is doing.\u201d \u00a0\u201cCertainly, I shall pray for him. When I am in heaven, I shall pray for him very much.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"\"During his days of agony, Isidore was never without his rosary, and he was always seen praying. \u00a0Like St. Paul who said, <\/span>\u201cFor to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain,<\/span><\/i> (Phil.1:21)\u201d so Isidore stated, <\/span>\u201cIt is nothing if I die. If God wants me to live, I\u2019ll live! If God wants me to die, I\u2019ll die. It\u2019s all the same to me.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

On August 8 or 15, 1909, Isidore entered heaven after much suffering and pain. \u00a0When visiting Africa in 1980, Pope John Paul II said of Isidore, <\/span>\u201cAfter having given all his free time to the evangelization of his brothers as a catechist, he did not hesitate to offer his life to God, strong in the courage he found in his faith and in the faithful recitation of the Rosary\u2026\u201d <\/span><\/i>\u00a0Pope John Paul II beatified<\/span> Isidore Bakanja on April 24, 1994 and his feast day is celebrated August 12<\/span>th<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Celebrating Our Lady of Mount Carmel & the Brown Scapular (Facebook Event<\/a>)<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Recommended Reading<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

OUR LADY OF MT. CARMEL BROWN SCAPULAR<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

SEE HOW SHE LOVES US – JOAN CARROLL CRUZ<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Blessed Isidore Bakanja is the first martyr of the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel whose feast we celebrate on Monday, July 16th. \u00a0Isidore Bakanja was a young black teenage martyr from the Boangi tribe in Zaire, Africa with plenty of zeal, valor, and faith for the gospel and Our Lady. Receiving the… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[671,90],"tags":[3458,2541,101],"class_list":{"0":"post-966959","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-column","7":"category-faith-blog","8":"tag-africa","9":"tag-martyr","10":"tag-mary","11":"entry","12":"has-post-thumbnail"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2739675,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/brown-scapular-investiture-july-13\/","url_meta":{"origin":966959,"position":0},"title":"Brown Scapular Investiture July 13","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"July 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Blessing and Investiture of the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel \ud83d\udcc5 Date: Sunday, July 13, 2025 \ud83d\udd58 Time: 3:00 PM Service \ud83d\udccd Location: St. William Catholic Church, Round Rock, TX Join us for a special Blessing and Investiture of the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/marian-scapular-vision.jpg?fit=800%2C522&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/marian-scapular-vision.jpg?fit=800%2C522&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/marian-scapular-vision.jpg?fit=800%2C522&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/marian-scapular-vision.jpg?fit=800%2C522&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2859,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2011\/07\/st-mary-cathedral-celebrates-enrollment-investiture-of-brown-scapular\/","url_meta":{"origin":966959,"position":1},"title":"St. Mary Cathedral Celebrates Enrollment & Investiture of Brown Scapular","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"July 5, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Saint Mary Cathedral Celebrates: 2st Annual Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast Saturday, July 16 @ 9-12 talks \u2013 12:05 Mass Enrollment & Investiture of Brown Scapular What is the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel? A scapular consists of two pieces of cloth, one worn on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/scapular-front.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":131065,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/07\/the-garment-of-grace\/","url_meta":{"origin":966959,"position":2},"title":"The Garment of Grace","author":"Adam Shaivitz","date":"July 22, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"On the Brown Scapular around my neck it reads, \"Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.\" What a promise Our Lady of Mount Carmel made to St. Simon Stock in 1251! \u00a0 On July 16, 2015, the Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, more than 50\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-rudvz-h4hAY\/VauhEwLC_mI\/AAAAAAAACPs\/PL85FZCMt5U\/s500\/Photo%25252020150719080712117.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":434800,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/07\/brown-scapular-first-born-col-115\/","url_meta":{"origin":966959,"position":3},"title":"The Brown Scapular and “The First Born” (Col. 1:15)","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"July 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"July 16th is the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel where the faithful have their Brown Scapulars blessed, and they are enrolled into the Order of Mount Carmel. \u00a0The feast originated when Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock on July 16, 1251 and said, \u201cReceive my beloved son,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Our Lady of Mount Carmel","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/OurLadyofMountCarmel-102x190.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1987371,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/angels-dragons-xxiv-the-scapular-of-saint-michael-the-archangel\/","url_meta":{"origin":966959,"position":4},"title":"Angels & Dragons XXIV: The Scapular of Saint Michael the Archangel","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"September 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Image by Sandra Lubreto (Visit her Etsy Shop) The Scapular of Saint Michael the Archangel is a sacramental of the Catholic Church. It was blessed by Pope Pius IX in 1878 and formally approved by Pope Leo XIII in 1880. The official blessing and investiture prayer found in the Roman\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/image10-e1569429626758-525x700.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/image10-e1569429626758-525x700.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/image10-e1569429626758-525x700.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18393,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/06\/my-armor-is-made-of-brown-wool\/","url_meta":{"origin":966959,"position":5},"title":"My Armor Is Made of Brown Wool","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"June 22, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The time when we could comfortably practice our faith may have passed for our generation in this country. We will continue to stand in\u00a0defense\u00a0of our religious freedom, but even if it is protected, the world won\u2019t stop attacking us. We as the Church militant have a fight before us that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"St Simon Stock","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/StSimonStock-300x240.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/966959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=966959"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/966959\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=966959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=966959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=966959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}