Scapular
A religious object having a necklace, including a pendant, and a piece of wool. The piece of wool is disposed within a cavity of the pendant such that the piece of wool is exposed to the body.
The present invention relates generally to religious sacraments and more particularly, to a brown scapular of religious significance.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ARTThe scapular is a form of clothing worn by monks when they were working. The scapular is a long strip of cloth, generally the width of the body, worn over the shoulders (scapula) from the front to the back and down to the ankles.
Derived from the scapulars worn by monks are symbolic scapulars. Such a scapular is two pieces of cloth (generally about an inch square), connected by cloth cords and worn over the head. It often has a picture or a particular color, depending on the spirituality it stands for. With the passage of time, people began to give symbolic meaning to the scapular. In some religious Orders, such as the Carmelites, the Scapular turned into a sign of their way of life. The Scapular came to symbolize the special dedication of Carmelites to Mary, the Mother of God, and to express trust in her motherly protection as well as the desire to be like her in her commitment to Christ and to others. Thus it became a sign of Mary. The brown scapular is a sign approved by the Church and accepted by the Carmelite Order as an external sign of love for Mary, of the trust her children have in her, and of commitment to live like her.
Unfortunately the known scapulars of today do not wear well. Conventional scapulars are either all cloth, selectively covered in plastic, or all metal. Cloth scapulars become worn with time and may eventually fall apart. Plastic may be used to cover the cloth pendants, however, the cloth necklace remains exposed and may still eventually break thus rendering the scapular un-usable. Thus, cloth and plastic scapulars must continually be replaced. Frequent replacement does not provide continuity in the keeping and wearing of the scapular. Conventional metal scapulars exists, however, they do not incorporate any wool cloth. Thus, the importance and symbolism of the wool cloth is ignored.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed towards a metal scapular having a necklace, including a pendant, and a piece of cloth. The pendant includes a cavity and the piece of cloth is disposed within the cavity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to
Referring to
Likewise, rear face 26 of pendent 14 and rear face 28 of pendent 16 are shown according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to
Front face 22 and rear face 26 of pendant 14 are held together by an attachment mechanism, illustrated without limitations, as pins 34 positioned at the four corners of pendants 14. Pins 34 hold front and rear faces 22, 26 of pendant 14 together such that an open cavity 36 is formed between front and rear faces 22, 26. Similarly, front and rear faces 24, 28 of pendant 16 are held together by pins 34 such that an open cavity (not shown) similar to open cavity 36 is formed between front and rear faces 24, 28. Wool 18 is placed within cavity 36, as best illustrated in
Alternatively, the attachment mechanism may also include a hinge 38 as shown in
The necklace 12 and the two pendants 14, 16 of the present invention are preferably manufactured from metal. The metal provides the necklace 12 and the two pendants 14, 16 with robustness for use in various environments. The metal protects wool 18 from environmental elements, for example, from exposure to the sun and moisture. Furthermore, metal may be easily stamped or engraved. Thus, the necklace 12 and the two pendants 14, 16 of the present invention may be manufactured in large quantities using a stamping machine, or individually hand-crafted by an engraver.
Conventional scapulars are either all cloth, selectively covered in plastic, or metal. Cloth scapulars become worn with time and may eventually fall apart. Plastic may be used to cover the cloth pendants, however, the cloth necklace remains exposed and may still eventually break thus rendering the scapular un-usable. Conventional metal scapulars are durable, however, they do not include any wool cloth. Thus, conventional metal scapulars do not incorporate the importance and the symbolism surrounding the pieces of cloth.
On the other hand, the scapular 10 of the present invention incorporates both modern durability and tradition. Metal is more long-lasting than cloth, and because individual scapulars may have sentimental value, the metal scapular 10 of the present invention offers the wearer an opportunity to use the scapular 10 longer than conventional scapulars. Additionally, the scapular 10 of the present invention incorporates the wool cloth 18, and the religious symbolism associated with the wool. It can be noted that the wool cloth 18 of may be of various colors, depending on the of the religious preferences of the person wearing the scapular.
Moreover, the front and rear faces 22, 24, 26, 28 of each pendant 14 and 16 may be easily separated so that the piece of wool 18 may be replaced if necessary, without replacing the entire scapular 10.
While certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, the invention is not limited to the illustrations described and shown herein, which are deemed to be merely illustrative of the best modes of carrying out the invention. A person of ordinary skill in the art will realize that certain modifications and variations will come within the teachings of this invention and that such variations and modifications are within its spirit and the scope as defined by the claims.
Claims
1. A religious object comprising:
- a necklace having a pendant; and
- at least one piece of wool;
- wherein said pendant includes a cavity and wherein said at least one piece of wool is disposed within said cavity of said pendant.
2. A religious object as recited in claim 1, wherein said pendant is made from a metal.
3. (cancel)
4. A religious object as recited in claim 1, wherein said religious object further includes a second pendant, said second pendant includes a cavity, and wherein a second at least one piece of wool is disposed within said cavity of said second pendant.
5. A religious object as recited in claim 4, wherein said pendants each include an opening, exposing said at least one pieces of wool from within said cavities.
6. A religious scapula comprising:
- a necklace;
- first and second pendants; and
- a plurality of pieces of wool;
- wherein said first and second pendants each include a cavity, and wherein said plurality of pieces of cloth are disposed respectively within said cavities of said first and second pendants.
7. A religious scapular as recited in claim 6, wherein said necklace includes first and second chains forming a loop, said first pendant is secured to said first chain, and wherein said second pendant is secured to said first and second chains.
8. A religious scapular as recited in claim 6, wherein said first and second pendants include an opening, and wherein said opening exposes said pieces of wool within said cavities.
9. A religious scapular as recited in claim 6, wherein said first and second pendants are made from a metal.
10. (cancel)
11. A religious scapular comprising:
- a necklace;
- a pendant having a front and a rear face;
- a piece of wool;
- wherein said pendant is secured to said necklace, wherein an open cavity is disposed between said front and rear face of said pendant, and wherein said piece of wool is disposed within said cavity.
12. A religious scapular as recited in, claim 11, wherein said pendant is made from a metal.
13. (cancel)
14. A religious scapular as recited in claim 11, wherein said rear face of said pendant includes an aperture, such that said piece of wool within said open cavity is exposed.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 16, 2003
Publication Date: Apr 21, 2005
Inventor: Bryan McCarrick (Ortonville, MI)
Application Number: 10/687,387
