Our Lady of The Rosary, October 7th

Saint Pius V established this memorial in 1573. The purpose was to thank God for the victory of Christians over the Turks at Lepanto—a major naval victory attributed to the praying of the rosary by all the sailors and Christians in Europe. Clement XI extended the memorial to the universal Church in 1716.


The Story of Our Lady of the Rosary
On October 7th, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the yearly memorial of "Our Lady of the Rosary". Known for several centuries by the alternate title of “Our Lady of Victory,” the memorial day takes place in honor of a 16th century naval victory which secured Europe against Turkish invasion. Pope St. Pius V attributed the victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was invoked on the day of the battle through a campaign to pray the Rosary throughout Europe.

Troops of the Islamic Ottoman Empire had invaded and occupied the Christian Byzantine empire by 1453, bringing a large portion of the increasingly divided Christian world under a version of Islamic law. In 1565 they attacked Malta, envisioning an eventual invasion of Rome. Though repelled at Malta, the Turks captured Cyprus in the fall of 1570.

The next year, three Catholic powers on the continent – Genoa, Spain, and the Papal States - formed an alliance called the Holy League, to defend their Christian civilization against a Turkish invasion. Its fleets sailed to confront the Turks near the west coast of Greece on October 7, 1571.

Crew members on more than 200 ships prayed the Rosary in preparation for the battle - as did Christians throughout Europe, encouraged by the Pope to gather in their churches to invoke the Virgin Mary against the daunting Turkish forces of about 300 ships and 30,000 soldiers.

Some accounts say that Pope Pius V was granted a miraculous vision of the Holy League's stunning victory. Without a doubt, the Pope understood the significance of the day's events, when he was eventually informed that all but 13 of the nearly 300 Turkish ships had been captured or sunk. This victory saved Europe from being overrun by the forces of Islam. He was moved to institute the feast now celebrated universally as Our Lady of the Rosary.

Things You Can Do:
1) Pray the Rosary, or 5 decades of the Rosary tonight with your family. Continue this practice throughout October, the month that is especially dedicated to the Rosary.

2) Learn the Luminous Mysteries. For families with younger children, it helps to have visual aids for the mysteries. Have a picture to flip at the beginning of each decade for the family Rosary.

3) Learn how to make rosaries, cord and/or wire for missions.

4) Learn about the great victory of Our Lady at the Battle of Lepanto. You can also read more about Pope St. Pius V, who instituted the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

5) Read Cardinal Angelo Sodano's homily at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary.