The Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7. On this day, we celebrate the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. Even though the Turkish forces were very powerful, the Christians won due to the intercession of Mary and the prayer of the Most Holy Rosary.
The Battle of Lepanto
At the time when the Battle of Lepanto was fought, the Ottoman Empire, an Islamic empire centered in Istanbul, that was trying to extend their influence beyond Southeast Europe, had not lost a major battle since the previous century.
When the Holy League - comprising Spanish, Maltese, and Italian fleets - was formed at the Vatican to oppose the Ottoman Empire, the Dominican Pope St. Pius V appointed the young Don Juan of Austria as commander-in-chief of the fleet. Don Juan of Austria was the offspring of a union between an emperor and a commoner: specifically, Emperor Charles V and Barbara Blomberg, the daughter of a Regensburg burgher. Born in Regensburg on February 24, 1547, he grew up unaware of his parentage. When he was three years old, Charles V had him separated from his mother and sent to foster parents in Spain, where the boy received an education befitting his rank. It was only in his will that the Emperor acknowledged Don Juan as his biological child. The commander-in-chief on the Ottoman side was Captain Derya Ali Pasha, who fell in the battle.
Pope St. Pius V realized that the Holy League needed great spiritual assistance, so he asked the Holy League, as well as all of the faithful, to pray the Rosary, asking Our Lady’s intercession for a victory in the upcoming battle, and to go to Eucharistic adoration. While the Muslim forces were much stronger and had more ships, Pope St. Pius V entrusted everything to God through the hands of Mary. The evening before the famous battle, the sailors prayed the Rosary on their knees.
On October 7, 1571, the Christian fleet went into battle, that took place in the Gulf of Patras, on the western coast of the Greek peninsula, carrying a banner blessed by the Pope. Some evidence also suggests they carried a painting sent to the King of Spain from Mexico depicting the miraculous image known as Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The Holy League encountered the Ottoman warships deployed in the shape of a crescent, the symbol of Islam. The Holy League’s ships took the shape of a cross. Between the two forces, there were more than 400 warships, making this one of the largest naval battles in history. In the beginning of the battle, the wind was against the Holy league but later on the directions of the wind suddenly shifted and the Holy League was able to defeat the Muslim forces after five hours of battle. The Holy League attributed the miraculous wind shift to Mary.
Due to the Holy League’s defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Lepanto, the Turks did not advance into Europe. Many historians have said that this was one of the most significant battles in history. A Turkish victory might have permitted the expansion of Islam deep into Europe.
Why do we celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary?
Pope St. Pius V knew that Our Lady had interceded for the Holy League, ensuring their victory. In fact, on the day of the Battle of Lepanto, October 7, 1571, he saw the Blessed Mother in a vision, and she revealed the victory to him.
For the first anniversary of the victory - October 7, 1572 - the Pope instituted the Marian feast known as the "Feast of Our Lady of Victory."
In 1573, wishing to emphasize the importance of the Rosary, Pope Gregory XIII established the "Feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the Bl. Virgin Mary" for the Dominican Order, the Confraternities of the Holy Rosary, and churches where the Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary was venerated; it was to be celebrated on the first Sunday of October.
On the occasion of the centenary of the victory at Lepanto, Queen Maria Anna of Spain requested permission from Pope Clement X to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Rosary in her realms.
In 1716 - following the victory of Imperial troops commanded by Prince Eugene of Savoy over the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Peterwardein in Hungary on August 5, 1716 - Pope Clement XI added the feast to the Roman Calendar, assigning it to the first Sunday of October.
Pope Leo XIII designated October as the Month of the Rosary in 1884.
In 1913, Pope Pius X consolidated the "Memorial of the Victorious Virgin" and the "Feast of the Holy Rosary" into a single observance on October 7.
In 1960, Pope John XXIII gave the feast the title "Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary."
During the liturgical reform, the Feast was renamed "Our Lady of the Rosary." It was under the title "Our Lady of the Rosary" that Mary had appeared five times to three children - including Lúcia Marto - in Fátima starting on May 13, 1917; consequently, the emphasis shifted away from the rosary as the object of the celebration or as a "weapon of war" and toward Mary, who brought about the incarnation of the "mystery" of our reconciliation.
Mary is called Queen of the Holy Rosary because she is the Queen Mother since her Son is Christ the King and the Rosary, as given to St. Dominic in the 13th century, is a meditation on the mysteries of the Incarnate King, and thus on the sorrows and joys of His Mother, as well. Thus, Mary is so deeply entwined with the Rosary that one cannot think of the Rosary without thinking of Mary.
The Rosary
We pray the Rosary because it leads us to a deepening of Faith, Hope, and Charity. It is, as many saints have testified, the door of the faithful to a deeper prayer life and a deeper union with God.
According to tradition, the Blessed Mother gave these 15 promises to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche:
Sources: EWTN, Ascension, Erzbistum Köln, Bistum Regensburg, Radio Horeb, Malteserorden, Servitenorden, Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon.
The Battle of Lepanto
At the time when the Battle of Lepanto was fought, the Ottoman Empire, an Islamic empire centered in Istanbul, that was trying to extend their influence beyond Southeast Europe, had not lost a major battle since the previous century.
When the Holy League - comprising Spanish, Maltese, and Italian fleets - was formed at the Vatican to oppose the Ottoman Empire, the Dominican Pope St. Pius V appointed the young Don Juan of Austria as commander-in-chief of the fleet. Don Juan of Austria was the offspring of a union between an emperor and a commoner: specifically, Emperor Charles V and Barbara Blomberg, the daughter of a Regensburg burgher. Born in Regensburg on February 24, 1547, he grew up unaware of his parentage. When he was three years old, Charles V had him separated from his mother and sent to foster parents in Spain, where the boy received an education befitting his rank. It was only in his will that the Emperor acknowledged Don Juan as his biological child. The commander-in-chief on the Ottoman side was Captain Derya Ali Pasha, who fell in the battle.
Pope St. Pius V realized that the Holy League needed great spiritual assistance, so he asked the Holy League, as well as all of the faithful, to pray the Rosary, asking Our Lady’s intercession for a victory in the upcoming battle, and to go to Eucharistic adoration. While the Muslim forces were much stronger and had more ships, Pope St. Pius V entrusted everything to God through the hands of Mary. The evening before the famous battle, the sailors prayed the Rosary on their knees.
On October 7, 1571, the Christian fleet went into battle, that took place in the Gulf of Patras, on the western coast of the Greek peninsula, carrying a banner blessed by the Pope. Some evidence also suggests they carried a painting sent to the King of Spain from Mexico depicting the miraculous image known as Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The Holy League encountered the Ottoman warships deployed in the shape of a crescent, the symbol of Islam. The Holy League’s ships took the shape of a cross. Between the two forces, there were more than 400 warships, making this one of the largest naval battles in history. In the beginning of the battle, the wind was against the Holy league but later on the directions of the wind suddenly shifted and the Holy League was able to defeat the Muslim forces after five hours of battle. The Holy League attributed the miraculous wind shift to Mary.
Due to the Holy League’s defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Lepanto, the Turks did not advance into Europe. Many historians have said that this was one of the most significant battles in history. A Turkish victory might have permitted the expansion of Islam deep into Europe.
Pope St. Pius V knew that Our Lady had interceded for the Holy League, ensuring their victory. In fact, on the day of the Battle of Lepanto, October 7, 1571, he saw the Blessed Mother in a vision, and she revealed the victory to him.
For the first anniversary of the victory - October 7, 1572 - the Pope instituted the Marian feast known as the "Feast of Our Lady of Victory."
In 1573, wishing to emphasize the importance of the Rosary, Pope Gregory XIII established the "Feast of the Most Holy Rosary of the Bl. Virgin Mary" for the Dominican Order, the Confraternities of the Holy Rosary, and churches where the Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary was venerated; it was to be celebrated on the first Sunday of October.
On the occasion of the centenary of the victory at Lepanto, Queen Maria Anna of Spain requested permission from Pope Clement X to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Rosary in her realms.
In 1716 - following the victory of Imperial troops commanded by Prince Eugene of Savoy over the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Peterwardein in Hungary on August 5, 1716 - Pope Clement XI added the feast to the Roman Calendar, assigning it to the first Sunday of October.
Pope Leo XIII designated October as the Month of the Rosary in 1884.
In 1913, Pope Pius X consolidated the "Memorial of the Victorious Virgin" and the "Feast of the Holy Rosary" into a single observance on October 7.
In 1960, Pope John XXIII gave the feast the title "Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary."
During the liturgical reform, the Feast was renamed "Our Lady of the Rosary." It was under the title "Our Lady of the Rosary" that Mary had appeared five times to three children - including Lúcia Marto - in Fátima starting on May 13, 1917; consequently, the emphasis shifted away from the rosary as the object of the celebration or as a "weapon of war" and toward Mary, who brought about the incarnation of the "mystery" of our reconciliation.
Mary is called Queen of the Holy Rosary because she is the Queen Mother since her Son is Christ the King and the Rosary, as given to St. Dominic in the 13th century, is a meditation on the mysteries of the Incarnate King, and thus on the sorrows and joys of His Mother, as well. Thus, Mary is so deeply entwined with the Rosary that one cannot think of the Rosary without thinking of Mary.
The Rosary
We pray the Rosary because it leads us to a deepening of Faith, Hope, and Charity. It is, as many saints have testified, the door of the faithful to a deeper prayer life and a deeper union with God.
According to tradition, the Blessed Mother gave these 15 promises to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche:
- Those who faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.
- I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
- The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell. It will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
- The recitation of the Rosary will cause virtue and good works to flourish. It will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God. It will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
- The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
- Those who recite my Rosary devoutly, applying themselves to the consideration of its sacred Mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. In His justice, God will not chastise them; nor shall they perish by an unprovided death, i.e., be unprepared for Heaven. Sinners shall convert. The just shall persevere in grace and become worthy of eternal life.
- Those who have a true devotion to the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
- Those who faithfully recite the Rosary shall have, during their life and at their death, the light of God and the plenitude of His graces. At the moment of death, they shall participate in the merits of the saints in Paradise.
- I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
- The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
- By the recitation of the Rosary, you shall obtain all that you ask of me.
- Those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
- I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of their death.
- All who recite the Rosary are my beloved children and the brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
- Devotion for my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
- Make the Sign of the Cross and say “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
- Pray the Creed, one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be (cross, one large bead, three small beads, one large bead)
- Announce the first Mystery. If possible, make a short meditation on the subject of the Mystery.
The Mysteries are:- Luminous (on Thursday, since 2002)
- This pattern is then repeated over the decades for each of the subsequent Mysteries of the Rosary.
- After you have completed all the decades, it is usual to say the Hail, Holy Queen, and other prayers according to custom, though these are not formally part of the Rosary or obligatory.
- Make the Sign of the Cross and say, “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
- Fátima Prayer: “O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy.”
Sources: EWTN, Ascension, Erzbistum Köln, Bistum Regensburg, Radio Horeb, Malteserorden, Servitenorden, Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon.
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