Don Juan of Austria gained his famous naval victory over the Turks at Lepanto on October 7, the first Sunday of the year 1571. He attributed his victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary through the recitation of the rosary. St. Pius instituted an annual feast under the title of Our Lady of Victory. Pope Gregory XIII changed the title to Our Lady of the Rosary. He granted this Office to all churches which had an altar dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. A remarkable victory over the Turks near Belgrade was gained by the army of Emperor Charles VI in 1716 on the Feast of Our Lady of the Snows. In Rome, members of the Society of the Holy Rosary were praying the rosary at this time. The Turks then raised the siege of Corcyra. In memory of this, Clement XI extended the feast of the Most Holy Rosary to the Universal Church. Benedict XIV had an account of all this inserted into the Roman Breviary, and Leo XIII raised it to the rank of second class feast. He added to the Litany of Loreto the invocation: Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us. The title of this feast became Our Lady of the Rosary in 1961. Venerable tradition reveals that the devotion of the Holy Rosary was revealed to St. Dominic by the Blessed Virgin Mary.
FEAST DAY: October 7
ROSARIES
Responsorial Psalm
Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
QUIZ
Yesterday’s Answer-
False
Today’s Question-
What principle requires that the state not interfere in matters able to be achieved by individuals or intermediate bodies?
a) prudence; b) subsidiarity; c) rule of law
