The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on October 7. This feast was instituted by Pope St. Pius V to commemorate the anniversary of the victory of Christians in the Battle of Lepanto (1571), attributed to the Mother of God, invoked by praying the rosary. The celebration of this day is an invitation for all to ponder the mysteries of Christ, accompanied by the Virgin Mary, who was associated in a special way to the incarnation, passion and glory of the resurrection of the Son of God.

What is the story of the Battle of Lepanto?

At the time of Pope Pius V (1566-1572), the Muslims controlled the Mediterranean Sea and were preparing the invasion of Christian Europe. The Catholic monarchs of Europe were divided, and seemed not to notice the impending danger. The Pope called for help but he received little support. On September 17, 1569 he requested the praying the Holy Rosary. Finally in 1571 a league was established for the defense of Europe. On October 7, 1571 Christian and Muslim fleets met in the Gulf of Corinth, near the Greek town of Lepanto. The Christian fleet, composed of soldiers of the Papal States, Venice, Genoa and Spain, commanded by Don Juan de Austria, entered into battle against an enemy far superior in size. They were staking everything on this battle. Before the attack, the Christian troops prayed the rosary with devotion. The Battle of Lepanto took until late afternoon but in the end, the Christians were victorious.

In Rome, the pope was praying the rosary while this critical and miraculous victory for Christians had been achieved. The power of the Turks at sea had been dissolved forever. The Pope left his chapel, and guided by an inspiration calmly announced that the Blessed Virgin had made them victorious. Weeks later came the of victory message from Don Juan, who from the beginning, attributed the success of the fleet to the powerful intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary. Grateful for Our Mother, Pope Pius V instituted the feast of Our Lady of Victories and added the title "Help of Christians" to the Litany of the Blessed Virgin. Later, Pope Gregory III changed the name of the feast to Our Lady of the Rosary.

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