OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY
Our Lady of the Rosary By Edward Matulanya The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7) Historical Background The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary originated in the late 16th century. It was first established by Pope St. Pius V to commemorate the victory of the Christian fleet over the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. The battle, fought in the Gulf of Patras (near Lepanto, Greece), was a decisive naval engagement that prevented Ottoman expansion into Europe (Cullen, 2021). Pope Pius V attributed the victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, invoked by the faithful through the praying of the Rosary. To give thanks, he instituted the feast under the title Our Lady of Victory, which was later changed by Pope Gregory XIII in 1573 to the Feast of the Holy Rosary (Catholic News Agency, 2022). Development of the Feast In 1716, Pope Clement XI extended the feast to the universal Church following another victory attributed to Marian interce...