by Fr. Kevin Joshua B. Cosme
The declaration of October as the month of the Rosary takes us back almost five hundred years. On this day in 1571, a large naval battle was fought between the Ottoman Empire and a band of Catholic states called the Holy League.
Knowing that the Catholic fleet was outnumbered, Pope Pius V, who was himself a strong proponent of the rosary, ordered churches opened for Eucharistic adoration, and exhorted Catholics everywhere to pray the rosary to save Christian Europe from the impeding Muslim invasion. In fact, every Catholic soldier who was part of the fleet carried a rosary and received the Eucharist before heading into battle.
Miraculously, the League won and bested the Ottoman navy. Following what history now calls the Battle of Lepanto, Pope Pius V declared October 7 as the feast day of Our Lady of Victory. Over the centuries, the feast came to be known by its present title, Our Lady of the Rosary, and it is largely thanks to it being held this month that October is called the month of the Rosary.
Do you feel like you’re fighting an impossible battle? Are you faced with insurmountable odds, especially during this pandemic? Why not try praying the rosary?
Pope Pius V did suggest that more than the canons or the valor of soldiers, the weapon that won the Battle of Lepanto was the rosary.
Pray the rosary daily, and witness the powerful intercession of Mama Mary for yourself.
Flex our Faith Episode 7: The Rosary Month | Aired on October 7, 2021