By tradition, the Catholic Church dedicates each month of the year to certain devotions. I often like to use my weekly letter to describe some of them. The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, one of the best known of all Catholic devotions. October includes the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7). The best way to celebrate themonth is, of course, is to pray the Rosary. But why is it that on October 7th the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary? On October 7, 1571, a great victory over the mighty Turkish fleet was won by Catholic naval forces primarily from Austria, Spain, Venice, and Genoa under the command of Don Juan of Austria. It was the last battle at sea between “oared” ships or galleys, which featured the most powerful navy in the world, the Moslem force with between 12,000 to 15,000 Christians slaves as rowers. The patchwork team of Catholic ships, though, was empowered by the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Knowing that the Christian forces were at a distinct material disadvantage, the holy pontiff, St. Pope Pius V called for all of Europe to pray the Rosary for victory. We know today that the victory was significant, and prevented the Islamicinvasion of Europe, and evidenced the Hand of God working through Our Lady. At the hour of victory, St. Pope Pius V, who was hundreds of miles away at the Vatican, is said to have gotten up from a meeting, went over to a window, and exclaimed with supernatural radiance: “The Christian fleet is victorious!” and shed tears of thanksgiving to God. The Commander of the Christian Fleet (Admiral Doria) carried a small copy of Mexico’s Our Lady of Guadalupe into battle. This image is now enshrined in the Church of San Stefano in Aveto, Italy. Not many know that at the Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spain, one can view a huge warship lantern that was captured from the Moslems in the Battle of Lepanto. In Rome, look up to the ceiling of St. Maria in Aracoeli and behold decorations in gold taken from the Turkish galleys. In the Doges’ Palace in Venice, Italy, one can witness a giant Islamic flag that is now a trophy from a vanquished Turkish ship from the Victory. At Saint Mary Major Basilica in Rome, close to the tomb of the great St. Pope Pius V, one was once able to view yet another Islamic flag from the Battle, until 1965, when it was returned to Istanbul in an intended friendly token of concord. At Lepanto, the Victory over the Moslems was won on October 7th by the faithful praying the Rosary. Even though they had superior numbers, the Turks really were overmatched. Blessed Padre Pio, the Spiritual Father of the Blue Army, said: “The Rosary is the weapon,” and how right he was! The Battle of Lepanto was at first celebrated liturgically as “Our Lady of Victory.” Later, the feast of October 7th was renamed “Our Lady of the Rosary” and extended throughout the Universal Church by Pope Clement XI in 1716 (who canonized Pope Pius V in 1712.) In 1982 when Pope John Paul II visited Fatima, he said to the people: Do you want me to teach you a ‘secret’? It is simple, and it is no longer a secret; pray, pray very much; recite the Rosary every day. And, of course, it is at Fatima, where Our Lady, when asked her name, said “I am the Lady of the Rosary.” At Fatima, Our Lady taught us to pray the Rosary every day. Heaven presented its Divine plan at Fatima, and truly gave us hope for the world. Conversions were promised at Fatima: the conversion of sinners: the conversion of Russia; and what also appears to be the conversion of Islam.
This month, and indeed, EVERY month, why not pray the Rosary as an aid with your Spiritual Battles!