dominican saints

Apart from the signal defeat of the Albigensian heretics at the battle of Muret in 1213 which legend has attributed to the recitation of the Rosary by St. Dominic, it is believed that Heaven has on many occasions rewarded the faith of those who had recourse to this devotion in times of special danger. More particularly, the naval victory of Lepanto gained by Don John of Austria over the Turkish fleet on the first Sunday of October in 1571 responded wonderfully to the processions made at Rome on that same day by the members of the Rosary confraternity. St. Pius V thereupon ordered that a commemoration of the Rosary should be made upon that day, and at the request of the Dominican Order. Gregory XIII in 1573 allowed this feast to be kept in all churches which possessed an altar dedicated to the Holy Rosary.

In 1671 the observance of this festival was extended by Clement X to the whole of Spain, and somewhat later Clement XI after the important victory over the Turks gained by Prince Eugene on 6 August, 1716 (the feast of our Lady of the Snows), at Peterwardein in Hungary, commanded the feast of the Rosary to be celebrated by the universal Church. A set of “proper” lessons in the second nocturn were conceded by Benedict XIII. Leo XIII has since raised the feast to the rank of a double of the second class and has added to the Litany of Loreto the invocation “Queen of the Most Holy Rosary”. On this feast, in every church in which the Rosary confraternity has been duly erected, a plenary indulgence toties quoties is granted upon certain conditions to all who visit therein the Rosary chapel or statue of Our Lady. This has been called the “Portiuncula” of the Rosary.

Let us celebrate the solemnity of the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary; let us adore Christ, her Son, Our Lord (Matins).

Virgin Mother of God, through whom we have found God made man, gentle Virgin, intercede for us (Vespers).

In the sixteenth century Europe was divided by politics, disrupted by heresy, weakened by religious indifference and moral laxity. Never before had the gates been opened so widely for the invading Turks; seldom had Christendom faced such grave danger. When the Holy Father, St. Pius V, called the Christian countries to arms, only Spain and the Italian states responded. Aware of the serious peril, the Pope placed his trust in Mary, Help of Christians, and proclaimed a crusade of prayer, whereby the Church might call upon her through continual recitation of the Rosary. “Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.”

The Holy Father gave the chief command of the Christian forces to Don John of Austria and instructed him on the procedure that was to be followed. Before the ships left port they were blessed and placed under the patronage of our Blessed Mother. All members of the expedition received Holy Communion and recited the Rosary in preparation for their encounter with the Turks, anchored off the coast of Greece, near Lepanto. After hours of fierce fighting a remnant of the Moslem fleet sought safety in flight, and the victors released thousands of Christian slaves from the galleys of the captured vessels. The victory was attributed to Mary’s intercession, and the feast of Our Lady of Victory was established on the First Sunday of October.

“May we be helped, O Lord, we beseech Thee, by the prayers of Thy most holy Mother, whose Rosary we are celebrating, that we may draw strength from the mysteries we reverence and obtain the effect of the sacrament we have received.”