Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The feast has its origins in the 16th century, when Pope Saint Pius V established the Feast of Our Lady of Victory following the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, a victory attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary through the prayer of the Rosary. The feast was later renamed and eventually fixed on 7 October.

The Rosary itself developed gradually over centuries as a way of meditating on the life, death and Resurrection of Christ through prayer with Mary. The Dominican tradition played an important role in spreading this devotion throughout the Church.

In 2002, Pope Saint John Paul II added the Mysteries of Light, bringing the Rosary to the form familiar to Catholics today.

The Rosary remains one of the Church’s most cherished prayers, drawing us into the mysteries of Christ and helping us to contemplate his life through the eyes of his Mother.

🙏 Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.