The meaning of the celebration
+ This celebration—originally dedicated to Mary under her title Our Lady of Victories—was introduced by the Dominican Pope Saint Pius V to commemorate the victory of the Christian fleet against the Turkish navy at the Battle of Lepanto in 1572.
+ In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII changed the title of the celebration to “Our Lady of the Rosary.” It has been celebrated by the Universal Church since 1716.
+ The texts of Mass for this feast highlight Mary’s contemplative spirit as she “held within her heart” the mysteries of the life of Jesus and her own union with God.
For prayer and reflection
“With the Rosary, the Christian people sit at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty of the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer.”—Pope Saint John Paul II
Spiritual bonus
October 7 we also remember the martyrs Saints Sergius and Bacchus. According to legend, they were officers in the army of the Emperor Galerius who were killed in Syria in the early fourth century. Devotion to these saints was widespread in the Middle Ages and they have come to be honored as patron saints of Syria and of soldiers.
Vocations
To learn about religious communities dedicated to the rosary or named for Our Lady of the Rosary visit the links below:
The Daughters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary: www.dongmancoi.org
Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary: www.mshr.org
Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary: http://soeursdusaintrosaire.org
Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary:
Milwaukee, WI: www.dsopr.org
Marbury, AL: www.marburydominicans.org
Syracuse, NY: www.dominicanmonastery.net
Lancaster, PA: www.opnunslancaster.org
Dominican Nuns of the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary (Buffalo, NY): www.opnuns.org
Dominican Nuns of the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary (Summit, NJ): www.summitdominicans.org
Dominican Sisters of Sparkill, NY (Congregation of Our Lady of the Rosary): www.sparkill.org
Prayer
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord,
your grace into our hearts,
that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son
was made known by the message of an Angel,
may, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
by his Passion and Cross
be brought to the glory of his Resurrection.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(from The Roman Missal)
Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.
And today we celebrate...