The month of October is a month dedicated as mount of Rosary. Wherein the church emphasis to the devotion of reciting the Holy Rosary. Every home should say the Rosary, and we will be blessed and protected by our Mother Mary.
On 13th October was the last Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal to the three shepherds namely Lucia Santos, and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto in 1917. Wherein Mother Mary appeared to them and told to spread the message of reciting the Rosary in every home to save the World.
On 7th October is another great day where we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Rosary. Our Lady of Rosary is also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is the title of the Blessed Virgin Mary in relation to the Rosary.
The feast of Our Lady of Rosary formerly known as Our Lady of Victory as this feast is celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church on 7th October, the anniversary of the decisive Victory of the combined fleet of the Holy League of 1571 over Ottoman Navy at the battle of Lepanto (Ionian sea surrounded by coasts of Sicily on one side and Greece and Albania on other side).
James Spranger formed one of the first Rosary Confraternity in Cologne. The feast of our lady of the VICTORY on 7th October was later honoured as feast of Our lady of Rosary.
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is Title of Blessed Virgin Mary in relation to the Rosary. The devotion traces back to the years 1571 when Pope Pius V instituted our Lady of Victory as annual feast to commemorate the Victory at Lepanto.
The purpose of instituting the feast by Saint Pius V was to thank God for the Victory of the Christians over the Turks of Lepanto. A victory attributed to the praying of the Rosary. Pope Clement IV extended this feast to the universal Church in 1716.
The development of Praying the Rosary has a long History. Initially it was praying the 150 our fathers in imitation of 150 Psalms. Then there was a parallel practice of praying 150 Hail Mary’s. Soon a mystery of Jesus’ Life was introduced.
Mother Mary giving the Rosary to Saint Domnic was considered as a legend. But there are still followers of Saint Domnic, amongst them is Alan De La Roche also known as apostle of the Rosary. He founded the first confraternity at the Rosary in the 15th century. In 16th century the Rosary has developed to its present form with 15 mysteries namely Joyous, Sorrowful and Glorious. In 2002 Pope John Paul II added 5 Mysteries of Light or also known as Luminous Mysteries.
The purpose of the Rosary is to meditate on Great Mystery of Our Salvation, focusing on Jesus’s Birth, Life, Death and Resurrection.
The Rosary appeals to many. It is simple, the constant repetition of words helps us to create an atmosphere to contemplate the mysteries of God.
We continue to grow in hope that God will bring us to share in the Glory of Jesus and Mary forever.
With the feast on 7th October let us continue with this devotion of Mother Mary who herself told about it in Fatima, Lourdes, Garabandal and Medjugorje and to many other Holy persons who prayed fervently this unique devotion to Mother Mary.
Rosarito Coelho