Our Lady of the Rosary
Feast Day: October 7
Dominicans and local rosary confraternities began celebrating a feast honoring Our Lady of the Rosary in the 15th century.
As Christian and Turkish forces met in battle in the Gulf of Lepanto (near Greece) on Oct. 7, 1571, Pope Pius V asked Mary to protect Catholic lands and Catholics to pray the rosary. The ensuing Christian victory was attributed to Our Lady of the Rosary.
In 1572 the pope allowed some celebrations of Our Lady of Victory on the first Sunday in October; in 1573 the feast was changed to Our Lady of the Rosary, and in 1716 the feast became universal.
The Oct. 7 date was fixed in 1913.
