Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary

Festum Beatæ Mariæ Virginis a Rosario

Pius V 1566. Walters Art Gallery 

Today is the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary. Last year, I published a series of posts annotating Chesterton's poem ''Lepanto''.

This magnificent poem speaks of the incredible victory by a Christian fleet over a huge armada of Ottoman Turks, saving Christian Europe from the all-conquering infidels.

For those who wish to read the annotated poem, here is the link to our sister blog : Lepanto.

St Louis (1673-1716). 

Before the decisive battle of Lepanto, Pope Pius V asked for all the sailors and soldiers to pray the Rosary, confess their sins and receive Holy Communion. Meanwhile, he called on all the faithful of the Church to recite the Rosary and ordered a 40 hour devotion in Rome.

In memory of the miraculous triumph over the Turks, he declared the 7th of October the Feast of Our Lady of Victories, later renamed the Feast  of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, because of her intercession in answering the mass recitation of the Rosary and obtaining the victory.

Totus tuus ego sum 
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum tutus semper sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam