Page 9 - St. Joseph Messenger October 2020

The Battle of Lepanto

The Power of the Rosary

T
he Feast of the Holy Rosary, sometimes
referred to as the Feast of Our Lady of the
th
Rosary, is celebrated on October 7 on the
Church calendar. The story behind this feast is
quite fantastic. The fact that it was known for
several centuries as the Feast of Our Lady of
Victory gives us hint as to why this feast is so im-
portant to Church history.

The Church recognizes the awesome power of the
Rosary and God has shown that trust in the Rosary
is most important in times of special danger. One
such time was on October 7, 1571. On this date,
the alliance of the Holy League (Genoa, Spain, and
the Papal States) faced the Turks of the Turkish
Ottoman Empire in a the Battle of Lepanto that
would have great significance.

Troops of the Ottoman Empire had taken over the
Byzantine Empire by A.D. 1453, expanding their Battle of Lepanto (detail), 1603
empire toward the Mediterranean Sea by 1565 Andrea Vicentino
when they attempted to take over the small island Oil on canvas
of Malta. The forces at Malta, however, amazingly Palazzo Ducale, Venice
repelled the Turks. Then, after capturing Cyprus in
1570, the Turks set their sights on the Catholic In appreciation for this victory Pius V ordered that
Holy League. a commemoration to the Rosary and to Our Lady
of the Rosary be made on the day of victory every
Pope St. Pius V asked Christians throughout year. Later, after another important victory over
Europe to pray the Rosary asking Our Lady for a the Turks on August 16, 1716 in Hungary, Pope
victory against the Turks. The crew on each of the Clement XI commanded that the feast of the
ships (200 ships, it is told) also prayed the rosary Rosary be celebrated by the universal Church.
to prepare for the confrontation with the 300 Pope Leo XIII raised the feast to the rank of a
Turkish ships off the west coast of Greece. double of the second class and added the invoca-
Although the Holy League was outnumbered, it tion “Queen of the Most Holy Rosary” to the
was reported to the Pope that all but thirteen of the Litany of Loreto.
Turkish ships had been captured or sunk. This was
a critical victory for the Christians throughout The power of the Rosary has been felt not only in
Europe. Historians tell us that a Turkish victory battle but at other times of great danger. God has
would have been a great catastrophe for always rewarded the faithful for their devotion to
Christendom. the Most Holy Rosary. SJM

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