Happy Feast of the Most Holy Rosary!

(Church of Mary Immaculate, Stranorlar/Ballybofey, Co. Donegal, Ireland)

"...The Solemnity of the Most Holy Rosary. This festival was instituted by Gregory XIII to commemorate the victory gained by the Christians over the Mohammedans at Lepanto, Sunday, October 7th, 1571. The importance of this victory cannot be overestimated. At the time it was won, the Turks threatened to bring all Christendom under their domination. The fate of Christianity itself, humanly speaking, depended largely upon the success of the forces which Pius V had mustered to resist the aggressions of the Sultan of Turkey. Few, nowadays, can form an adequate idea of the evils from which the engagement at Lepanto saved Europe."

(Well, I don't know about that! I think it's becoming more and more clear to us nowadays. It's a sad state of affairs, and requires us more and more to call on God, through the intercession of His sweet Mother, the Queen of the Rosary.)

"The disparity of numbers left the Christians scarcely a human hope of success. They placed all their confidence in Mary. The result proved that she did not forsake them. The power of the Mohammedans was completely broken by the reverse they sustained at Lepanto. This festival was also instituted in order to afford the faithful clients of the Blessed Virgin, an opportunity to express their gratitude to God for the numberless favors obtained through the intercession of His holy Mother in the devotion of the Rosary."

O Queen of the Rosary, Our Lady Help of Christians, pray to thy Son for us!

(These quotes are from Sermons on the Blessed Virgin Mary by Very Rev. D.I.McDermott, imprimatur 1891.)