By Pastoral Ministries Staff

Blessings on this feast of Our Lady of the Rosary! This feast was established by Pope St. Pius V after the Christian fleet won a miraculous victory over the Ottoman Turks in 1571. Throughout history, the Lord has done many miracles through the prayer of the Rosary. Throughout history, innumerable saints have said the Rosary daily and encouraged others to do the same. When Our Lady appeared in Fatima, she revealed herself as Our Lady of the Rosary, and the only request she repeated in every apparition was, “Pray the Rosary daily.” On this special feast, let us listen to the words of multiple Saints encouraging us to have recourse to this powerful prayer.

• “By this holy prayer, Mary protects the Church and her children, even in the darkest of times.” (Pope St. Pius X)
• “Cling to the Rosary as the creeper clings to the tree — for without Our Lady we cannot stand. The family that prays together, stays together, and if you want peace in your heart and your home, pray the Rosary every day. Our Lady has never refused me anything I have asked through the Rosary. She is our tender Mother, eager to grant all we need if only we will come to her with trust and love.” (Mother Teresa)
• “One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world. The Rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, our Redeemer, who loves His Mother.” (St. Dominic)
• “Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother. You must always hold fast to the Rosary. When you do so, the Blessed Mother will wrap you in her mantle and draw you closer to the Sacred Heart of her Son.” (St. Padre Pio)
• “After Holy Mass, the best means of honoring and pleasing Mary is to recite the Rosary.” (St. Alphonsus Liguori)
• “The Rosary is a sweet chain linking us to heaven. It is the prayer of the simple and the great alike… It is Our Lady’s school, where her children learn the secrets of the Gospel through her eyes and heart.” (St. Bernadette Soubirous)
• “Never be ashamed to carry your Rosary or to pray it wherever you are — for through it, you hold the key to countless graces and the sure protection of the Immaculata, who crushes the head of the serpent.” (St. Maximilian Kolbe)

May today be a day in which we renew our own conviction in the power of the Rosary – for ourselves, for our families, and for the world. May we take up our rosaries, understanding that it is the true “weapon” with which to battle the darkness of our times! Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!