As we begin October, we also mark the month of the Rosary.

The history of October having a special focus on the rosary goes back to 1571, and the day that became known as the feast of Our Lady of Victory. After the naval victory at the Battle of Lepanto on Oct. 7, 1571, by Christian forces over a fleet of Turkish Muslims, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was introduced into the calendar. From 1716 until the early 20th century, it was celebrated on the first Sunday of October. Since 1913, it has been observed on Oct. 7.

As for the history of the rosary, it’s commonly said that St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans), instituted the rosary. He did have a vision of our Blessed Mother and used the rosary in his missionary work and at least a dozen popes have mentioned his role in development of the rosary. However, elements of it actually go back before his time.

Third-century Christian hermits and monks in Egypt used stories and later prayer ropes to keep track when praying the 150 Psalms. Various forms of the “Jesus Prayer” (which is “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me”) became popular; this short prayer was said while counting beads. The Our Father would also be prayed 150 times using a string of beads.

Over time, the rosary became to be a popular devotion. It includes various prayers that are often said on their own, namely the Apostles Creed, which expresses the teachings of the apostles, that came into use around 125 A.D.; the Lord’s Prayer; the Hail Mary, which is based on the greeting of Gabriel to Mary in Luke 1:28 and “Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of the womb” coming from Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary in Luke 1:42. (Elizabeth’s greeting was added many years later to the “Hail Mary prayer). The second part, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen” was added as the last part of the prayer over time from Saint Peter Canisus with “now and at the hour of our death” coming from the Catechism of the Council of Trent. The Rosary as we know it developed between the 12th and 15th centuries, eventually having 50 Hail Mary’s recited and linked with verses of psalms or other phrases evoking the lives of Jesus and Mary. The prayer became known as the “rosarium” or “rose garden,” a term to designate a collection of similar material.

Meditation is a big part of the rosary. The rosary allows us to meditate more deeply on moments in the life of Jesus and Mary. Each one gives us the chance to ponder different things; such as how God came to be one of us; to the Crucifixion, how Jesus gave His life for us; to the Resurrection in how Jesus triumphed over death and how this allows us to do so too. Saint Dominic gave us the first sets of mysteries, the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious. In 2002, added were the “Luminous Mysteries” by Saint John Paul II as he wanted to revive interest in the rosary, and he felt there was a gap between the childhood of Jesus in the Joyful Mysteries and the Passion of our Lord in the Sorrowful Mysteries.

There are many types of prayers and devotions, so it is important to use what works. That said, as Jesus gave us the gift of His mother when he said “Behold your mother” from the Cross to John, we are mindful of how Mary loves us and intercedes for us, so what a great prayer the Rosary is as we ask for Her intercession but also meditate on the moments in her life and in the life of Her Son. For the rosary can bring us closer to Jesus, as we invoke the intercession of our Blessed Mother, and reflect on the moments in her life and in our Lord, which in so many ways are like our very own. Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description.” May we use that power and with our Blessed Mother help change the world and win souls for heaven.

God bless,

Fr. Paul

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October 4, 2026