7th October: Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on the 7th of October. Born from the memory of a Christian military victory, this feast became a key moment in the veneration of the Virgin and in the practice of the Rosary.

October is the month of the Rosary, and it is impossible to discuss it without focusing on the figure of the Virgin Mary, who is the symbol and inspiration of this much-loved devotion. In fact, it was she herself who, in 1208, gave the first Rosary to St. Dominic of Guzman, the founder of the Dominican friars, presenting it as the most effective weapon against heresies and as a tool for faith and non-violent conversion.

Over time, Our Lady of the Rosary became one of the most common depictions of the Virgin Mary, especially after the Counter-Reformation. The apparition to St. Dominic also gave rise to the devotion of Our Lady of the Rosary, commemorated by the Church on the 7th of October, the day in 1571 when the Battle of Lepanto took place, during which the fleet of the Holy League defeated that of the Ottoman Empire.

The iconography of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary is unmistakable: clothed in a bright blue robe, holding a Rosary, often with the Child in her arms, Mary is frequently depicted alongside St. Dominic of Guzman and St. Catherine of Siena.

One of the main centres of the devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary is the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in Pompeii, where millions of devotees from all over the world make a pilgrimage every year to pray to the Virgin and invoke her intervention for grace. The first stone of the Sanctuary was laid on the 8th of May, 1876, and on that occasion, the supplication written by Bartolo Longo was recited as an act of love and devotion to Our Lady of Pompeii. The same supplication is recited on the 7th of October, the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary.

From Our Lady of Victory to Our Lady of the Rosary

The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on the 7th of October is, in fact, an evolution of the feast of Our Lady of Victory, established on the same day by Pope Pius V to commemorate and celebrate the victory of the Holy League, made up of Venice, Spain, and the Papal States, against the Ottoman Empire. The battle took place on the 7th of October, 1571, and on that occasion, according to legend, Pope Pius V recommended that all Christian forces recite the Rosary before the battle. For this reason, he was so confident of victory that he ordered the bells to ring in celebration even before the battle was over, to announce that the Christians had won. They did indeed win and attributed the victory to the Virgin Mary and her loving intercession. Since then, the 7th of October was consecrated to Our Lady of Victory. Pius V’s successor, Pope Gregory XIII, changed the dedication to Our Lady of the Rosary.

Buy Now:

Resin statue of Our Lady of the Rosary 5 in

Small statue of Our Lady of the Rosary standing on a pedestal with Jesus Child on her left arm.

The Saints Under Our Lady of the Rosary

As mentioned earlier, in sacred iconography, Our Lady of the Rosary is often depicted alongside St. Dominic of Guzman and St. Catherine of Siena, the patron saint of Italy and one of the most famous mystics in history, also associated with the Dominican order as a member of the Dominican Tertiaries known as the Sisters of Penance of St. Dominic.

St. Dominic of Guzman, the saint devoted to Christ, was the founder of the Dominican friars. A strong opponent of heresies, he was entrusted by the Virgin Mary with the strength to combat them using the Rosary as his weapon and spent his life preaching and praying. It was said of him: “Tender as a mother, strong as a diamond.”

The choice of these two saints alongside Mary reflects the importance of the Dominican order in spreading devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary since ancient times. One of the most famous depictions of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is the painting attributed to Luca Giordano, housed in the Basilica of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in Pompeii. In this painting too, the Virgin is depicted with the Child in her arms, with the Child offering a Rosary to St. Dominic and the Virgin offering one to St. Catherine.

The iconography of Our Lady of the Rosary is derived from that of the Madonna della Cintola, which preceded it. The cult of the Madonna della Cintola refers to an episode in which St. Thomas, who did not believe that the Virgin had been assumed into heaven, insisted on opening her tomb, only to find the girdle of her garment. The Holy Girdle is preserved as a precious relic in Prato, in the Cathedral. On the 8th of September, the day when the Nativity of Mary is traditionally celebrated, it is solemnly displayed.

Our Lady of Pompeii

Blessed Bartolo Longo was not only the author of the supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii but also a great promoter of the devotion to the Rosary. Originally from Puglia, he lived in the second half of the 19th century and for a long time worked as a lawyer, harbouring anti-clerical views and a passion for spiritualism. Only later did he embrace the faith and join the Third Order of St. Dominic. He married Countess Marianna Farnararo De Fusco, a wealthy widow for whom he had become an administrator of the estate and tutor to her children. While exploring some properties the countess owned near Pompeii, he heard a mysterious voice urging him to spread the Rosary to attain Salvation. Inspired by this voice, Longo began preaching devotion to the Holy Rosary of Our Lady of Pompeii. It was also he who recovered the painting of Our Lady of the Rosary by Luca Giordano, which was donated to him by Sister Maria Concetta de Litala and to which many miracles and great healing powers were attributed. This allowed him to raise the necessary funds to build the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in Pompeii.
Three modern popes have visited the Sanctuary in Pompeii: John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis.

Father Pio was also very devoted to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Pompeii and made a pilgrimage to her Sanctuary at least three times in his life. Shortly before he died, the saint was given red roses by a devotee and asked that one be taken to Our Lady of Pompeii as an offering. The devotee obeyed, and that rose remained in bloom for a long time, even after Padre Pio’s death.

Buy Now:

Padre Pio

Department entirely dedicated to Padre Pio of Pietralcina.