Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was originally titled Our Lady of Victory, commemorating the Battle of Lepanto on 7 October 1571. An Ottoman fleet met the outnumbered Holy League fleet commanded by Don John of Austria. An Ottoman victory would have meant Catholic kingdoms replaced by a ruler likely to try to suppress Christianity, so the Pope, Saint Pius V, ordered a Christendom-wide Rosary prayer campaign for victory. In addition, the Holy League fleet carried a copy of the miraculous image of our Lady of Guadalupe. When the Holy League fleet prevailed, the victory was credited to Our Lady.