What is the origin of the Rosary?

Various legends surround the origin of the Rosary.  The traditional rosary ( the beads) I described in the last post is attributed to St. Dominic, and is called the Dominican Rosary. Legend has it that the Blessed Mother gave Dominic the beads and instructed him in their use.

Another version calls the Rosary the 'poor man's Psalter.'  There are 150 Psalms; at one time, the learned would memorize them and pray them every day. The uneducated would pray 150 Our Fathers, originally by counting out beans or pebbles from one bowl to another, evolving into a string of beads. eventually, those 150 Our Fathers were grouped into sets of ten. Somewhere along the way, the Hail Mary prayer and the Mysteries were introduced.

The reason the month of October is dedicated to the Rosary dates back to the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571.  In this battle, the Ottoman empire was threatening to invade southern Europe. The Holy League, under the ultimate command of the Pope and comprised of soldiers and sailors from: Venice, Genoa, Tuscany, Hapsburg  Spain, the Papal States, Naples, Sicily, Savoy and Malta  faced the aggressors  ( at the time, those areas of what we now know as Italy were independent countries/territories).

Each of those regions spoke a different dialect/ language. Most of the men who came to fight were farmers. No power on earth would have expected the Holy League to win. But Popes do not rely on earthly power. Pope Pius V sent word to those remaining behind to pray: pray the Rosary, asking for victory in the battle

Seriously out-manned, the Holy League crushed the Ottomans, saving Europe from coming under Muslim rule.

The Christians lost 17 ships; the Muslims- 187 ships captured or sunk
The Christians lost 7500 men; the Muslims- 20,000 dead, wounded or captured.

Pius V declared October 7 to be the Feast of Our Lady of  Victory, which has become Our Lady of the Rosary. That is why October 7 is the Feast day of the Diocese of Toledo, whose cathedral is Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. And the entire month of October is traditionally dedicated to the Rosary.


Our Lady of Victory, Our Lady of the Rosary: Pray for us!!