Matt GaspersOctober 2021 Edition Now Available — Preview HERE
October, 7 2021
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
Dear Friends in Christ,
This year marks the 450th anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto (Oct. 7, 1571), the historic naval engagement in which the Cross of the Holy League (coalition of European Christian forces) clashed with the Islamic crescent of the Ottoman Turks.
In preparation for the battle, Pope St. Pius V (r. 1566-1572), who was instrumental in assembling the Holy League for the defense of Christendom, exhorted the entire Church to pray the Holy Rosary and beseech Our Lady to obtain victory — for the greater glory of God and the preservation of Christian civilization, which was gravely threatened by the Ottoman Empire.
By the grace of God, the Holy League emerged victorious and St. Pius V, recognizing Our Lady’s decisive role, instituted the Feast of Our Lady of Victory (Oct. 7), which his successor, Gregory XIII (r. 1572-1585), renamed Our Lady of the Rosary and Clement XI (r. 1700-1721) later extended to the universal Church.
In our times, Christian civilization is once again threatened, not so much by a foreign military power as by what Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò identifies as “an elite that, under the pretext of the pandemic, intends to create the conditions for the Great Reset and the establishment of the New World Order” (Message of May 13, 2021).
“This latest revolution,” His Grace continues, “planned by the enemies of God and the human race, is certainly an infernal work, and as such it must be combated by recourse to the spiritual weapons of prayer, fasting, and penance” — most especially, “the invincible weapon of the Holy Rosary” (Interview with Francesco Boezi, Sept. 28, 2020).
Since our founding nearly 30 years ago, Catholic Family News has been committed to spreading devotion to the Holy Rosary and encouraging as many souls as possible to pray it. With all the threats and distractions we face in the world, we must take time to sit at Our Lord’s feet (cf. Luke 10:38-42) and meditate on the mysteries of our Redemption, that “we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise” (Collect, Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary).
Please support our work of spreading devotion to Our Lady and her Most Holy Rosary by subscribing or renewing your subscription to Catholic Family News today. Purchasing gift subscriptions for family and friends is another wonderful way to support our apostolate and be an ambassador for Catholic Tradition in your local community. Thank you for your generous support, and please remember CFN in your Rosary intentions!
In the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts,
Matt Gaspers
Managing Editor
Michael Haynes
Thomas Colsy