October: Month of the Holy Rosary

The month of October is dedicated ech year to the Holy Rosary. This is primarily due to the fact that the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on October 7 which is Thursday this week. October falls during the liturgical season known as Ordinary Time, which is represented by the liturgical color green.

Pope St. Pius V first introduced the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary in the year 1571. The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was established to honor our Blessed Virgin Mary for the protection she provides the Church in answer to the faithful who pray the Rosary. It is a way to show our gratitude for her intercession. It was during the papacy of Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) that dedicating the whole month of October to the Holy Rosary was first put into practice. He avidly encouraged devotion to the Blessed Mother through praying the Rosary on a regular basis. Pope Leo XIII wrote a total of eleven encyclicals on the Rosary, and is known as “The Rosary Pope.”

In 2002 Pope John Paul II introduced the Luminous Mysteries, or Mysteries of Light, to the Catholic Rosary. They include the Baptism of Jesus, the wedding at Cana, Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration, and the first Eucharist.

Cick here to see our file on how to pray the Rosary.