Our Lady of the Rosary

October 7 marks the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary, in honor of this Catholic tradition, Catholic
students were encouraged to join the regular living rosary at the school gymnasium. To make the prayer
more solemn, religious hymns were sung by selected students at the start of each mystery.

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was established in 1571 by St. Pius V to commemorate the naval
battle of Lepanto. The victory of the Christian fleet over the Turks was attributed to the Virgin Mary,
whose help was invoked through praying the Holy Rosary.

According to venerable tradition, this beautiful prayer was revealed to St. Dominic by the Blessed
Mother. The 150 Hail Marys correspond to the number of Psalms. The first part of the Hail Mary was
taken from the gospel of St. Luke., while the second was added by the tradition of the Church. The
response we repeat after every decade – O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, was dictated by the Virgin Mary
to the three visionaries of Fatima in 1917.

The Rosary is made up of twenty "mysteries" (significant events or moments in the life of Jesus and
Mary), which, following the Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, are grouped into four series.

The first contains joyful mysteries (recited on Mondays and Saturdays); the second, the mysteries of
light (Thursdays); the third, the sorrowful mysteries (Tuesdays and Fridays); and the fourth, the glorious
mysteries (Wednesdays and Sundays).

Contributed by:

Darwin Clemente

References:

The Holy Rosary, The Holy Mysteries

Retrieved on October 28, 2009 from
http://www.vatican.va/special/rosary/documents/misteri_en.html

My First Book of Saints 1997, Quality Catholic Publications, Paranaque, M.M.