October 7th is the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, sometimes referred to as the Feast of the Holy Rosary, and in our liturgical calendar, the month of October is the Month of the Holy Rosary.
During this month of the Holy Rosary, Pope Leo IX has asked the faithful "...every day of the coming month, to pray the Rosary for peace: personally, in the family, in the community" (September 24, 2025, Papal Audience).
History of the Rosary & Feast of the Holy Rosary
In 1208 AD, Mary appeared to St. Dominic and gave him the Hail Mary prayer, which is based in Holy Scripture and meditations on the life of Christ, to be used as a prayer and as a way to teach the faith.
The traditional image of Our Lady of the Rosary portrays Mary with one arm supporting the Child Jesus and with the offering the rosary beads to St Dominic. This important iconography shows that the Rosary is a means given by the Virgin to contemplate Jesus and, in meditating on his life, to love him and follow him ever more faithfully. It is this message that Our Lady has also bequeathed to us in her various apparitions.” (Benedict XVI, Angelus, October 7, 2009)
October 7 is was dedicated by Pope St. Pius V as the Feast of the Holy Rosary because he credited an impossible victory of Christian armies against Muslim invaders to the intercession of Mary through the rosary. Pope St. Pius had asked the people of Rome to pray the Rosary daily for victory in the battle. The battle was won and the invasion of Europe by the Muslims was prevented.
Ways to Celebrate the Month of the Holy Rosary
Throughout church history, Our Lady's consistent messages through approved apparitions has been to pray the rosary daily for conversion of heart both on our own and within our families.
For most of us, the idea of praying the Rosary daily seems an impossible task. On one level, praying the rosary seems like one of the simplest, most basic things a Catholic family can do yet when we try it at home we often encounter many little irritations which get in the way of success. Can you pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time? It’s a rare person who can do it on the first try. Most of us would need to practice long and hard to train our hands to do two different things simultaneously. It’s like this with the rosary; your voice is reciting the prayers while your mind is thinking about a mystery and your fingers are keeping track on the beads. Factor in self-imposed distractions (wandering thoughts), and outside distractions (wandering kids, family members, phone calls) and it’s no wonder we can easily become frustrated!
Below are some tips for training yourself and your family to pray the Rosary:
- Have reasonable expectations and attainable goals (don’t expect to get through a whole Rosary on the first try!)
- Break the Rosary down into small pieces—maybe start with praying 1 decade twice per week alone or as a family. Be consistent with whatever you decide to do.
- Memorize the Rosary prayers and help your children to do so (Our Father, Glory be, Hail Mary).
- Ask the Blessed Mother to pray for your success.
- Try using a free Rosary App, such as: Daily Rosary Meditations, MyParish App, The Holy Rosary for Android phones, Rosary Pro for Apple phones
“The family that recites the Rosary together reproduces something of the atmosphere of the household of Nazareth: its members place Jesus at the center; they share his joys and sorrows; they place their needs and their plans in his hands; they draw from him the hope and the strength to go on … It is also beautiful and fruitful to entrust to this prayer the growth and development of children … To pray the Rosary for children, and even more, with children, training them from their earliest years to experience this daily “pause for prayer” with the family, is admittedly not the solution to every problem, but it is a spiritual aid which should not be underestimated.” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae (RVM) 41, 42)
Respect Life Month
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops sets aside the month of October as Respect Life Month. Every October, we consider more deeply why every human life is valuable and reflect on how to build a culture that protects life from conception to natural death.
Learn more about what the Diocese of Portland is doing to celebrate Respect Life Month at their website: https://portlanddiocese.org/respect-life-month
Learn more about Respect Life month by looking for articles in our weekly Cluster bulletin and by going to the USCCB website: https://www.respectlife.org/
Consider praying the rosary this month specifically for an end to abortion and other violations against the dignity of human life.
Consider praying the Respect Life Month Novena from October 22-30. Download a printable version here.
You are also invited to participate in 40 Days for Life Houlton.
