It was St. Dominic who began encouraging people to say the Holy Rosary around the year 1190.

St. Dominic was very saddened and felt great pity for the group of people who went about spreading a terrible heresy (untruth) called Albigensianism.

With the priests of his new Order of Preachers (the Dominicans), he did his best to destroy this dangerous heresy as it was doing great harm.

He begged the Blessed Virgin for help, and she told him to preach devotion to the Holy Rosary.

St. Dominic obeyed and the Dominicans conquered that dangerous heresy with prayer, especially by praying the Holy Rosary. Dominic also encouraged people to be humble and to make sacrifices.

The Holy Rosary is a simple devotion which can be said by all people-old and young, learned or unlearned. It can be said anywhere, at any time.

While we say the Our Father, ten Hail Marys and Glory to the Father, we think about great moments in the lives of Jesus and Mary.

In this way, we grow closer and closer to Jesus and his Blessed Mother. We learn to imitate their holy lives.

Mary is very pleased when we say the Holy Rosary often and well. She used to say it with St. Bernadette when she appeared to her at Lourdes. The three little children of Fatima also learned from Mary the power of the Rosary.

Mary taught them that the Rosary obtains graces and saves sinners from hell.

This feast is celebrated to show our gratitude to Mary for a military victory over the Turks at Lepanto on October 7, 1571.