The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-10-06
THE HOLY ROSARY.

The month of October is dedi-
Gated to the devotion Of the Holy
Rosary. 1t is form of prayer
which is very familiar to Catholics
the world over, and consists Of
fifteen decades of "Hail Marys, "
with an "Our Father between
each decade, and for each of these
there is suggested for pious medi-
tatlon one Of the great mysteries
of our redemption. The institu-
ton Of the Rosary is attributed
to st. Dominic, and this is a fact
that is historically established.
The saint, in the days of the AL
bigensian heresy, preached the de-
votion first in Toulouse and then
throughout all Spain as an anti
dote to heresy and sin.
Since that time the Rosary has
occupied a prominent place in the
history and practices of the Cath
Ollie Church. 1t was in memory Of
the victory gained by the Christian
arms at Lepanto that Pope Plus
V established the feast which is
now kept on the seventh Of Octo-
Der. Europe was saved from a
Moslem invasion when the fleet of
Don John Of Austria overcame the
Turks, in 1871, at a time when
professions were being made a.
Rome by members Of the Rosary
Confraternity and prayers were
being offered for a Christian vic
tory. At an earlier date the AL
bigensian heretics were defeated
at the Battle Of Muret in 1913, and
legend has attributed the victory
to the recitation of the beads by
st. Dominic. On many occasions,
Heaven has signally rewarded the
faith OF those who had recourse
to this form of devotion in time
of special danger.
1t is evident, then, that there is
no form Of prayer for the laity
which the Church has encouraged
more than the telling of their
beads. 1t has not only the sane
ton Of authority to recommend it,
but in itself is composed of the
prayers than which none could
have a more sublime origin or
better express man S aspirations
for Heaven in the form Of petition
to Almighty God.
The mysteries recall the great
events in the life of our Saviour
and the Blessed Virgin, and, in
the words of Leo XIII, they lead
erring man to find and to follow
the way consecrated by the Man
God and moistened by the tears of
His Blessed Mother
The Rosary is a compendium Of
devotional theology, and it's regu-
lar recitation brings to the soul
abundant bestowals ofathe graces
proffered to mankind by the Re-
demption. 1t is a prayer adapting
itself to private recitation, and
one of the most regrettable fea-
lures Of the age is the passing Of
the practice in families Of saying
it in common as the household s
evening prayer offering to God.
Where father and mother and chill
dren gather together every night
in the year to count their beads,
there. is to be found a home ON
which rests His blessing, and
therein are to be found Christians
who are protected on their jour
ney through life by the powerful
intercession Of her for whom they
daily weave stheir garlands Of
prayer.
In the year, 1883, Pope Leo
XIII, by an encyclical letter, ex-
tended the "Month of the Rosary"
to the Universal Church and di-
rected that from the first day of
October to the second day Of No
vemDer, inclusive, five decades OF
the Rosary, the Litany of the
Blessed Virgin and the prayer to
st. Joseph should be recited in all
parish churches. The Church of
God has enriched with many in
dulgences the salutary practice Of
saying the beads, and special in
dulgences are granted for assist
ance at the public recitation dur
ing the coming month. Seven
years and seven guarantees may
be gained every time one is pres
ent at the recitation in the church,
and a plenary indulgence is
granted under the usual condl-
tions to those who assist at the
public devotions at least ten times,
and another plenary indulgence
to all who receive Holy Com
munion ON Rosary Sunday or dur
ing its octave.
Maurice Francis Egan