The Association’s annual Rosary Octave of Prayer will begin Tuesday, October 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Saint Pius V established this feast in 1573 in gratitude for the triumph of Christians over the Turks at Lepanto. That victory was credited to the fervent response of the faithful citizens who heeded the Pope’s plea to recite the Rosary.

Following in the footsteps of his namesake, our current pope has revealed a strong devotion to Mary. In 1883, his predecessor, Leo XIII, declared the feast of Queen of the Holy Rosary. Through a series of encyclicals, the earlier pontiff promoted Marian devotion. “The Rosary is … the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying,” he wrote.

Through the centuries, the Blessed Virgin herself has urged praying the Rosary as a means of restoring peace in the face of wars, oppression, and social injustice. 

You are invited to join AMM members in reciting five mysteries of the Rosary daily for eight days. Send your intentions to be remembered in prayer throughout the octave at Our Lady’s Shrine. You may also request Votive Lights to burn for your needs –– or as a gift of gratitude for favors Our Lady has already obtained for you and those you love.