On October 7th, 1548, a coalition of Christian countries united by Pope St. Pius V and with the intercession of Mary, defeated a numerically superior Muslim force from the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Lepanto. The significance of this victory cannot be understated. The Ottoman fleet was thought unstoppable. They had taken Cyprus from the Venetians, besieged Malta and terrorized coastal towns.
Eventually, the Ottoman conquerors hoped someday to replace St. Peters in Rome with a mosque. With victory, Europe would be preserved from destruction. Despite their own infighting and greed, Christian rulers at the time were able to recognize the danger and unite against a common foe. Each year we commemorate that victory with the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary.
On October 7th, 2023, Islamicist Hamas terrorists crossed into southern Israel to brutally and indiscriminately kill soldiers and civilians. While there has been much discussion about policies and politics to defeat Hamas, rescues hostages, minimize civilian casualties and bring peace to the region, the connection with Our Lady of the Rosary reminds us of one essential strategy: prayer. Before the Battle of Lepanto, the commander of the fleet, Don Juan and many of his men spent the night in prayer. Priests went throughout the ships saying Mass and hearing confessions. The pope urged all Christians to say the rosary daily on behalf of the brave Christian crews. At a pivotal moment in the battle, the wind shifted. With favorable winds and a technological advantage stemming from a Christian worldview of the cosmos, the Ottomans were defeated. Pope St. Pius V interpreted the event as the movement of Providence and triumph due to the intercession of the mother of God. Military and diplomatic solutions are certainly needed, but October 7th reminds us that so is prayer.
