​ "The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors."

~ Pope Pius XI

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"Whoever spreads the Rosary is Saved."

~ Saint Bartolo Longo, "Apostle of the Rosary", and Knight of the

Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

 

 The month of October is dedicated to Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary. This is a very special month for our Diocese of Toledo, whose Cathedral Church was dedicated on this day in 1940 to Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary! Therefore, while October 1st is the feast day of Thérèse of Lisieux, every parish in the diocese will celebrate the special votive Mass in memorial of the Dedication of our Cathedral, the "Mother Church" of our diocese. October is also a special month of devotion for our parish church, dedicated to Mary of the Immaculate Conception, where the daily recitation of her Rosary is being renewed as a vital lifeline to our renewal as a Catholic community of disciples in Bellevue!​ The feast day devoted to Our Lady of the Rosary will be celebrated on October 7th, but additional votive Masses for Our Lady of the Rosary, will be offered on those week days without other feasts to help us promote this spiritually efficacious devotion in our parish.

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 Pope Pius XI once described the Holy Rosary as "a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin." He continued, "If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors." 

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 The structure of the rosary gradually evolved between the 12th and 15th centuries. Hail Marys were recited and linked with verses of psalms or other phrases evoking the lives of Jesus and Mary. During this time, this prayer form became known as the rosarium (the "rose garden"), a common term to designate a collection of similar material, such as an anthology of stories on the same subject or theme. During the 16th century, the structure of the five-decade rosary based on the three sets of mysteries prevailed.

 

 Tradition holds that St. Dominic (d. 1221) devised the rosary as we know it. Moved by a vision of our Blessed Mother, he preached the use of the rosary in his missionary work among the Albigensians, who had denied the mystery of Christ. The rosary gained greater popularity through the 1500s, leading various Dominican communities to establish Confraternities of the Holy Rosary among the Catholic faithful. This year I have chosen to re-establish the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary (often known as Rosary/Altar Societies) in our parish in order to revive the Confraternity's proper mission and to afford its members the various spiritual graces proper to it.

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CLICK HERE

for more information on the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary

at Immaculate Conception Bellevue

 

 How did October come to be associated with the Rosary? In 1453, Constantinople had fallen to the Moslems, leaving the Balkans and Hungary open to conquest. With Moslems raiding even the coast of Italy, the control of the Mediterranean was now at stake. In 1571, Pope Saint Pius V organized a fleet under the command of Don Juan of Austria the half-brother of King Philip II of Spain. While preparations were underway, the Holy Father asked all of the faithful to say the rosary and implore our Blessed Mother's prayers, under the title Our Lady of Victory, that our Lord would grant victory to the Christians. Although the Moslem fleet outnumbered that of the Christians in both vessels and sailors, the forces were ready to meet in battle. The Christian flagship flew a blue banner depicting Christ crucified. On October 7, 1571, the Moslems were defeated at the Battle of Lepanto. The following year, Pope St. Pius V established the Feast of the Holy Rosary on October 7, where the faithful would not only remember this victory, but also give thanks to the Lord for all of His benefits and to remember the powerful intercession of our Blessed Mother.

 

 On October 5th, we also celebrate a recently canonized saint who has an intimate connection with the rosary and Our Lady: Saint Bartolo Longo, who is the special patron of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, to which I belong. Bartolo's story is one of great conversion and deep devotion to our Lady (Learn more HERE), earning him the honor of being called an "Apostle of the Rosary" by another great saint, Pope Saint John Paul II, whose feast we celebrate on October 22nd. A former satanist priest, Bartolo was moved to deep conversion by the intervention of the Blessed Lady whose rosary he would spend the rest of his life propagating for the salvation of souls. I therefore offer this prayer, composed by Saint Bartolo Longo, that you may join me in reciting it daily throughout the month of October as we pray our daily rosary for the needs of the Church and for the needs of our parish community:

 

“O Blessed Rosary of Mary, sweet chain that unites us to God, bond of love that unites us to the angels, tower of salvation against the assaults of Hell, safe port in our universal shipwreck, we will never abandon you. You will be our comfort in the hour of death: yours our final kiss as life ebbs away. And the last word from our lips will be your sweet name, O Queen of the Rosary of Pompei, O dearest Mother, O Refuge of Sinners, O Sovereign Consoler of the Afflicted. May you be everywhere blessed, today and always, on earth and in heaven. Amen."

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Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary,

Pray for us!

St. Bartolo Longo, Apostle of the Rosary,

Pray for us!

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Oremvs Pro Invicem!

Father Albert Beltz, KHS, Pastor​​

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