Among the most common questions I was asked back when I was in seminary and was regularly  doing vocation talks in schools was what my favorite subject was in school. The truthful answer was that as a boy, I loved virtually all my subjects, except for art and math, at which I was terrible, and therefore I hated. However, because I didn’t want to publicly disparage the important work of their teachers in those fields, and I didn’t want to give the obvious answer of religion,I always said history was my favorite subject.
 
I’ve never been particularly good about the memorization of dates and the names of rulers and important figures, but the narratives of history have always fascinated me. Whether it was the heroic defense of the Christian West by King Jan Sobieski at the Battle of Vienna, or the Battle at the Milvian Bridge, I have always loved stories of valor and sacrifice for one’s God and country. Next week marks the anniversary, both historical and liturgical, of the most important battle to preserve Christianity in the West.The history of the world would indeed be very
different if the events of October 7, 1571 had unfolded differently.
 
To make a very long (and incredibly interesting) story short, the forces of the Ottoman Turks and the Catholic nations of the West had been clashing for years, and things came to a head in the battle of Lepanto, fought off the coasts of Greece and Italy, right in the heart of Christendom. Had the Holy Fleet been unable to turn back the Ottoman’s ships, it is entirely possible that Christianity could have been struck from Europe entirely.  Pope Pius V, seeing the bleakness of the situation, called upon Catholics everywhere to pray the rosary that day, asking the Blessed Mother to intercede to God on our behalf. Against all odds, the Holy Fleet defeated their enemies and turned back their inquest into Christian lands. God, and His Mother, had come to the aid of their people. Next Sunday, on October 7, the Church remembers the events of this day with the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, or Our Lady of Victory, who is also the patroness of one of the parishes of our region. In commemoration of this event, we will celebrate the Masses at OLR next weekend using the prayers of the Feast day rather than those of the regular Sunday Mass, and we will have a special blessing and prayers for the Church itself after the 9:00 Mass. I encourage all those who can make it
to come and celebrate this wonderful day for the Church Universal as well as for our parish in particular. The schedule of events can be found below.
 
Even those who cannot make it next week can certainly recall God’s work on behalf of His people by gathering with family and friends and praying the Rosary together. Praying the Rosary together is one of the simplest ways to grow in holiness as a family, and if it’s not a regular part of your prayer life, then there are few better days to start than on the feast of the Rosary itself. As I pray my daily rosary, know that I remember all the people of the region, including those who have gone before us. May we continue to pray for one another and hold each other up as we seek to grow in holiness in this life and the next.
 
Prayers always,
Fr. McCullough