Our Lady of the Rosary
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Our Lady of the Rosary (also Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, or Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary) is the title received by the Marian apparition to Saint Dominic in 1208 in the church of Prouille in which Mary gives the Rosary to him.
In thanks for the victory of the Battle of Muret, de Montfort built the first shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Victory.
In 1573 Pope Gregory XIII instituted "Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary" as an annual fest to commemorate the victory of Lepanto. (The victory was attributed to Our Lady as a rosary procession was offered on that day in St. Peter's Square in Rome for the success of the mission of the Holy League to hold back Muslim forces from overrunning Western Europe.) This feast was extended by Clement XII to the universal church. Following the reforms of the Second Vatican Council the feast was re-named Our Lady of the Rosary. The feast has the liturgical rank of universal memorial and is still celebrated on the anniversary of the battle on October 7th.
Our Lady of the Rosary is the patron virgin of several places around the world (see Rosario (disambiguation)) and María del Rosario is a common female Spanish name (colloquially abbreviated to Charo). Rosario can be used as male first name as well.
