Celebrating the Month of the Holy Rosary

"The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers." - Pope Saint Pius X

The month of October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. On October 7, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in honor of the Blessed Mother. October was also the month in which Mary appeared for the last time to shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, urging them to "say the rosary every day to obtain peace for the world."

In celebration of the month, several parishes in the Diocese of Portland plan to hold Rosary gatherings. Whether at an event or individually, all are encouraged to pray the Rosary during October and beyond.

Events and Services

October 12, 2024

Gorham

A Rosary rally and Mass commemorating the final appearance of the Blessed Mother at Fatima will be held on Saturday, October 12, at St. Anne Church, 299 Main Street in Gorham. The Mass, with an opportunity for the sacrament of reconciliation, will be held at 11 a.m. The rally will begin at noon with a luncheon to follow

Lewiston

A Rosary Rally will be held at noon at the Basilica of Ss. Peter & Paul, 122 Ash Street in Lewiston.

Devotion to the Rosary

The Rosary is an invitation to experience the grace of Mary’s spiritual motherhood as she leads us to her Son, Jesus. Devotion to the Rosary was especially promoted in the 13th century by St. Dominic and in the 16th century by St. Peter Canisius. It was Pope Leo XIII who dedicated October as the Month of the Holy Rosary and who, in 1895, wrote an encyclical, Adiutricem, on the Rosary. An invocation known as the Fatima Prayer was commonly added in the early 20th century. In 2002, Saint John Paul II, who called the Rosary his favorite prayer, added a new set of five reflections called the luminous mysteries. They join the joyful, sorrowful, and glorious mysteries, in providing opportunities to reflect on the lives of Jesus and his Blessed Mother.