A dogma is an official document of the Catholic Church- In March 1948, during the Pontificate of Pope
Pius XII; a new ecumenical council was called. This council would be an extremely opportune time for
the proclamation of the Dogma of the Assumption of Mary. This followed the appearance of Our Lady in
Fatima starting on May 13, 1917. Our Lady told the children to recite the rosary and do penance in
reparation for the sins of the world.
To spread the message of Fatima throughout the world, Fr. Alonzo took a statue of Our Lady of Fatima
from the Capelinha in Fatima on tour to Madrid and throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In
Catholic Spain, the “Miracle of the Doves” occurred. Wherever Our Lady’s statue appeared, it was
surrounded by white doves hovering over it as an honor guard. Many miracles also occurred.
In Heaven, Mary is the Mediatrix and dispenser of graces. She has appeared in many places and at many
times to ask us to repent and to pray the Rosary daily.
Many of our saints and leaders have had devotion to Our Lady and to her rosary. Pope Pius V asked the
Catholic world to pray the rosary to intercede for us during the invasion of Europe by the Muslims in
1571. On October 7, the invading Muslim navy, which vastly outnumbered the Christian forces, was
destroyed by a terrible storm. The few ships which survived returned home and the invasion ended.
October 7 is celebrated as the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary.
Saint Louis De Montfort was a champion of the rosary and one of the great Marian saints. He wrote
many books about Our Blessed Mother, including The Secret of Mary, The Secret of the Rosary, and True
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. He recommended recitation of the rosary to priests as a means of
converting many souls.
St. Alphonsus Liguori had a love of the Virgin Mary from his youth, which he inherited from his mother.
He gave up his law practice and laid down his sword at the feet of a statue of Mary. He no longer
wanted to be a servant of the mundane, but a servant and knight of the Queen of Heaven.
Venerable Fulton J. Sheen was consecrated to the Blessed Mother at his birth. He had a deep love for
Mary and dedicated his life to spreading her devotion and the Rosary. He wrote The World’s First Love:
Mary, the Mother of God.
St. Teresa of Calcutta was called the Missionary of the Rosary. As a young girl, she made an annual
pilgrimage with her mother to the Shrine of Our Lady of Cernagore. It made a deep impression on her
heart and helped her to respond to her religious vocation.
St. John Paul II had a deep love of the Mother of God and was a champion of the rosary. He promoted
the Sodality of the Rosary and the Legion of Mary. He visited many Marian Shrines. After he survived an
attempted assassination, he brought the bullet, which was recovered, and placed it in the crown of the
Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, saying she was the one who protected him. He also added the Luminous
Mysteries
St. Maximillian Kolbe was a Polish Rosary priest who founded the movement called the Militia
Immaculata and intended the rosary to be part of the daily spiritual practice of its members. He
emphasized the importance of the Miraculous Medal and the Rosary. He founded a magazine called the
Knight of the Immaculata. He is called The Martyr of Charity
Do you know other Titles by which Our Lady is known?
