XAVIER ATENEO

Senior High School

FORMATION PROGRAM AND CHRISTIAN HUMANISM

"God wills that all his gifts should come to us through Mary"
St. Bernard

ORIENTATION ON OCTOBER AS THE HOLY MONTH OF ROSARY

WHAT DOES THE NAME ROSARY MEAN?

The name rosary comes from the Latin rosarium which means rose garden. A rosary is widely
considered a gift of roses to Our Blessed Mother in heaven.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PRAYING THE ROSARY?

The Rosary is the best way to honor the mother of Jesus. Its been known to bring peace to peoples lives
by bringing them closer to Jesus.

WHAT IS IT FOR ME?

In praying the rosary, you can enter into a deep prayer and savor the stories from the lives of Jesus and
Mary. It should not be mere recitation but an active involvement with and in the mysteries it contains.

WHO CAN PRAY THE ROSARY?

Anyone who knows six easy prayers can pray a Rosary; you will also need to know twenty Mysteries to
meditate upon as you pray. You do not have to be a Catholic.

WHAT IS THE ORDER OF PRAYERS IN THE ROSARY?

The Rosary begins with the Apostles Creed, followed by one Our Father, three Hail Marys (traditionally
offered for an increase in faith, hope, and charity for those praying the Rosary), a Glory Be, and, if desired,
the Fatima Prayer. Next come five mysteries, each consisting of one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, a Glory Be,
and, if desired, the Fatima Prayers. Conclude with the Hail Holy Queen. Please say a few extra prayers
after the Hail Holy Queen for the Pope.

WHY IS OCTOBER THE MONTH OF THE ROSARY?

The month of the Holy Rosary is October and this entire month is dedicated to the Rosary. The feast day of
the Holy Rosary in particular is October 7th. The feast of the Rosary is held on October 7th in memory of
the glorious and triumphant victory at the battle of Lepanto (*refer to the history below). That battle
was the most convincing military victory that proved without a doubt the great power of the Rosary.

Pope Benedict XVI described the image of Our Lady of the Rosary in a 2007 Angelus:

The traditional image of Our Lady of the Rosary portrays Mary who with one arm supports the Child Jesus
and with the other is offering the rosary beads to St Dominic. This important iconography shows that the
Rosary is a means given by the Virgin to contemplate Jesus and, in meditating on his life, to love him and
follow him ever more faithfully. It is this message that Our Lady has also bequeathed to us in her various
apparitions. (Benedict XVI, Angelus, October 7, 2009)

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS I CAN SHARE IN THE CELEBRATION OF THE MONTH OF ROSARY?

1. Pray the Rosary everyday this month. Offer an intention and pray for others especially those who
need most your prayer.

2. Make rosaries, have them blessed and give them away. You can also teach your classmates to make
rosaries of their own. Then give the rosaries you make to your friends, neighbors or better yet to the
elderly or the prisoners. Make sure you have them blessed first by a priest.
3. Photocopy the pamphlet or handout about the Rosary and hand them out to people whether it be your
neighbors and friends.

4. Spread the word about the importance of the Rosary during this month and promote it in your blog,
facebook, or IG.

5. Attend Mass on October 7th, the feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

*History of the Rosary

*In October 1571, the Church in Europe faced a seemingly hopeless challenge. The Muslim Turks had
already conquered the Middle East, slaughtering millions and forcing the survivors to convert to Islam.
They then moved across the Mediterranean Sea, taking the crucial islands of Crete and Cyprus. From
these islands, they set their sights on the Christian kingdoms of the central Mediterranean, threatening
Sicily, Venice, and even Rome herself.

Pope Pius V called on the Christian princes of Europe to rally to defeat the Islamic threat. In addition, he
called on rosary confraternities in Rome and all over Europe to undertake special processions and public
recitation of the Rosary, asking the intercession of the Blessed Mother. What ensued was the famous
Battle of Lepanto. The Christian fleet was far outnumbered and appeared to have no human hope of
winning. On the first Sunday of October 1571, the Christian fleet met the invading Muslims off the coast of
Greece in the Gulf of Lepanto.

As Christians all over Europe prayed for Our Ladys intercession, the Turks surrounded the Christian
ships. But the European fleet broke through. By days end, almost all of the Turks were driven to shore or
drowned. Europe was saved. Pope Pius established an annual commemoration to honor Our Lady of
Victory, and his successor, Gregory XIII, decreed that the first Sunday in October would be the feast of the
Holy Rosary.

REMINDERS:
1. Each class is required to set up a MARIAN ALTAR. Praying of the rosary is for the whole month of
October and this will be launched on Monday, October 2, 2017 during the morning assembly. Judging
of the altar will be facilitated by the FP and CH Department.
2. The class is to respect and maintain the sacredness of the altar. It is NOT just there for decoration, or a
place to put the pretty flowers. IT IS A HOLY PLACE. IT IS A PLACE OF PRAYER. The altar is to stay up
to the end of the school year so the class have a sacred space for prayer and reflection. Therefore, the
class is to keep the altar clean and maintained all the time.
3. Everyday, the class will pray starting in the first period for the first mystery and end in the last period
for the fifth mystery. Students will take turn in leading the rosary. A student is also assigned to light
and extinguish the candle every prayer. All candles should be placed in a holder. A pamphlet guide to
praying the rosary will be provided by CM on Wednesday.
4. The LIVING ROSARY celebration will be on WEDNESDAY, October 4, 2017 at the Soccer Field. Please
EXPLAIN that the rosary is intended to be a prayer and response. There are assigned leaders but ALL
STUDENTS ARE TO RESPOND TO COMPLETE THE PRAYER.
5. All student are to wear blue and that they should bring their own rosary. Strictly no talking or using of
cellphone during this time.