By JP Misheff, September 25, 2025
In his Wednesday General Audience yesterday, Pope Leo XIV urged the Church to unite in praying for world peace by praying a daily Rosary throughout the month of October.
“I invite everyone, each day of the coming month, to pray the Rosary for peace— personally, in the family, and in community,” he said.
October is devoted to the Rosary in part because the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary — also known as Our Lady of Victories — falls on October 7. This feast was established by Pope St. Pius V in 1571, following a widespread call to pray the Rosary that preceded what Pius V considered a miraculous victory at the Battle of Lepanto.
The Church’s tradition of dedicating October to the Holy Rosary became more widespread several hundred years later, largely due to Pope Leo XIII, who was a passionate advocate for this form of prayer. He issued eleven encyclicals over the course of 5 years emphasizing the importance of the Rosary.