The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

The University of Our Lady, Notre Dame, seeks to spread knowledge and propagate truth in all areas of academia and has been doing so since its founding. Notre Dame Press is proud to be committed to the fulfillment of this mission and humbly partakes in the great reliance this University has upon its patron saint, The Blessed Virgin Mary.

On October 7th, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. This liturgical feast commemorates the moment that Our Lady’s intercession secured the Holy League’s victory when threatened by an invasion by the Turkish Ottoman Empire that nearly devastated Christendom. Pope St. Pius V called all Christians across Europe to pray the Rosary and, on October 7, 1571, a miraculous victory was secured. The pope then dedicated the month of October to the Holy Rosary and instituted October 7th as the feast of Our Lady of Victory, which was later changed to Our Lady of the Rosary by Pope Gregory XIII.

For over 100 years, the Rosary has been prayed at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes on campus every night at 6:45 pm by members of Notre Dame and surrounding communities of South Bend and Mishawaka and again at 11 pm by members of Notre Dame’s student body. During our 75th anniversary, we remember the importance of Our Lady’s role in the establishment of the University and its Press. In honor of this day that recognizes the power of prayer, consider the titles below that lead readers through intellectual explorations of the great depths of prayer.

Joseph Pieper on the Spiritual Life by Nathaniel A. Warne

What is the relationship between creation, contemplation, human flourishing, and moral development? By following the philosophical thought of Josef Pieper, author Nathaniel Warne develops a sophisticated and insightful answer to this question. This work reveals that contemplation and action are closer together than are typically assumed, and they have important implications for both our spiritual development and our engagement with the world around us.

Petrarch’s Penitential Psalms and Prayers, edited and translated by Demetrio S. Yocum

This is the remarkable first-ever translation of Francesco Petrarca’s intimately poetic and devotional works. Editor and translator Demetrio S. Yocum situates these bold, original compositions within their historical, literary, and religious contexts while bringing in elements from Petrarch’s own life, work, and poetics. Petrarch’s Penitential Psalms and Prayers is an award-winning translation that helps to reconcile Petrarch’s classical humanism with his devout, deeply personal Christianity.

Spiritual Exercises for a Secular Age by Ryan G. Duns, SJ

In Spiritual Exercises for a Secular Age, author Ryan G. Duns, SJ, frames Desmond’s metaphysical thought as a form of spiritual exercise. So framed, Duns argues that Desmond’s metaphysics attunes its readers to perceive disclosure of the divine in the everyday. Positioned uniquely at the crossroads of theology and
philosophy, studying Desmond’s metaphysics can transform how readers behold reality itself by attuning them to discern the presence of God within all things in the world.

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