Today, October 7th, we celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary; Saint Augustus, abbot; and Saint Ernest, abbot and martyr.


Our Lady of the Rosary 

The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was instituted by Pope Pius V to give thanks for the naval victory of Christians over the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571, attributed to the help of the Virgin Mary, who was invoked through the prayer of the Rosary. Through the repetition of prayer and meditation on its mysteries, the Rosary contemplates the main moments in the life of Jesus Christ and Mary's role in the history of salvation. Confraternities of the Rosary have for centuries been an important reference point for popular piety in our region and have contributed to spreading this Marian devotion.


Saint Augustus of Bourges, abbot 

He was abbot of the Monastery of Saint-Symphorien in Bourges. According to tradition, he was miraculously cured through the intercession of Saint Martin from a serious illness that had paralyzed his hands and feet. He stood out for his life of prayer and service to the community. His memory is especially honored for his dedication to monastic life and the impetus he gave to the monastery. He died around the year 560.


Saint Ernest, abbot and martyr 

He was born in Switzerland in the 12th century and served as abbot of the Benedictine Monastery of Zwiefalten, in the present-day German state of Baden-Württemberg, between 1141 and 1146. He resigned from his post to participate in the Second Crusade, and once the campaign ended, he devoted himself to preaching in Persia and Arabia. According to tradition, he was captured by Muslims, tortured, and killed in Mecca in 1148.