The Rosary and the “Polish Lepanto” of 1621

The Dominican Basilica of the Trinity in Krakow, Poland, houses a large chapel dedicated to the Mother of God, Virgin of the Rosary. The icon that adorns its main altar is a copy of the famous icon “Salus Populi Romani,” the same icon that Pope Gregory the Great carried in procession in order to end the plague of 597.

During the famous Battle of Lepanto, waged in the Gulf of Patras in Greece on October 7, 1571, the ships of several Christian countries routed the Turkish fleet, while Pope Pius V prayed the Rosary before this Roman icon. Since then, the ancient image has been associated with the Rosary devotion and the protection of Europe from Ottoman domination. In 1600, Cardinal Maciejowski brought back a copy of the famous icon to Krakow, acquired in Rome.

This icon played a special role in the "Polish Lepanto" of 1621, when an allied force of Poles, Lithuanians, and Ukrainians held off a Turkish army twice as large, in Khotyn, Ukraine (at the time Chocim, Poland).

On October 3rd, the Bishop of Krakow led a procession of the Rosary with the holy icon for several hours, followed by almost the entire population. In the end, the Turks renounced their attack and signed a treaty.

Matka Boza Różańcowa

Source: krakow.dominikanie