From Carol Montgomery

On Sunday, Nov. 7, after Mass, the members of the Mother of Mercy Catholic Church carried a statue of Mary with flowers at her feet through the side streets around the church to celebrate our Lady’s intercession through the recitation of the rosary that helped protect the Christendom in 1571 from being conquered by the Turks.

When Christianity was under attack by the Ottoman Empire, Pope Pius V did what all Catholics have always done during times of acute danger — fly into the arms of the most powerful Mother of God.

Pope Pius ordered all monasteries and convents in Rome to increase their prayers for the impending battle and organize rosary processions in which he, as rich as he was, participated.

As the Christian fleet sailed toward the great clash of cultures, Mass was celebrated and the rosary recited daily on each vessel. This heartfelt request for divine assistance resulted in a crushing defeat of the Ottomans at Lepanto and ended their dominance in the Mediterranean.

For Catholics, Mary is our great and loving intercessor, a role similar to that of King David’s mother in Jewish tradition. Those who wished to approach King David had to bring their concerns to his mother first, during which time she would decide whether the concern was worthy of her son’s attention.

When you put your first dent in your father’s car as a teenager, did you run to your dad and tell him about your accident? Probably not. You went to your mother and said something like, “Mom, I’m sorry, but I had an accident. There is a dent in the back fender — dad is going to kill me!”

In Catholic tradition, that’s what Mary does for all of God’s children by taking on the role of a mediator.

“We at Mother of Mercy are honoring God through the rosary procession. Today, the Church, clergy and Christianity are under attack and we want to honor God and ask him to bestow his grace on us once again. We want to thank the Washington Police Department for escorting members of Mother of Mercy through the streets. We appreciate all of their help.

Carol Montgomery is a member of Mother of Mercy Catholic Church.