May is traditionally known as “Mary’s month,” a time when Catholics around the world turn their attention in a special way to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Amid the beauty of spring and the approach of summer, the Church reflects on her role as Mother of God and her place in the history of salvation.

Pope Leo XIV’s Pilgrimage to Pompei

This year, that devotion was marked in a particular way on May 8, the feast of Our Lady of Pompei. Pope Leo XIV commemorated the first anniversary of his pontificate with a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary in Pompei, one of the most beloved Marian sanctuaries in the world.

During his visit, the Holy Father encouraged the faithful to renew their commitment to the Rosary, calling it an enduring and transformative prayer. He urged Catholics “to keep this ancient and beautiful devotion ever alive and to spread it,” so that, through Mary, the mysteries of Christ may “enter into our hearts and transform our existence.”

The Legacy of St. Bartolo Longo

The shrine welcomes more than two million pilgrims each year, a testament to its global spiritual significance. Its history is closely tied to St. Bartolo Longo, a former satanist who experienced a profound conversion and became known as the “Apostle of the Rosary.”

After arriving in Pompei in 1872 as a lawyer, he dedicated his life to spreading devotion to the Rosary and rebuilding the sanctuary in the late 19th century.

“There is certainly a design of Providence in this,” said Archbishop Tommaso Caputo, Territorial Prelate of Pompei. “As he himself sought salvation… he came to understand that by praying the Rosary one encounters Jesus.”

Canonized by Pope Leo XIV in October 2025, St. Bartolo Longo’s life continues to witness to the power of conversion and the truth that no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy.

The Dominican Connection to the Rosary

The Pope’s visit also held special meaning for the Dominican Order, whose founder, St. Dominic, is traditionally associated with the spread of the Rosary as a tool for preaching and combating heresy.

Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P., Promoter General of the Rosary for the Order of Preachers, reflected on the significance of the visit and the shrine’s deep Dominican ties.

“For the Pope to go to that very Dominican place to honour Our Lady of the Rosary… and to place his pontificate under her patronage, is just overwhelmingly beautiful,” he said.

Rediscovering the Power of the Rosary

For many Catholics, praying the Rosary can be challenging. It requires patience, attention, and consistency—qualities that can be difficult in daily life. Some may even associate the prayer with negative past experiences.

“That kind of negative experience of the rosary… can lead to a sort of a visceral dislike,” Fr. Lew said, encouraging a renewed approach rooted not in obligation but in love.

Rather than striving for perfection, the invitation is to pray with sincerity. As Fr. Lew explained, “doing something ordinary, like just one decade at a time, but doing that with as much love as we can… that is the best decade that you can give.”

A Living Devotion Drawing Millions

In Pompei, devotion to the Holy Rosary continues to draw millions of pilgrims each year, inspired by the legacy of St. Bartolo Longo and the enduring message of Marian devotion.

Through Mary, the faithful are led ever closer to Christ, encountering in the mysteries of the Gospel a path toward hope, conversion, and transformation.

Adapted by Jacob Stein