Astronomy: Draconid meteor shower: October 7th and 8th, in the late evening. Not one of the spectacular showers, with only about 6 meteors per hour, but it should be dark enough to see, as the New Moon was two days ago. Look north.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Battle of Lepanto and feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
From Catholic Encyclopedia:
"Occupied by the Turks in 1498, Lepanto is chiefly celebrated for the victory which the combined papal, Spanish, Venetian, and Genoese fleets, under Don John of Austria, gained over the Turkish fleet on 7 Oct., 1571. The latter had 208 galleys and 66 small ships; the Christian fleet about the same number. The crusaders lost 17 ships and 7500 men; 15 Turkish ships were sunk and 177 taken, from 20,000 to 30,000 men disabled, and from 12,000 to 15,000 Christian rowers, slaves on the Turkish galleys, were delivered. Though this victory did not accomplish all that was hoped for, since the Turks appeared the very next year with a fleet of 250 ships before Modon and Cape Matapan, and in vain offered battle to the Christian, it was of great importance as being the first great defeat of the infidels on the sea."
The victory was attributed to praying the rosary, and the day now honors Our Lady of the Rosary.
