The story of La Rocelle starts in France in the 7th century. A shepherd comes to a bush, hears a voice, finds an image of the Blessed Virgin, and ultimately a church is built there.
Years later, in the seventeenth century, there are religious wars between ruling Catholics and Protestant Huguenots. The Huguenots formally rebel against Catholic King Louis XIII in 1628. The place of the rebellion is western La Rochelle. The Protestants have made an alliance with England.
King Louis XIII intends to stop this rebellion. He asks for his subjects to pray the rosary with the intention of France gaining the victory.
There are public rosaries and processions held for eight months. These are held nightly in Catholic churches.
Not only the citizens prayed, but also the soldiers prayed. Dominican friars exhort the armies to pray the rosary. More than 15,000 rosaries were handed out to the soldiers. The soldiers had regular prayer times.
n 1627, In La Rochelle, France, King Louis XIII went to war against the Huguenots. King Louis’s army was victorious. On October 28, 1628, the Huguenots surrendered. This battle is considered one of the military victories obtained through the rosary. The victory march was led by Dominicans carrying a large banner with the image of Our Lady of the Rosary.