bonds asunder; and let us cast away her yoke from us." But as Christ
foretold the persecution of His Church, so He also foretold that the
gates of hell would not prevail against her. The Church of God will in
due time conquer all her enemies, some will be converted, while others
who are obstinate will perish in the battle. In all these battles and
victories of the Church, Mary, blessed mother of her divine Founder,
co-operates with the Church through her intercession. Mary was already
spoken of in paradise as the one who would come to tread upon the head
of the serpent, the spirit of darkness. This she has done by becoming
the mother of God, by bringing forth the Redeemer. And as Jesus through
Mary's co-operation came into this world, so He desires her
co-operation in ruling the world. The history of the contests and
Victories of the Church verify this throughout the centuries.

The evil spirit has a twofold weapon with which he assails and combats
God's Church; namely, the godless rulers of the world and heresy.
Through the godless authorities of the world Satan has endeavored since
the beginning to crush the Church; through heresy he attempts to
destroy the Church by internal dissension. Both weapons are used
together, for heresy and calumny can not prevail without substantial
support, and heretics seek worldly power and assistance. On every page
of Church history we find recorded the clashes planned by these evil
forces, from which the Church always came out not conquered, but a
conqueror.

The history of the veneration of Mary tells us that the Blessed Virgin
Mary helped to win these victories. During the early times, when fierce
battles against the Church were raging, bishops and priests knew of no
more efficacious means to avert these dangers than to exhort the
faithful to pray to the Blessed Virgin. Thus we read in history that
the holy bishops and martyrs Ignatius and Irenaeus did this in the
second century, and in the third century it was Pope Calixtus who
advised the faithful to take refuge with the Blessed Virgin in time of
persecution of the Church. And so on through all Christian times.

Since the introduction of the rosary by St. Dominic all great victories
have been credited to the devotion of the rosary. The first great
conquest of the Church effected by the rosary was the victory over the
Albigenses, who had spread heresy in southern France and had caused
great havoc in Church and State.

St. Bern