Pope Pius V--1504-1572
Pope Pius V, Michael Ghislieri, was from a poor peasant family. The story is told that one day, while tending the family flock, he met two Dominicans on the road who were amazed at his intelligence. The friars asked for and received permission from the parents to take and educate the young Michael Ghislieri. After ordination he returned home to Bosco only to find that it had been destroyed by the French and his family was nowhere to be found. After a little searching he later found them in a nearby town and was able to celebrate his new state in life with his parents. After a period of time, as an inquisitor preaching against the heresies of Luther, Calvin and the Lombards, he worked among the heretics in the Roman prisons and brought many of them back to the faith. When he was elected Pope in January of 1566, he took the money that was given him for the traditional inaugural banquet and gave all of it to the poor of the city.
Pius continued the task of implementing the Church reforms mandated by the Council of Trent (1544-1563). At his urgings the Catholic monarchs of Europe assembled a fleet to challenge the Turkish domination of the Mediterranean. While all of Catholic Europe prayed the Rosary, the naval battle of Lepanto was engaged on October 7, 1571, and the Christian fleet won a great victory. To commemorate the victory of the Christian Armada Pope Pius V introduced in 1572 the "festem BMV de victoria" (Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mother of Victory). In 1573 his successor, Pope Gregory XIII, changed this title to "Feast of the Holy Rosary" to be celebrated on the first Sunday of October. Feast of St. Pius V: April 30.