From Angola to Vietnam, enthusiasm with “One million children praying the Rosary” campaign
ACN’s yearly campaign, added to the Holy Father’s appeal to pray the Rosary every day of the month for Peace, reinforce the importance of October as the month of this Marian devotion.
October is traditionally the month of the Rosary, and this year it takes on a special significance with the Holy Father’s call to pray daily for peace. On October 11, as part of the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality, the Pope will lead the Rosary in St. Peter’s Square. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) joins this great appeal through the initiative “One Million Children Praying the Rosary”. On October 7, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, ACN is inviting children from around the world to gather in prayer in their parishes, schools, and families. So far, almost 100,000 have already registered to take part.
ACN International president Cardinal Mauro Piacenza’s appeal for prayer as a necessity in a “world wounded by division, conflict, and suffering” struck a particular chord with many of those who committed to participating in the event.
“We fully share your concern about the alarming increase in violence, hatred, and division across the world. In these troubling times, we truly believe that prayer, especially the Rosary, remains our most powerful spiritual weapon for peace, unity, and the protection of innocent lives,” writes the Diocese of Faisalabad, Pakistan, to ACN.
“Rest assured, we will actively promote this campaign throughout our diocese. Our schools, parishes, and catechetical centres will be invited to unite with children from across the world to raise their voices in prayer for peace and reconciliation,” he adds.
In neighbouring India, Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas of Daltonganj also says that in these times “this invitation to unite the voices of children in prayer is both prophetic and profoundly necessary. I wish to assure you that as a diocese, we fully support this initiative and will do all we can to make it a meaningful and well-participated moment across our parishes, schools, and mission stations.”
Children in Myanmar will also be taking part, with one response from the country saying “please be assured of our spiritual closeness. We will gladly ask our priests and religious to animate the children to join you, uniting our intentions with yours and with all who participate in this campaign. Truly, Our Lady must be smiling upon all the prayers and graces that have flowed from these 20 years of devotion.”
Responses also came in from South America, with Bishop Adalberto Jiménez from the Apostolic Vicariate of Aguarico saying that “from our jungles and rivers, our schools and chapels, from the green heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon, we come together with filial love to the Virgin Mary, and with hope for the future of the world, which we place in her hands”. The bishop is expecting at least 2,500 children and 7,000 adults to participate.
Bishop Leopoldo Ndakalako of Menongue, Angola, describes the campaign as “a great, unique and opportune initiative, especially at this time in history”. He adds that “the diocese will do everything it can so that our children, and indeed the whole diocesan community, takes part”.
While pledging the support of his diocese as well, Bishop Bruno Ateba of Maroua-Mokolo, Cameroon, says that “you are right to say that terrorism, war, violence, hatred and division are gaining ground, and the number of people in distress is increasing all the time. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
Fr Yakobus Warata, provincial of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, Indonesia, says that “in a time marked by growing violence, division, and suffering, your words are a timely and powerful reminder that our response must be grounded not only in action, but also in deep and united prayer,” adding that “we are convinced that the innocent prayer of children has a unique power to touch the heart of God and to call down peace upon our troubled world”.
This was also echoed by Fr Shelton Dias of the Archdiocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka, who expresses his firm belief “that the power of prayer, mainly the power of the Rosary can change the world. Nothing can overcome the power of prayer.”
This is the twentieth consecutive year of the prayer campaign, which began in 2005, as a small event in Venezuela. In 2023, for the first time, over one million children officially took part, and the same happened in 2024.
Parishes, movements, schools and families are asked to pray during October, but especially on 7 October, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which will send “a tidal wave of prayer around the world, sprung from the hearts of children and uttered in childlike trust”, according to Fr Anton Lässer, ecclesiastical assistant to ACN International.
