Pope Leo joins "One million children praying the Rosary"«

Pope Leo XIV will join hundreds of children on October 1st to pray the Rosary for peace at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens. The gathering, which will begin at 5:00 PM, will bring together approximately 1,000 children from schools and parishes in Rome.

The event thus begins the World Week of Prayer of the « initiative«One million children praying the Rosary»", promoted for more than twenty years by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Participants will pray alongside the Holy Father in spiritual union with children, families, and Christian communities from around the world.

A week of prayer for peace

For the first time, the campaign will run for a full week, from October 1st to 7th, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. This will allow dioceses, parishes, schools, and families in different countries to choose the day that best suits their circumstances to join this initiative, united in prayer for peace and unity.

The call is already mobilizing children from numerous countries, from indigenous communities in the Bolivian Amazon to parishes in Sudan, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Sierra Leone.

In Sudan, where war continues to cause immense suffering, Father Franck Mandozi, from the Kosti Pastoral Region, has confirmed the participation of children from various parishes and schools. In an indigenous Tsimane community in the Bolivian Amazon, Sister Patricia Alejandra Botello López has noted that the children are already praying the Rosary in both their native language and Spanish.

Also in Zimbabwe, the parish of St. Christopher, in the Archdiocese of Bulawayo, will gather children on October 4. In Paraguay, Radio Pa'i Puku will promote the initiative and broadcast the Rosary prayed by the children of the parish of St. Eugene de Mazenod.

Inspired by the message of Fatima

The 2026 campaign's motto is the message of Fatima: "In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph." In his invitation to participate, Cardinal Kurt Koch, international president of ACN and prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, presents the Immaculate Heart of Mary as an expression of a life open to the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary as a model of faith, love, and prayer.

The initiative began in Venezuela in 2005 and has since spread across five continents. It is inspired by the words attributed to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina: "When a million children pray the Rosary, the world will change.".

ACN also invites parents, teachers, priests, religious, and catechists to pray with children. It is not necessary to pray the entire Rosary: a single decade can be part of this worldwide chain of prayer. The foundation offers materials in several languages and allows participants to register their participation, displaying on a map the locations from which children are joining the initiative.

The campaign is organized in collaboration with the Shrine of Fatima, the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, and the World Apostolate of Fatima. This year, World Rosary Day is included for the first time.

How to participate in the initiative?

ACN encourages schools, parishes and families to join "One Million Children Praying the Rosary" with different proposals adapted to each environment.

At school. Students can organize a team, with the help of their teachers, to lead the Rosary and distribute the Hail Marys among the different classes. It is also suggested that they set up an altar in the courtyard or auditorium, with a microphone to facilitate everyone's participation.

In the parish. Children in catechism classes can lead the prayer and invite their family and friends. Another possibility is to make prayer bracelets or rosaries as a group, following the instructions in the ACN materials.

At home. The initiative invites everyone to create a prayer corner with an image of the Virgin Mary and a candle, and to gather family and friends to pray together. Each child and adult can participate by praying a Hail Mary, giving thanks for their family, and asking for prayers for suffering children around the world.

ACN offers prayer materials in several languages to facilitate participation and invites people to register for the campaign so that participants can appear on the world map of this initiative.