Pope Leo XIV to Pray the Rosary with Nearly 1,000 Children at the Vatican and Almost a Million World Wide!


Nearly 1,000 Children to Join Pope Leo XIV in Vatican Gardens for Global Rosary Initiative

On October 1 at 5:00 PM, up to 1,000 Roman school and parish children will gather with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican Gardens' Lourdes Grotto to launch Aid to the Church in Need's (ACN) annual "One Million Children Praying the Rosary" campaign.

For the first time in its 20-year history, the initiative expands from a single day into a full week of prayer, running from October 1 through the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7. This extended format allows schools, parishes, and families worldwide to participate on the day that best suits them while remaining spiritually united in praying for global peace.

A Worldwide Network of Prayer

The campaign extends far beyond the Vatican, uniting communities across the globe—including regions facing severe conflict, poverty, and political instability:

  • Bolivia: Children in the indigenous Tsimané community in the Amazon are praying in both Tsimané and Spanish.

  • Sudan: Parishes and schools across the country are hosting joint prayer events.

  • Zimbabwe: St. Christopher’s Parish in the Archdiocese of Bulawayo will host a youth prayer gathering on October 4.

  • Paraguay: Radio Pa’i Puku will broadcast children praying live from San Eugenio de Mazenod parish.

Hope for a Wounded World

Inspired by St. Padre Pio’s belief that "when one million children pray the Rosary, the world will change," the campaign also draws on Our Lady of Fatima’s promise: "In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph."

Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of ACN International, emphasized that Mary serves as an essential model of faith and love in a world increasingly fractured by violence and persecution. ACN encourages people of all ages—including parents, educators, and clergy—to participate. For those unable to recite a full Rosary, ACN notes that praying even a single decade connects participants to the global movement.

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