One Million Children Praying the Rosary
Hundreds of thousands of children from several countries, including those which are suffering from conflicts, such as Ukraine, Lebanon, and the Holy Land, or those where Christian persecution remains fierce, such as Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Cameroon, have confirmed they will be participating in the One Million Children Praying the Rosary prayer campaign, organized by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Photo: Pope Francis during his trip in Mongolia in September 2023.
The Holy Father also made reference to the initiative this past Sunday, during the Angelus prayer, saying: “Next Friday, 18 October, the ‘Aid to the Church in Need’ foundation is organizing the ‘One million children praying the Rosary for peace in the world’ initiative. Thank you to all the boys and girls who are participating!” He added: “Let us join with them and entrust to the intercession of Our Lady … tormented Ukraine, Myanmar, Sudan, and the other populations who suffer because of war and any form of violence and misery.”
On the ACN International website alone, over 375,000 children have already committed to praying the Rosary for peace and unity on October 18, but many schools and parishes have not signed up on the website or does not have access to the internet. At the the moment, the countries on the online map with the most children enrolled in the initiative are Poland (72,712), Brazil (56,490), and the United Kingdom (49,238). Countries in the Americas also taking part include Colombia (10,839), the USA (9,563), and Canada (3,174). Oceania is represented by Australia (4,174) and also the small island nation of Vanuatu, with over 1,000 participants. In Asia, 34,929 children from the Philippines will be taking part, along with 10,596 from India and 1,053 from Vietnam.
Other European countries include Slovakia with 27,715, Hungary with 16,501, and Germany with 3,656, among others. Finally, Africa’s representation includes Democratic Republic of the Congo (2,450), Madagascar (1,100), and Cameroon (1,020). ACN is aware that many groups do not officially enroll and that others only inform the charity after the event. Last year, over one million participated and there are hopes that this year that number could be surpassed.
According to data published recently by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP), 2023 saw a record number of armed conflicts in the world – many of them still ongoing – reaching a total of 59—the highest since data started to be collected in 1946. This makes praying for peace and unity more important than ever, which is why ACN has once again organized the One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign on October 18, for the nineteenth consecutive year.
In Portugal, children will be praying the Rosary with Cardinal António Marto in the Chapel of the Apparitions, in Fátima, a famous Marian shrine. The motto for this year, inspired by the message of Our Lady of Fátima, is “Pray the Rosary and there will be peace.” The One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign arose from the conviction that the Rosary has the capacity to change the world, defeat evil, and bring peace, as Our Lady said in Fátima.
The pontifical charity has received inspiring messages from several parts of the world, about big and small initiatives to support the prayer campaign, such as Peru, with Sister María Jacinta, the superior of the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary in Quillabamba, commenting that thanks to the donations they usually receive, the sisters have been able to purchase 500 rosaries to distribute to the children during the event. Furthermore, a group of enthusiastic parishioners will be providing food and refreshments to participants after the prayer. “All of this is a blessing from God; it is all His work,” she told ACN.
The history of the initiative
The One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign is organized by ACN, with the cooperation of the Shrine of Fátima, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, and the World Apostolate of Fátima. It began in 2005, in Caracas, Venezuela, when adults witnessed children praying the Rosary at a roadside shrine and were reminded of Padre Pio’s words: “When one million children pray the Rosary, the world will change.”
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Canada provides parishes, schools, children’s groups, and families with free material, which are available on its website. The material includes a poster, a guide to praying the Rosary, Sorrowful Mysteries colouring strips (as this year, October 18 lands on a Friday), and a prayer for the consecration of children to the Virgin Mary in both official languages.
