Pope Leo XIV will join hundreds of children at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens on Oct. 1 to pray the Rosary for peace, according to Vatican News. The gathering, scheduled for 5 p.m. local time, is expected to draw between 700 and 1000 children from schools and parishes across Rome to pray alongside the pontiff while uniting spiritually with communities worldwide.
Global Week of Prayer Launches in Rome
The Vatican gathering marks the official start of the global prayer week for the "One Million Children Praying the Rosary" initiative. For the first time, organizers have extended the event across an entire week from Oct. 1 to Oct. 7, giving dioceses, schools, and families flexibility to choose their preferred date before the campaign concludes on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
ACN Brasil reported that children and adults across Brazil have already confirmed their participation through the organization’s website. Frei Rogério Lima, ecclesiastical assistant for ACN Brasil, plans to lead a live-streamed Rosary on YouTube at 3 p.m. Brasília time on Oct. 7. In Minas Gerais, the Santa Maria Minas school network of the Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte invited students to participate.
Did you know? The campaign originated in Venezuela in 2005, drawing inspiration from words attributed to Padre Pio: “When a million children pray the Rosary, the world will change.”
International Participation Amidst Conflict
Communities in conflict zones and remote areas have organized local prayer events alongside the Vatican gathering, according to Vatican News. Father Franck Mandozi of the Kosti Pastoral Region confirmed that children from multiple schools and parishes in Sudan will take part despite ongoing regional conflict. In Bolivia, Sister Patricia Alejandra Botello López reported that children belonging to an indigenous T’siman community are already practicing the prayer in both Spanish and T’siman.
Additional events span multiple continents. Father Charles Mafurutu of St. Christopher’s Parish in the Archdiocese of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, scheduled a children’s gathering for Sunday, Oct. 4, with plans to reach remote mission outposts. In Paraguay, Radio Pa’i Puku intends to broadcast live coverage of children from the parish of Saint Eugene de Mazenod reciting the Rosary to encourage broader family and school participation.
Message of Hope for a Wounded World
Organizers frame the 2026 campaign around the message of Fatima: “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” According to Vatican News, Cardinal Kurt Koch, international president of ACN and prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, stated in an invitation to participants that Mary’s heart represents a life fully open to the Holy Spirit.
ACN emphasizes that the campaign does not require participants to recite the entire Rosary. Families, teachers, catechists, and priests are encouraged to guide children through even a single decade. The initiative coordinates internationally with the Sanctuary of Fatima, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, and the World Apostolate of Fatima, incorporating the World Day of the Rosary for the first time.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the One Million Children Praying the Rosary event take place?
The main prayer week runs from Oct. 1 to Oct. 7, concluding on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, with Pope Leo XIV leading the opening event in the Vatican Gardens on Oct. 1.
Who organizes the annual children’s Rosary campaign?
Do participants need to recite the entire Rosary?
No. Organizers state that even a single decade of the Rosary recited with faith fulfills the purpose of joining the global prayer chain.
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