Pope Leo XIV will join hundreds of children on 1 October to pray the Rosary for peace at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens. The event will begin at 5:00 p.m., with the Holy Father joining later to pray alongside 700 to 1,000 children from schools and parishes in Rome, who will be in spiritual union with families and Christian communities worldwide. The gathering marks the start of the worldwide week of prayer for the “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” initiative, organized for over 20 years by the Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). For the first time, the campaign will span an entire week from 1 to 7 October, concluding on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Global children united with Pope Leo XIV in prayer
As children in Rome gather with the Pope, similar prayer events are being prepared in various countries facing war, poverty, and instability. In Sudan, Fr. Franck Mandozi of the Pastoral Region of Kosti confirmed local participation from parishes and schools. In the Bolivian Amazon, Sister Patricia Alejandra Botello López shared that a Tsimané indigenous community is already praying the Rosary in both T’siman and Spanish.
In Zimbabwe, St. Christopher’s Parish in Bulawayo will gather children on Sunday, 4 October, with parish priest Fr. Charles Mafurutu planning visits to remote Mass centers. In Paraguay, Radio Pa’i Puku will broadcast the Rosary live from San Eugenio de Mazenod parish.
A global prayer for a wounded world
The 2026 campaign draws inspiration from the message of Fatima:
“In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of ACN International and Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, noted that the Immaculate Heart of Mary represents a life entirely open to the Holy Spirit, offering Mary as a model of faith and prayer during global uncertainty.
Founded in Venezuela in 2005, the initiative draws inspiration from words attributed to Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina:
“When one million children pray the Rosary, the world will change.”
ACN encourages parents, educators, and clergy to join children in prayer, offering multi-lingual resources online in collaboration with the Shrine of Fatima, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the World Apostolate of Fatima, and World Rosary Day. Journalists seeking in-person media coverage must request accreditation via the Holy See Press Office online system (press.vatican.va/accreditamenti) no less than 24 hours prior to the event.
