HOW A PAPAL CHARITY UNITES THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN IN PRAYER FOR PEACE
Thousands of Irish children are set to unite in prayer to intercede for peace in the world. In almost every corner of the country, children in Catholic schools and parishes will gather on Tuesday October 7 – the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary – to pray the Rosary for peace and unity in the world.
They will be part of the global One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign, organised by the Pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need.
Brandon Scott, the Irish coordinator of the initiative said he had been overwhelmed by the early support for the campaign.
“We have had so many schools and parishes express an interest about coming onboard to pray for peace, especially in Gaza. People feel so helpless, but prayer is the one thing that they can do,” Mr Scott said.
“Many of the participating schools have asked us for Rosary beads, and we are able to get them Rosary beads blessed and made by Christian families in Bethlehem, so the campaign is really benefiting the local Christian community in the Holy Land whose livelihoods have been completely ended by the war,” he said.
“Children have responded so well to the campaign themselves. Even if they are not watching the news, they know that children just like them are suffering in Gaza and Ukraine and this inspires them to pray”.
ACN’s One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign aims to focus attention on parts of the world where young people experience difficulties due to war and conflict. It highlights the fact that even when the situation feels helpless, we can always pray for those in need – and people appreciate those prayers.
“In a world still scarred by conflict, division, and spiritual confusion, the Rosary continues to be the ‘weapon’ Mary gave us for peace,” Mr Scott said.
“This is why the One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign is so timely and so fitting. Inspired by the words attributed to Saint Padre Pio – ‘When one million children pray the Rosary, the world will change’ – the campaign invites children around the globe to unite in prayer each year.”
Speaking about the growth of the event, Mr Scott said that last year’s edition was the most successful ever seen in Ireland.
“What started off in 2005 as a modest campaign has blossomed into something , with records being broken each year. Last year, over one million children officially registered and participated globally, marking the third consecutive year the event crossed the one million mark, following successful turnouts in 2023 and 2024.
“From an Irish context, a record 15,000+ children, across schools and parishes on the island, took part in last year’s edition. This year, ACN is hoping that even more children will come together to learn about the beauty of the Rosary and pray for peace in our troubled world.”
Mr Scott said, “Visualise this, over a million children from around the world, coming together to pray the Rosary for peace at a time when it feels like the world is so devoid of it. How powerful that is!”
For more information, or to participate in the campaign, email Brandon Scott at brandon.scott@acnireland.org. Schools and parishes can also organise a special Rosary on or around October 7 using the free materials available on the ACN website.
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