Pope Leo to Join Hundreds of Children in Praying the Rosary for Peace on October 1

Vatican City, September 23, 2026 : Hundreds of children from schools and parishes across Rome will gather with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican Gardens on 1 October to launch the annual “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” initiative promoted by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

A million voices united in prayer

Between 700 and 1,000 children are expected to take part in the prayer gathering at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens. At 5pm, they will pray the Rosary alongside the Pope in spiritual communion with children, families, schools and Christian communities around the world.

The initiative, which has been organised by ACN for more than two decades, will take on a new format this year, extending for an entire week from 1 to 7 October.

A week of prayer for peace

For the first time, communities will be able to choose a day during the week to join the worldwide prayer campaign. The initiative will culminate on 7 October, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

ACN is encouraging children, families, schools, parishes and Christian communities to unite their prayers for peace and unity, particularly as many parts of the world continue to experience violence, persecution, poverty and instability.

The Vatican gathering will therefore be one part of a much larger global chain of prayer.

Children praying across continents

Communities in countries affected by conflict and hardship are also preparing to participate.

Several parishes and schools in Sudan will join the initiative, while children from the Tsimané indigenous community in the Bolivian Amazon have already begun praying the Rosary in both Tsimané and Spanish.

In Zimbabwe, children at St. Christopher’s Parish in the Archdiocese of Bulawayo are scheduled to gather for prayer on 4 October. In Paraguay, Radio Pa’i Puku will broadcast children praying the Rosary at San Eugenio de Mazenod parish.

Together, these local gatherings will form part of an international prayer movement crossing languages, cultures and borders.

Inspired by Fatima

This year’s campaign is inspired by the message traditionally associated with the apparitions at Fatima, Portugal: “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”

Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of ACN International and Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, has highlighted Mary’s Immaculate Heart as an example of a life open to the Holy Spirit, pointing to her as a model of faith, prayer and love.

From Venezuela to the world

The initiative began in Venezuela in 2005 and has since developed into a worldwide prayer network involving children, families, schools, parishes and Church groups.

The campaign is associated with the words attributed to Padre Pio: “When one million children pray the Rosary, the world will change.”

ACN stresses that participation is not limited to children. Parents, teachers, priests, religious, catechists and families are all invited to join.

Even those unable to pray a full Rosary can participate by praying a single decade, becoming part of the worldwide chain of prayer for peace.

Courtesy : Vatican News

Photo Courtesy : CC ATTRIBUTE