Portugal, October 2020 Children joining the ACN campaign "One Million Children Praying the Rosary" Photo: Aid to the Church in Need
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International is inviting schools, parishes and families around the world to join in “One Million Children Praying the Rosary,” to be held on October 18th.
This campaign prays specifically for worldwide unity and peace. “In light of recent events, the focus of this year’s edition will be on peace in the Holy Land,” ACN said in a press release.
ACN quoted St. Padre Pio, who said, “When one million children pray the rosary, the world will change.” Since 2005, ACN has held the prayer campaign during October, the month of the rosary.
Pope Francis has repeatedly expressed approval of the campaign and encourages children around the world to participate.
As evident from the satellite map provided on ACN’s landing page for the event, more than 500,000 children in 103 countries have signed up to participate.
This year’s campaign is centered around angels. ACN provided materials to help children learn about the angel appearing to St. Joseph in a dream, warning him to flee into Egypt with Mary and Jesus.
ACN offers a leaflet containing instructions on how to pray the rosary, child-friendly meditations on the Mysteries of the Rosary and a Prayer of Consecration to Mary for Children, available in 18 languages.
Over 100,000 children will pray the rosary in Poland. In Portugal, children will pray the rosary at the Chapel of the Apparitions, in Fatima.
More than 12,000 children from Australia have joined, 104,000 from the Philippines, 16,000 from India, 110,000 from Slovakia, 55,000 from the United Kingdom, 2,000 from Sierra Leone, 3,7000 from Canada, and 11,000 from Argentina, among others.
Learn more about the prayer campaign, and how to sign up, here.