Pope Leo XIV will join between 700 and 1,000 children from schools and parishes across Rome in praying the Rosary for peace at the Vatican Gardens on October 1.
Children to gather at Lourdes Grotto
The prayer will take place at 5 pm at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens and will mark the beginning of this year’s “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” initiative, promoted by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
The children and Pope Leo will pray in spiritual communion with children, families, schools and Christian communities around the world.
For the first time, the initiative will run for an entire week, from October 1 to 7, allowing dioceses, parishes, schools and families in different countries to choose a suitable day to participate. The week will conclude on October 7, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
A prayer reaching children around the world
The Vatican gathering will be joined by prayer initiatives in several countries, including communities in the Bolivian Amazon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Sierra Leone.
In Sudan, children from different parishes and schools are expected to participate, while children from the Tsimané Indigenous community in Bolivia are praying in both Tsimané and Spanish. A parish in Zimbabwe is also preparing a children’s Rosary gathering.
The 2026 campaign draws inspiration from the message of Fatima and focuses on prayer for peace and unity amid conflict, persecution, poverty and uncertainty.
From Venezuela to a worldwide prayer movement
The “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” initiative began in Venezuela in 2005 and has since developed into an international prayer movement involving children, families, schools, parishes and Church groups.
ACN is inviting not only children but also parents, teachers, priests, catechists and families to participate. Even praying a single decade of the Rosary can form part of the worldwide chain of prayer.