Pope Leo XIV prays the rosary for peace with more than 700 children in the Vatican Gardens
The pope joined more than 700 children from Roman schools and parishes on October 1 to open a week of prayer organized by Aid to the Church in Need under its campaign One Million Children Praying the Rosary
Pope Leo XIV met more than 700 children from Rome's schools and parishes in the Vatican Gardens on October 1, 2026, to pray the rosary for peace in the world. The gathering opened a week of prayer organized under the initiative One Million Children Praying the Rosary, run by the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. For the first time, the campaign runs for seven full days, from October 1 to 7, and organizers are inviting dioceses, parishes, schools, communities and families on different continents to take part. The gathering included an offering of flowers to Our Lady at the replica of the Lourdes grotto in the Vatican Gardens.
The pope's words to the children
Leo XIV thanked the children for coming and encouraged them to be good at home, at school, in catechesis classes and in sports, saying peace is also nurtured in those everyday settings. "I am really happy to be with you! And you, children, tell me: are you glad you came? Good, that makes me happy too. Above all, because this afternoon we have come together to be with the two people who love us more than anyone else. Who are they? The Lord Jesus and his mother, Mary, who never leave us alone and who are always close to us," he said.
The pope then asked the children to express their love for Jesus and Mary by repeating after him: "We love you, Jesus and Mary, and this afternoon we ask you for a special gift: peace for all the children of the world, especially those who live in countries at war." "We pray through the prayer of the holy rosary, which is a simple prayer that everyone can pray," he said.
Leo XIV told the children they would shortly light candles and reflect on decisive moments in the life of Jesus, moments in which he gave gifts that should never be forgotten. "Let us thank him," he said, and asked them to repeat his words: "Let us do this together once more. Let us all say: Thank you, Jesus! And let us ask him with confidence, all together: Give us peace!"
The pope said the children's rosary initiative represents "50 million Hail Marys rising to heaven from every corner of the world and in every language on earth, asking for peace and joining together like an immense garland of rosaries, embracing and uniting all the continents, races and nations of the planet."
Global reach and institutional backing
The campaign has already been taken up in countries such as Bolivia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Sierra Leone, among other places affected by war, poverty or instability. The children themselves led the prayer program with readings, songs and short reflections on countries in conflict, and the Hail Mary was recited in several languages.
Cardinal Kurt Koch, international president of Aid to the Church in Need and prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, said in his invitation to this year's participants that the Immaculate Heart of Mary represents a life completely open to the Holy Spirit. He presented the Virgin Mary as a model of faith, love and prayer.
The 2026 campaign draws on the message of Fatima: "In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph."
