The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) announced the 20th edition of its “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” campaign, whose purpose this year is to pray “for peace and unity in a world wounded by division, conflict, and suffering.”

On October 18, 2005, a group of laypeople organized children and young people to pray the rosary in the city squares of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. At one point, it seemed like glitter appeared on the children’s hands while they were praying, which the laypeople said was a sign from heaven asking them to spread their apostolate.

Following the event, they presented their idea to Venezuela’s National Conference of Laity, where “the campaign was given a format and organized so that it would reach all the country’s schools and parishes, through ecclesiastical bodies,” according to Ayeila Bello, general coordinator of the program.

Since then, she added, the initiative seeks to “evangelize children and young people through Christian values ​​and the devotions of the Catholic Church.”

With the support of ACN, the campaign has since spread worldwide. Father Anton Lässer, ecclesiastical assistant for the pontifical foundation, called on the faithful around the world to join in prayer during the first week of October, especially on Tuesday, October 7, the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The priest called for unleashing “a tide of prayer throughout the world, springing from the hearts of children and praying with childlike trust.”

“Children’s prayer has a special power before God, a power that can break down walls, heal wounds, and bring light to darkness,” Lässer said.

For his part, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, international president of ACN, underscored the importance of the campaign, pointing out that the world’s desire for peace and unity is increasingly urgent.

 “In a time when the silence of prayer is too often drowned out by the noise of the world, the rosary offers an oasis of contemplation. It is not a dry or repetitive practice but a gentle and powerful path that leads us to the heart of the Gospel,” the president said.

“Let us pray together that the bonds of ecclesial communion, both affective and effective, may be strengthened and that the Holy Spirit may awaken in the hearts of young people a sincere desire for holiness,” he added.