By Agnes Aineah
ACI Africa, Oct 19, 2025 /
08:00 am
Children from across Africa, including those in countries experiencing persecution and instability, joined their peers in the “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” campaign held on Oct. 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
The campaign by Catholic Pontifical and charity foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International is a global prayer initiative inspired by St. Pio of Pietrelcina’s vision of children changing the world through prayer.
In Mozambique, a southern African country weighed down by insurgency against Christians, some children prayed the rosary for the first time in their lives.
One of the testimonies shared with ACN from a parish in Mozambique’s Diocese of Lichinga recounted how the community brought together 100 young people to pray for peace in their country and beyond.
The testimony stated: “The children were very interested … We had met with them twice before, to prepare them. Many of the children didn’t know about the rosary or had never prayed it, so the initiative was the first of many opportunities to pray the rosary with them in the future.”
Nigeria’s Diocese of Jalingo also wrote to ACN explaining that the children of their diocese also joined in the prayer campaign, which was held in parishes, chaplaincies, and pastoral areas across the diocese.
“We also added Holy Hour adoration to the Blessed Sacrament as pilgrims of hope among the peoples. May God hear our prayers and grant us unity and peace in our troubled world,” the message from Jalingo said.
According to statistics gathered by ACN, almost 500,000 children from 111 countries were officially registered online by Oct. 8.
ACN estimated that many more participated in the campaign, saying: “Previous experience shows that many groups, families, and individuals around the world take part in the campaign without registering online, so the full number is likely to far exceed that.”
This initiative began in 2005 in Caracas, Venezuela, when a group of children praying the rosary sparked inspiration for a worldwide movement. Today, it connects millions of young believers across continents.
“Inspired by the words of St. Padre Pio, who believed that “when 1 million children pray the rosary, the world will change,” the campaign has grown into a significant spiritual movement, drawing participation from schools, parishes, and families across continents,” ACN said.
In this year’s campaign, Poland was the country with the most participants, totaling over 86,000, followed by Brazil with almost 50,000.
The United States is said to have doubled its official participation this year, reaching 22,000.
ACN said that despite more modest numbers, the participation of countries such as Liberia or Algeria, with 100 participants each, “show the global reach of this campaign.”
This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.
Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a master of arts degree in digital journalism from the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications and a bachelor’s degree in linguistics, media, and communications from Kenya’s Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.
