Children unite in global Rosary
Students from St Joseph’s Catholic schools at Rosebery and Queenstown, on Tasmania’s West Coast, joined hundreds of thousands of children around the world in praying the Rosary for peace.
The pupils were taking part in the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need’s (ACN) One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign on 18 October.
It was particularly fitting that the St Joseph’s students took part, as the theme for the children’s Rosary this year was based on St Joseph. Pope Francis has declared this the Year of St Joseph, and ACN International president Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, of Italy, called on children to pray the Rosary “hand in hand with Our Lady and under the protection of St Joseph”.
Sign of peace: Students from St Joseph’s Catholic School at Rosebery display Rosary-inspired artwork at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Rosebery, as part of Aid to the Children in Need’s One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign last month.
In a statement, the Cardinal said that St Joseph, as Patron of the Universal Church, “is a great example for us of how God can turn all things to good through our prayer, our fidelity and our obedience to His word”.
Students from kinder to grade 6 at both the St Joseph’s Schools had spent the week leading up to the event learning about the Rosary and creating colourful and thoughtful Rosary-inspired artworks. Students from prep to grade 6 then took part in the global children’s Rosary.
Carmen Aylott, principal of St Joseph’s Catholic Schools at Queenstown and Rosebery, explained that grade 5-6 pupils led fellow students in the Joyful Rosary for Children as part of whole-school prayers.
Powerful message: Students from St Joseph’s Catholic School at Queenstown show their Rosary-inspired creativity as part of the One Million Children Praying the Rosary initiative last month. They are pictured here at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Queenstown.
“I think it is beneficial for students to understand what the Rosary is about and also that having a million children praying the Joyful Rosary for unity and peace sends a powerful message in our times,” Mrs Aylott said.
“Praying for unity and peace is a really beautiful way for kids to raise awareness.”
St Joseph’s Queenstown has 95 students, with 49 at Rosebery.
An estimated 2,000 Australian children from schools, parishes and family groups were expected to take part in the global children’s Rosary.
The One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign took inspiration from Padre Pio (Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, canonised in 2002), who believed that the world would change for the better when one million children prayed the Rosary.
According to ACN, Pope Francis has backed the initiative, this year tweeting: “Today, thousands of children around the world are … praying the Rosary for unity and peace. Let us #PrayTogether with them to Our Lady with the same trust as these little ones have in our Heavenly Mother.”
The One Million Children Praying the Rosary initiative has been held every year since 2005.