On October 18 this year the international Catholic pastoral charity and pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN International) is once again inviting parishes, kindergartens, schools and families to join in the annual prayer initiative “A million children praying the Rosary”. It is a prayer campaign for peace and unity throughout the world, which, at the same time, encourages children and young people to seek help and support in God during difficult times, as the international president of ACN, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza explains.
This year the initiative centres around the person of Saint Joseph, with quotations from the Apostolic Letter “Patris Corde” – (“With a Father’s Heart”) written by Pope Francis to mark the Year of Saint Joseph on the 150th anniversary of his proclamation as Patron of the Universal Church, a Jubilee Year which will conclude on December 8 this year. This year’s campaign will encourage children to pray “hand in hand with Our Lady and under the protection of Saint Joseph”. Cardinal Piacenza recalls that Saint 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”.
Although it was hoped that 2021 would see the end of the coronavirus restrictions, the consequences of the disease are still very severe in many places. Besides, this crisis is not the only threat facing the world. “Hunger, poverty, corruption, terrorism, the profanation of human life and the destruction of creation are affecting millions of people”, Cardinal Piacenza explains. In response, he emphasises the importance of prayer, and especially the prayer of children, in interceding for “God’s salvation for the world”.