Rosary “marathon” for end to pandemic
A month of daily rosaries prayed at Catholic shrines around the world for the intention of an end to the coronavirus pandemic and the resumption of work and social activities.
Pope Francis will lead a rosary to begin a month-long prayer marathon in May for the end of the coronavirus pandemic.
The pope’s rosary will be broadcast live from the Gregorian Chapel of St Peter’s Basilica at 6 pm Rome time on 1 May.
Located directly to the west of the Holy Sacrament Chapel, the Gregorian Chapel contains the relics of St Gregory of Nazianzus, a Doctor of the Church, as well as a 7th-century icon of Our Lady of Help.
The rosary starts a month of daily rosaries prayed at Catholic shrines around the world for the intention of an end to the coronavirus pandemic and the resumption of work and social activities. Families, teens, and young adults from Rome and the surrounding region will lead the rosary together with Pope Francis.
Among the participating shrines are St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, Our Lady of Walsingham in England, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in the United States, Our Lady of Częstochowa in Poland, the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in South Korea, Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in the Philippines, Our Lady of Knock in Ireland, the Virgin of the Poor at Banneux in Belgium, Notre Dame d'Afrique in Algeria, Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima in Portugal, and Our Lady of Health in India.
Participating shrines in Italy include the Holy House of Loreto and Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii. The other global shrines are Jesus the Saviour and Mother Mary in Nigeria, the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Our Lady of Lujan in Argentina, Our Lady Queen of Peace at Medjugorje Bosnia, Our Lady of Lourdes in France, Meryem Ana in Turkey, Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre in Cuba, Our Lady of Nagasaki in Japan, Nuestra Señora de Montserrat in Spain, Notre Dame du Cap in Canada, the National Shrine Our Lady Ta’ Pinu in Malta, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Mexico, Mother of God in Zarvanytsia in Ukraine, Altötting in Germany, and Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa Lebanon.
Pope Francis will also close the month of rosaries by leading the prayer in the Vatican Gardens on 31 May.
Pope Francis has involved all the shrines around the world in this initiative so that they may become vehicles of prayer by the entire Church. The initiative is being conducted in the light of the biblical expression: ‘Prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God’ (Acts 12:5).
The initiative is organised by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation. The Vatican’s evangelisation office extended an invitation to the shrines around the world, in order to promote the initiative reaching priests, families, and all the faithful, inviting them to join in this prayer of intercession and hope to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
All Catholics are invited to participate in the daily rosaries however and wherever they are able. Resources below enable everyone to participate at home.
A liturgical guide from the Vatican is available at the link below.
Rosary “marathon” 2021 liturgical guide (PDF 180.1KB)
At 6pm in Rome, it is 2am the next day in Sydney.
Pray the Rosary with Bishop Robert Barron
Vatican Youtube channel (Vatican live TV)
www.vaticannews.va