Pope Francis will open the Marian month of prayer on May 1 with a rosary broadcast across Vatican Media platforms. (Watch here)
Pope Francis is asking Catholics and Marian Shrines around the world to devote the month of May to prayer for an end to the pandemic dedicated to the theme “from the entire church an unceasing prayer rises to God.”
The theme comes from a verse in the Book of Acts (12:5) in which “The whole Church was fervently praying to God” for Peter, who was imprisoned until God sent an angel to free him, showing how the Christian community comes together to pray in the face of danger or difficulty and how the Lord listens and performs an unexpected miracle.
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The initiative includes 30 Marian shrines around the world “…so that they might encourage the faithful, families, and communities to recite the Rosary to pray for an end to the pandemic,” read a press release from the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization announcing the news.
Daily Rosary Livestream during May
Each day of the month at noon EST (6 p.m. Rome Time) a rosary livestream will be broadcast from a different Marian Shrine taking part in the “marathon” of prayer. Click here for the list of shrines and prayer intentions. Click here for a liturgical guide.
Watch LIVE: Vatican Media (YouTube)
The Pope will close the month on May 31 with another specially-broadcast rosary.
Additional resources
How to pray the rosary (USCCB)
Pope Francis’ general audience on the importance of meditating on the Sacred Mysteries of the life of Christ (April 28, 2021)
Pope composes prayers for end of pandemic to be received following rosary (Catholic News Service, May 2020)
Text of the letter and prayers in English: http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2020/documents/papa-francesco_20200425_lettera-mesedimaggio.html
Text of the letter and prayers in Spanish: http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/es/letters/2020/documents/papa-francesco_20200425_lettera-mesedimaggio.html
