Vatican City: Catholics around the world will unite in prayer on October 17 through the International Missionary Rosary, seeking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary for Pope Leo XIV, the universal Church and its mission to spread the Gospel. The prayer gathering will take place on the eve of the 100th World Mission Day, which falls on October 18.
The initiative, promoted by the Pontifical Mission Societies, will begin at 3 p.m. Rome time. It will bring together the faithful to pray for the Pope’s health and recovery and for the Church’s missionary work across different countries and cultures.
The gathering will be led by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro Prefect of the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelization. Participants will assemble on the terraces of the International Center for Missionary Animation at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, overlooking St Peter’s Square.
The prayer will draw inspiration from the theme of Pope Leo XIV’s message, “One in Christ, United in Mission”. It will highlight the importance of unity among Catholics and the shared responsibility of supporting the Church’s work of evangelization.
This year marks 100 years of World Mission Day, which has been observed annually since 1926 on the penultimate Sunday of October. The celebration encourages Catholics to renew their commitment to proclaiming the Gospel and supporting missionaries who serve communities around the world.
The International Missionary Rosary will focus on the five continents, with the Glorious Mysteries dedicated to Africa, America, Europe, Oceania and Asia. The 50 Hail Marys will be recited in two local languages for each continent, reflecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of the universal Church. Each mystery will be announced in Italian, English and Spanish.
The Missionary Rosary was established in February 1951 by Fulton J. Sheen, who was then the national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, now part of the Pontifical Mission Societies. The initiative was created to extend prayer beyond personal intentions and embrace the needs of the wider human family and the Church’s mission throughout the world.
The meditations will include messages from Pope Francis for previous World Mission Days, along with a homily by Pope Leo XIV and his first Urbi et Orbi blessing. In that blessing, the Pope called for a missionary Church that builds bridges, promotes dialogue and welcomes those in need through charity, presence and love.
Special prayers will also be offered for missionaries who leave their home countries, families and familiar surroundings to proclaim the Gospel in other parts of the world. Known as missionaries ad gentes, they often serve communities facing poverty, conflict and cultural challenges.
The gathering will underline the importance of prayerful solidarity with these missionaries and the need to support their work. Catholics unable to attend in person will be able to participate spiritually through a livestream of the event on various platforms.
As the Church prepares to mark the centenary of World Mission Day, the International Missionary Rosary will bring together prayers for the Pope, missionaries and the universal Church, renewing the call to unity, evangelization and service.