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Catholics to Pray for Pope Leo XIV During Mission Rosary
Confirmed
In Short: Catholics will gather on Saturday, October 17, to pray for Pope Leo XIV and the Church's mission during the International Mission Rosary.
On Saturday, October 17, Catholics around the world will participate in the International Mission Rosary, a special event organized to pray for Pope Leo XIV and the Church's evangelizing mission.
The Missionary Rosary, established in February 1951 by Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, will be led by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches.
The gathering will take place on the terraces of the International Center for Missionary Animation (CIAM) at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, overlooking St. Peter's Square.
Inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s message, “One in Christ, United in Mission,” the event aims to strengthen unity among Catholics and support the Church’s missionary efforts across different cultures and communities.
The rosary will include special prayers for the Pope’s health and recovery, as well as for the universal Church and those dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel.
Cardinal Tagle will lead the recitation of the rosary, which will feature reflections from Pope Francis' writings and homilies by Pope Leo.
The rosary will be broadcast live from Rome at 3 p.m. local time, allowing Catholics worldwide to join in prayer.
Each of the five decades of the rosary will be dedicated to a different continent, with the Hail Marys recited in two local languages for each continent, celebrating the diversity of the universal Church.
The event is part of the centenary celebrations of World Mission Day, which will be officially commemorated on Sunday, October 18.
Catholic Mission Director Peter Gates emphasized the importance of the Missionary Rosary, stating, “The Missionary Rosary offers an extraordinary opportunity to begin the centenary celebrations together, united in prayer across countries, cultures, and time zones.”
What this adds
The Missionary Rosary was created to broaden hearts and prayer, embracing not only personal needs but also those of the entire human family and the Church’s evangelizing mission throughout the world.
What's confirmed
- As the Catholic Church prepares to celebrate the 100th World Mission Day on Sunday, October 18, Pope Leo XIV and the Church's mission will be entrusted to the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the International Mission Rosary on Saturday, October 17.
- As the Church commemorates the centenary of World Mission Day, the International Missionary Rosary has taken on added significance with the inclusion of special prayer for Pope Leo XIV.
What's still developing
- "we must look for ways to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges and encourages dialogue, a Church ever open to welcoming, like this Square with its open arms, all those who are in need of our charity, our presence, our readiness to dialogue and our love."
- It was created to broaden hearts and prayer, embracing not only personal needs but also those of the entire human family and the Church’s evangelizing mission throughout the world.
- Launched in 2013, Aleteia is a free online daily news publication.
- Sheen (national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith from 1950 to 1966), in a radio address ( The Catholic Hour ), inaugurated a World Mission Rosary.
- This Rosary is connected to the recently beatified Fulton Sheen, who promoted it, as the Pontifical Mission Societies in Los Angeles explains: In February of 1951, Archbishop Fulton J.
- October 18 marks the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday, and to honor that anniversary, a variety of events have been planned in Rome.
- Celebrated on 18 October this year, World Mission Sunday will mark 100 years since its establishment by Pope Pius XI in 1926.
- “Your prayers and practical support, particularly on World Mission Sunday, will be a great help in bringing the Gospel of God’s love to everyone, especially the poorest and those most in need,” he said.
- The Holy Father released a personal video message for the occasion, recalling how the annual celebration helped shape his missionary vocation.
- “Which is always a work of love — according to our own vocation and the gifts we have received,” Pope Leo XIV said.