Search
St. Rose of Lima participates in World Mission Rosary
-
January 30, 2025In celebration of Catholic Schools Week, thousands of children across the Midwest came together on January 28 to pray the World Mission Rosary via Zoom. Organized by the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA), one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies, this prayer initiative united students from 77 Catholic elementary schools across 14 dioceses, fostering a spirit of global solidarity and missionary discipleship. St. Rose of Lima School in Denison was one of the participants.Catholic Schools Week highlights the value of Catholic education and its contributions to the Church, local communities, and the nation. Against this backdrop, the online World Mission Rosary offered children a chance to reflect on the realities of millions of their peers around the world who lack access to basic education.
“As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week, we wanted to give students the opportunity to reflect not only on their own blessings but also on the challenges faced by millions of their peers across the globe who do not have the chance to attend school,” said Monsignor Roger J. Landry, National Director of The Pontifical Mission Societies USA. “During this Jubilee of Hope, we thought it important to bring children together to pray and to learn about the different realities their fellow students face in Asia, Africa, Oceania, Europe, and Latin America, inspired by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s invitation to pray to Mary, Mother of God, for her intercession.”
St. Rose of Lima students praying the rosaryArchbishop Sheen created the World Mission Rosary in 1951, during his tenure as National Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, another of the four Pontifical Mission Societies. Each decade of the World Mission Rosary represents a different region of the world where missionaries continue to share the Gospel: green for the forests and grasslands of Africa, blue for the ocean surrounding the Pacific Islands, white for Europe, home of the Holy Father, red for the fire of faith that brought missionaries to the Americas, and yellow for the morning light of the East, symbolizing Asia.
“The Missionary Childhood Association is built on the principle of ‘children helping children,’ teaching them that through prayer and support, they can make a difference in each other’s lives,” said Alixandra Holdren, director of MCA. “We hoped children, along with their teachers and non-teaching staff, would be inspired by the Holy Spirit to find new ways to help others and live our faith in the knowledge that as children of God, we are all brothers and sisters.”
The 14 dioceses that participated in the event include: Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Diocese of Columbus, Diocese of Des Moines, Diocese of Fargo, Diocese of Grand Rapids, Diocese of Jefferson City, Diocese of Joliet, Diocese of Madison, Diocese of Marquette, Diocese of Peoria, Diocese of Salina, Diocese of Sioux City, and Diocese of Springfield.
