With multiple wars occurring simultaneously, from Ukraine to the Holy Land, including Sudan and many other countries, the AIS Foundation wants to make this event “a cry of alert,” with the certainty that “children do not want to live in a world at war,” stated the director of AIS in Portugal, Catarina Martins de Bettencourt.
In 2023, the number of children participating in the initiative reached one million, and this year the goal is to increase the number of people involved in this day of prayer for peace.
“We want more and more people to join us. After surpassing the magical number of one million registered participants, which means there were probably more people since many never register for this type of initiative, our goal this year is to grow this day of prayer, bringing together more schools, catechism groups, parishes, families, making this October 18th an enormous clamor for peace in the world,” added the director of the AIS Foundation, as quoted in a statement from the institution.
In 2023, according to Foundation data, children from 80 countries participated in the Rosary for Peace.
The initiative is happening for the 19th consecutive year, with the aim of being “a cry of alert to those responsible for nations to understand that children really do not want to live in a world at war, with people in tears, with millions of displaced persons and refugees, with multitudes suffering,” the Foundation emphasized.
In Portugal, the Chapel of Apparitions in Fatima will be the location for the recitation of the rosary, presided over by Cardinal António Marto.
