This year, May becomes the month dedicated to a prayer marathon. Entrusted by Pope Francis with the task of organising this event, The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation wishes to involve all the Shrines around the world in the initiative conducted in the light of the biblical expression: “Prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God” (Acts 12:5).
Prayer for the pandemic
In a press release, the The Pontifical Council explains that “together with the prayer of the Holy Rosary, each day of the month is characterized by a prayer intention for the various categories of people most affected by the plight of the pandemic – for example: for those who have not been able to say goodbye to their loved ones, for all health care personnel, for the poor, the homeless and those in economic difficulty and for all the deceased.
Every Shrine around the world is invited to pray, in the language and manner used locally, reads the statement.
Opening and closing prayers
The Holy Father will open and close the prayer, along with the faithful around the world, from two significant locations within the Vatican City State. On 1 May, Pope Francis will pray at Our Lady of Succor (or Our Lady of Help), an icon venerated as early as the seventh century depicted in a fresco above the altar of Saint Leo, near the southern transept of the primitive Vatican Basilica, afterwards placed, where it still stands today, inside the new Saint Peter’s Basilica erected by Pope Gregory XIII in 1578.
On this occasion, the Holy Father will bless special Rosaries used particularly for this event, which will then be sent to the thirty Shrines directly involved.
Then, on 31 May, Pope Francis will conclude this prayer marathon from a significant place in the Vatican Gardens, of which further information will be given nearer to the time. Both of these moments will be accessible to persons with deafness and hearing difficulties through LIS sign language translation.
A different shrine each day
These thirty representative Shrines, scattered throughout the world, have been chosen to lead the Marian prayer each during one day of the month.
The official channels of the Holy See will broadcast the prayer said each day in each of these thirty Shrines at 6:00 p.m., Rome time. A short liturgical guide has been prepared that provides some useful suggestions for sharing this moment in one’s own community. The guide in Italian, English and Spanish can be downloaded from the website of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation (pcpne.va).