Rosaries from Bethlehem for World Youth Day in Panama

It was the personal wish of Pope Francis that the young people at the World Youth Day in Panama should receive a rosary from the Holy Land, and thanks in part to your generosity, they did! Hundreds of thousands of young people were able to join together in praying for peace in the world.

Pope Francis is profoundly convinced of the power of the Rosary, describing it as “the summary of the history of God‘s mercy.” The fact that the rosaries given to these youth were actually made in the Holy Land, the land where Jesus was born, adds greatly to the symbolic significance of this gift to the young pilgrims. At the same time, it was also an act of solidarity with the Christians of the Holy Land, who still struggle to make a living against great adversity in this conflict-torn region of the world.

Based on the pope’s call, one million rosaries were made out of local olive wood by Christian families in the Bethlehem region. In this way, some 200 families were able at the same time to find work and support themselves for a full year. Prisoners, refugees and the unemployed were also gainfully employed in this large project.

Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, ACN was able to contribute $113,400 towards the cost of this project.

Our heartfelt thanks to all our benefactors, and may God reward you!

Aid to the Church in Need commits to invest your funds where they will have the greatest impact for the Church that we serve. Funds donated to Aid to the Church in Need’s projects will be used towards the greatest need in our programs to help keep the Faith alive.

Code: 398-00-49