Today, Tuesday, May 31, at 6:00 p.m. in Rome (Noon in New York), on the feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Saint Elizabeth, Pope Francis has called for an international moment of prayer for peace in Ukraine.
People from all over the world are invited to join in praying the Rosary with the Bishop of Rome, who will lead the Rosary from the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, at the foot of the image of Mary Queen of Peace.
Ukrainians will join the Pope at Santa Maria Maggiore. Marian shrines throughout the world will be connected to the initiative.
“I invite the faithful, families and communities to join in with this invocation, to obtain from God, by the intercession of the Queen of Peace, the gift that the world awaits,” said Pope Francis, referring to this global prayer initiative, as he led the Regina Coeli on May 29 in Saint Peter’s Square.
Watch the livestream here
This prayer for peace concludes the month of May traditionally dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
It will be disseminated through the official channels of the Holy See in different languages, and will even be translated into sign language. Follow the Rosary for Peace live here:
Ukrainian families
The 85-year-old Pope will be surrounded by families from the Ukrainian community in Rome, as well as young people who have recently made their first communion and confirmation, scouts and members of the Vatican Gendarmerie Corps and the Swiss Guard.
Three parishes in Rome named after the Virgin Mary Queen of Peace will also participate.
The prayer will take place before the statue of Mary Queen of Peace, located in the left nave of the Roman Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Pope Benedict XV commissioned this statue, imploring the Virgin Mary for an end to the First World War in 1918.
The statue depicts Mary with her left arm raised, as if to order the end of the conflict. In her arms, the Child Jesus holds an olive branch that symbolizes peace.
