How to Start a Children's Rosary

If there isn't a Children's Rosary near you consider starting one.  Our Lady has continued to show us through the apparitions in Lourdes and Fatima that she is calling our children to prayer and in a special way the rosary.   Our Lady of Fatima chose to convey messages to the world through children.  With the beautiful guidance of Our Blessed Mother let us follow her example and bring our children to her.  Through her Rosary she will draw them close to her Immaculate Heart and protect them from the harshness of the world.  She will also sanctify families and parishes in this way.  

Steps to Begin a Children's Rosary in Your Parish
1) Obtain permission from your Pastor to begin a Children's Rosary group
2) Choose a location (preferrably in a Church but not limited to that location.  Some groups have chosen to hold their Children's Rosary during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
3) Choose a regular meeting time (Monthly or if interest exists weekly)
4) Invite a group of families and children to your first Children's Rosary and consider putting a notice in your Church bulletin(usually these groups begin small and with time they will increase in size)*
5) Register your Children's Rosary with us by email at blythe.kaufman@gmail.com or by mail at PO Box 271743 West Hartford, CT USA (In this way  we will have a central list of all children's rosaries formed and those looking for a children's rosary will easily be able to find one).

Guidelines for Your First Children’s Rosary

1) Begin by Consecrating your new group to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary.

2) Bring the children together in front of those gathered and have them kneel (pillows are a welcome addition for them to kneel on)

3) In turns have a child stand and lead a decade of the rosary (if a microphone is present this is a nice way for their soft voices to be heard)

4) The child should say the first part of each prayer: 

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

The entire group then responds together:

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

A similar alternating arrangement should be used for the Our Father prayer and Glory Be. 

5) An optional addition is the use of flowers (roses or any other flower).  This is particularly nice for smaller children not able to lead or children with disabilities preventing them from leading.  At the end of each decade a child is asked to place a flower at the foot of a statue of Mary if available (otherwise just place the roses in a small pile on the ground in front of where the children are praying).  While the child is placing the flower an adult is saying, “Mary we humbly place this flower at your feet and ask for the gift of... Faith”  if one were saying the first glorious mystery.”  The gifts asked for correspond to the fruits of the mysteries.

6) Consider having a prayer book with illustrations of the mysteries of the Rosary for the children to use during prayer.  The Children’s Rosary book was designed for this purpose but any visual aid can be used.

Example of the Petition box used at
St. Thomas Apostle Church West Hartford CT

7) Consider having a petition box.  The children can decorate the box if desired and it can be placed in front of the children while they are saying their monthly Rosary.  If the group desires and is given permission from the pastor the box can be left out for members of the parish to place petitions in all month. 

* In the past many people have found that those people invited individually tend to be more responsive to attending a newly formed Children's Rosary.  Additional publicity such as notices in bulletins and announcements after Mass have been helpful as well.

Any questions please contact Blythe at:
Email:  blythe.kaufman@gmail.com 
Address: PO Box 271743 
West Hartford, CT 06127 USA
Phone: (860) 561-4881

Resources to help begin your Children's Rosary Group:
Children's Rosary book which explains why one would want to begin a Children's Rosary group, step by step instructions and can be used by the children in prayer of the Rosary during your group meetings. The book has an Imprimatur. The book is helpful to show your pastor when asking permission to begin a group.

Children's Rosary CDs are available which allow one to hear how a meeting is run.  The CDs also include music.  Each CD has our Children's Rosary theme song "Rosary Children".  This song was written for our movement and by a wonderful priest.  We encourage groups to play or sing the song at the end of their meetings. The song is optional but we have found the children very much enjoy having the addition of music.  The Glorious CD has the addition of the Song, Hail Holy Queen sung by the children.  Some groups enjoy beginning their Children's Rosary in May with a May Crowning and would like some musical accompaniment.  The CD is a resource for groups which would like music for a May Crowning.  Our Sorrowful CD has the song, At the Cross Her Station Keeping sung by the children.  This is a resource for those groups who would like to have the children lead the stations of the cross and have some background music.

Sheet Music for our theme song "Rosary Children" available to download as a pdf HERE.

Additional postings you may find helpful:
Answers to frequently asked questions when starting a Children's Rosary
For those considering beginning a group in a school you may find this article about a Children's Rosary group which began in a school in Louisiana USA helpful: Link