11,000 Pangasinan youth to pray the rosary for world peace

DAGUPAN CITY ,Philippines  – About 11,000 youth will simultaneously pray the rosary for world peace at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 in an event called “Eleven Eleven Eleven” here.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in this city will be the focal point for this project, a part of the ongoing rosary prayer campaign called A Million Roses for the World (AMROW) which started last Oct. 10 and will end on May 30, 2012.

The AMROW movement has assigned one nation for each day within the prayer campaign period. For instance, Oct. 10 was for Angola while Nov. 11 will be for Mauritania, Villegas said.

The youth will gather for a Marian procession from the De Venecia Highway towards the Dagupan Cathedral where the archbishop together with the priests and the youth will pray the rosary for peace in the world especially in Mauritania.

Villegas said “there is a need for the youth to rediscover the rosary and reclaim it as our favorite prayer.”

He urged the Catholic faithful to explore new methods and new approaches to make the Catholic faith appealing to the young, going beyond the traditional expressions of faith without forgetting the essentials.

“It will also be a good occasion for the youth to take pride about their being Pangasinenses and to thank God that we are Filipinos. The prayers of Filipinos will bring peace to the world,” he added.

He said that the date 11-11-2011 has sadly aroused many superstitious beliefs and activities to gain fortune.

“We must bring Christ into this day and give the youth a chance to focus on God and not on superstitions and secret charms for luck,” he said.

In his mobilization letter for the event, Villegas said, “The rosary is the life of our Blessed Lord from the eyes of His Blessed Virgin Mother.”

This campaign aims to teach the youth that prayer can change the world and people who pray can change the destinies of peoples, he said.

“Indeed there can be no world peace without prayer,” Villegas said.