The World Mission Rosary was created in 1951 by the Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, who was the National Director of Missio (Pontifical Mission Societies) in the United States.
Archbishop Fulton saw the need to pray for the whole world, especially for those living in poverty. Each decade of the Rosary is colour-coded to represent a continent where the Church continues her mission:
- Africa is represented by the green decade for its forests and grasslands
- The Americas are red to show the continent’s fire of faith
- Europe is white because it is the home of the Holy Father, who wears white
- Oceania is shown in blue for the oceans surrounding the islands there
- Asia is portrayed in yellow as a symbol of the sun rising in
the east
Download our free, printable guide to praying the Mission Rosary>>
The prayers of the Mission Rosary
This one-minute film includes the five prayers which begin the Mission Rosary decades.
Mission Rosary for children
Praying the Mission Rosary with children is a beautiful way to help them engage with our global family.
Join our weekly prayer group
Each Monday, Missio creates five prayer focuses – one for each of the continents – taken from current events and headlines. These special intentions are designed to add an extra dimension of connection to the world through the Mission Rosary.
Click on the links below to see our weekly Mission Rosary prayer points film, or follow the hashtag #MissionRosary on Facebook and Instagram, or Twitter/X for weekly prayer points based on current events and headlines in each of the five continents.
Praying the Mission Rosary
- Contact us to request special Mission Rosary beads from the Missio office
- Get your FREE, printable guide to praying the Mission Rosary here>>
- Download the Mission Rosary prayer pamphlet here>>
- During lockdown in 2020, some of Missio’s young supporters helped make some online Mission Rosary videos. We hope they help you pray along with these beautiful prayers. Find them here>>