Pope Francis will lead major shrines around the world in praying the rosary to implore Mary's intercession and protection amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pope will pray at the replica of the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens on Saturday, May 30, the eve of Pentecost. The service will be at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) and all are invited to participate on CatholicTV, both on television and online ( www.catholictv.org/watch-live), and on EWTN-TV, both on television and online ( www.ewtn.com/tv/watch-live).

Among those who will accompany the Pope in praying the rosary will be a doctor and a nurse, a recovered patient, and a person who lost a family member to COVID-19. Also taking part in the rosary will be a hospital chaplain, a pharmacist, a journalist, a Civil Defense volunteer and his family, and a family that welcomed a new baby.

According to the statement announcing the event, the prayer, which coincides with the end of the Marian month of May, “is another sign of closeness and consolation for those who, in different ways, have been struck by the coronavirus, in the certainty that the Heavenly Mother will not disregard the requests for protection.”

Shrines around the world will connect to the event and take part in the prayer, including the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.