Martyred and Persecuted for the Christian Faith

November 30, 2025

Introduction: On behalf of the Knights of Columbus, welcome to the Rosary for Persecuted Christians. This month we are trying something new. We pray the World Mission Rosary. This form of the rosary was created by the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen in 1951 to encourage prayer for the world. Each of the five decades uses a different colored bead to represent a continent: green for Africa, red for the Americas, white for Europe, blue for the Oceania, and yellow for Asia. Praying the rosary with these beads is a way to pray for world unity and peace, and to support mission work. This dovetails well into our purpose to pray for those experiencing persecution.  

I want to thank Lois Kiel, from Ascension, who introduced me to this rosary and asked that the Knights help promote its use. We have enough World Mission Rosaries and copies of the “Why and How To Pray The World Mission Rosary” for each of you. The rosaries have been blessed, so please care for them as you would any blessed item. The petitions this time are more general and have more emphasis on mission than the specific petitions of recent persecution events around the world I typically prepare. It is our hope that sharing these them informs you, increases your awareness to promote worldwide unity and peace, and moves all of us to more intense prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in support of mission work. Let us remember in a special way the tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s assassination at a Utah college campus on September 10.

First Mission Mystery – Jesus is baptized: As we meditate on the first mystery let us remember those in Africa seeking freedom from domestic and foreign oppression. The purpose of the missions is to bring the Word of God to those ignorant of it. Missionaries exhibit Chrisitan love for the people of Africa and alleviate their suffering. Let us pray that all development and aid programs will be respectful and worthy of God’s people, for an end to war and violence, and for the continued growth of the African Church.

Second mystery – Jesus proclaims the Good News to all:  As we meditate on the second mystery, we remember the peoples and the missionaries serving in the Americas. We pray for deeper solidarity in our hemisphere and respect for all life and cultures. We ask God to bless work of the missionaries serving in the Americas. Let us pray that the Church may continue to promote God’s kingdom of justice, love, and peace and discover new ways of bringing the gospel into our daily lives and society.

Third Mission Mystery – Jesus heals the sick: As we meditate on this third mystery, we recall the peoples of Europe seeking social harmony. We pray for the good people of Europe who accommodate refugees seeking refuge from economic, religious, and social strife in their homeland.  We pray for the missionaries who provide compassionate services to address community needs like migrant crises and poverty. Let us pray that Europe may preserve, develop, and share its rich Christian traditions and promote unity among the people of God.

Fourth Mission Mystery – Jesus offers the gift of life:  As we meditate on this fourth mystery, we pray for the peoples in the island nations of the south Pacific, or Oceania. The remoteness of their environment makes their lives and livelihoods highly dependent on the abundance of resources in the neighboring seas provided by God. Let us pray for the missionaries as they promote all people to be good stewards of God’s gift of the world and to equitably share its resources for the flourishing of the Oceanic people.

Fifth Mission Mystery – Jesus teaches us how to pray: As we meditate on the fifth mystery, we pray for the peoples of Asia striving for respect and appreciation of each other’s cultures and traditions. We pray for the poor and oppressed in these cultures so they may be given their rightful place in their societies. We pray for the Christian missionaries sent out into this part of the world, where they face many challenges in spreading the gospel. Let us pray that Asia may be open to the Good News of Jesus and for peace between different faiths.