Archbishop leads 10,000 in saying the Rosary

Archbishop of Southwark John Wilson has led a Rosary event joined by 10,000 children and teenagers in Catholic schools in South London and Kent.

More than 90 schools, including sixth-form colleges participated via Zoom, joining the Archbishop while he recited the Rosary live from Notre Dame secondary school for girls in Southwark.

He began by exploring the history of the prayer, later saying: “The rosary is so powerful because through Our Lady, we are led to Christ. Praying the rosary, in classrooms and in our homes, helps us to realise the beauty of our Catholic faith.”

Wilson encouraged pupils to pray for loved ones, each other, their teachers and the people of the Holy Land, Ukraine and Sudan. The event was part of the Archdiocese’s prayer campaign, Give Prayer a Go.

During Lent, the Archdiocese released a prayer video each day on Facebook. In total these videos reached more than 12 million people.

Earlier, he praised migrants for their “immense contribution” to Britain.

Archbishop John Wilson said: “So many people have come to our country to seek and provide essential work for our nation.”

At the annual Migrant Workers’ Mass in Southwark Cathedral, the archbishop observed that “many highly educated migrant workers” were “overqualified for their UK jobs.”

He added: “Significant numbers of workers from overseas support the UK in the hospitality sector, in transport and storage, and in communications and information technology. Almost one fifth of NHS staff in England report a nationality other than British.”

He said: “How important it is today, to say ‘thank you’ to everyone who has migrated to work here in the United Kingdom.”

At the Mass on the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, he told migrants: “Our life together is better because of you. Our life together is better because of the skills, the service, and the contribution you give.”

The archbishop added that the Catholic Church in England and Wales had “always been a migrant Church”.

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