In several Catholic schools, the day begins with the prayer of the Rosary. Getting children used to praying the Holy Rosary means placing them in the school of Mary, the Teacher of the Master. There is no need to fear taking time away from lessons: those fifteen minutes help bring order to the children’s minds and hearts, sharpening their capacity to learn.

If schools are blessed with an internal chapel where Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is present, children can gather there once a week in rotation, following the guidelines for Prayer Nests in church.

In public schools across many countries today, regulations often limit religious activities. However, with a bit of creativity—and guidance from the Angels—it is still possible to create a Prayer Nest.

Concrete examples of school-based Prayer Nests

Even after decades of witnessing the wonders the Holy Spirit works through children, we are always filled with renewed awe every time we hear new stories. It is the same “wonder” described in the Gospels, which first surprises those who experience it and shines through the stories they tell. Here are a few:

• An elementary school teacher in Benevento, Italy, met during a citywide mission, later told us that after the meeting, she continued praying the Rosary daily in class with her students, always setting clear intentions. She was amazed by the miracles obtained through the children’s prayers, including some relatives’ healing from cancer.

• “In Torre de’ Passeri (PE), the students meet regularly to pray the Holy Rosary. At first, they didn’t even know what a rosary was, but now they teach it to their families. Gino, a 14-year-old Roma boy, gathers his mother and other gypsy women at home to lead them in praying the Rosary.” (Licia T., teacher – Mafalda, CB)

• “A three-year-old boy, Sebastiano, joined the group, and he is incredibly sweet. At first, he just sat quietly and listened, but later he asked for a rosary because he had learned all the prayers and wanted to recite it out loud. He never misses the daily appointment at church… In the preschool where I teach, all the little ones pray the Rosary every day. They’re four or five years old. It’s not true that they get tired: we started with just one decade of Hail Marys, but now they want to pray all fifty.” (Mariella Balassone, teacher – Sulmona, AQ)
  
  

• “Last summer in Baucina, I had the pleasure of meeting Sister Teodora, who encouraged me to start Prayer Nests. Despite feeling the great responsibility of such an initiative, I accepted and involved all my fellow elementary school teachers. Our White Army is made up of children from preschool and elementary school—a total of about a hundred.
  On November 27th, we began our ‘nest’ at the feet of Jesus in the Eucharist, and on Friday, November 30th, coinciding with the start of the Novena to the Immaculate Conception, we had our first prayer meeting. We meet in church every Friday afternoon, but since we want to include all the children, we also pray at school. Our goal is not just to consecrate every child to the Immaculate Heart, but to teach them how to pray and to love prayer.” (Stefania C., Baucina – Palermo)

• “The preschool children have taken their commitment seriously—to pray for the needs of the Holy Father, who suffers greatly, and for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Every day, in five groups, they pray the Rosary. The teachers explain the intention of each mystery. Then all together, the children pray spontaneously, saying what’s in their hearts…
  One mother shared this: ‘Since the image of the Virgin Mary entered my hut, we’ve started praying the Rosary. My husband, who used to come home drunk every night, now sits with the family to pray, and he no longer drinks. We’ve regained peace and serenity. People in the village who know our situation are amazed by the change and want to know more. The Virgin Mary, through my five children, has saved my family, and now we are happy.
  Everyone in the village wants to see the image of Our Lady and pray the Rosary. My husband and I now go from hut to hut, organizing Rosary prayer with the children consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Father. It’s so beautiful to see them all together in the evening, praying around the fire for our village, for each family’s struggles, and for world peace. The elderly, once intense in prayer, seem rejuvenated, and their eyes shine brightly.’” (Sister Angela – Mission in Karatina, Kenya)