World Children's Day - Rome - 25-26 May 2024

World Children’s Day was born from the desire of the youngest to be heard and will focus on hope and the possibility of a new world.

“I want to speak to each of you, dear children, because, as the Bible teaches us, and as Jesus showed so often, “you are precious” in God’s eyes (Is 43:4)." Pope Francis on the inauguration of this Day.

 Interested in finding out more?

For a range of resources and to view the video introducing this new day of celebrating children go  HERE

Extract from the letter of the Holy Father

The impression of human hands dot the earliest of inhabited caves. The history of art and civilisation, all of it, begins with this simple gesture, immediate and primordial.

The hand imprints on the logo hark back to those very gestures characteristic of the childhood of the human race. The different colours represent the multiplicity of cultures that make up a oneness.

You might try this activity with children.

Compose a short prayer.

Write it on a large sheet of paper leaving a wide border around the edges.

Invite children to choose a colour from a selection of paints and then paint the inside of one hand and press it firmly onto the paper all around the outside of the prayer.

Say the prayer together.

Alternatively use the prayer by the Holy Father from the last sentence in his letter to the children of the world

Come, Jesus, you who make all things new,

who are the way that leads us to the Father,

come and remain with us always.

Amen