Marathon prayer as gift to Pope on 77th birthday

December 16, 2013 - On the birthday of Pope Francis which falls on Tuesday, young people in Rome have decided to felicitate him with a special gift - a 24-hour non-stop adoration and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Young people belonging to the Papaboys Association will gather in the Church of St. Lawrence in Piscibus of the San Lorenzo Youth Centre, close to St. Peter’s Square, and begin their non-stop prayer Monday midnight and will conclude 24 hours later at midnight on Tuesday. The adoration will include two Holy Masses, Tuesday morning and evening. Born December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis turns 77 on Tuesday. The motive behind the Papaboys’ initiative is Pope Francis’ frequent request for prayers. Papaboys are calling on other youth of trhe world to join them in the prayer marathon by holding prayers in their parishes and at homes. The San Lorenzo Youth Centre, sponsored by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Laity, was founded in 1983 by Pope John Paul II, to offer young people coming to Rome a place for meeting, prayer, and confrontation with the living reality of the Church in the city.