“Be regular”: American Teen Promoting Children’s Rosary in Africa Gives Tips on Prayer

Tehran, 22 October, 2025 / 10:02 PM

The only way to build a relationship through prayer is by making it a habit, Asher Kaufman, who is visiting a number of African countries to promote the Children’s Rosary movement on the continent, has said.

In an interview with ACI Africa on October 17, Asher spoke about the importance of praying the Rosary in groups, making reference to the teachings of St. Louis de Montfort about the graces that one gets by praying with others.

He also spoke about the need to never give up when one gets distracted during prayer, noting that it is the “devil’s lie” to feel discouraged when one’s mind wanders during prayer.

Asher’s trip to seven African countries is part of the 18-year-old’s discernment as he prepares to join the seminary in September 2026 for the Archdiocese of Hartford.

He has been to Uganda, where he first landed on September 15. He then proceeded to Rwanda and Tanzania and plans to visit Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa, and Cameroon. His African trip will end in July next year, just in time for the start of his Priestly formation.

Asked to give three pieces of advice concerning praying the rosary, Asher highlighted consistency, focus, and group prayer.

Be regular

The first thing that comes to my mind is, be regular. Make it a habit. I think that's the most powerful way to really develop a relationship. Have a habit of reciting the Rosary daily. That's the way that we can make it a part of our lives.

Distracted? Don't be discouraged

Do not be discouraged if you're distracted when praying the Rosary. We always try to focus, and we should never engage in a distraction. But if we find our mind wandering, we should not be discouraged. We try to show Him that we're willing to continue the prayer and please Him despite the fact that we might be wandering.

Don't underestimate the power of praying as a group 

There's something very powerful about praying in a community with other people, sometimes with people that you've never even met before. I experienced this in Uganda. We would all kneel down and say the rosary. The very same prayer. A universal prayer. It binds us together. And we hadn't met before. And we weren't from the same family. Nevertheless, we were praying essentially for the same thing, which was our sanctity. 

A group prayer, as we know from the church, is very powerful. St. Louis de Montfort says that we receive the graces of the people with whom we are praying in a group. You receive the merits of their prayers as well as the merits of your own prayer. So it's much more powerful than just an individual prayer.