The Children’s Shroud
A Worldwide Vigil for Gaza
2 0 , 0 0 0 C H I L D R E N — E V E R Y N A M E S P O K E N
The Children’s Shroud in Milan —bearing the names of 18,457 children
The Children’s Shroud is not simply a vigil.
It is a global movement of remembrance, solidarity, and action.
It is an invitation to witness.
It is an invitation to act.
Until every name has been spoken.
Until every child has been honored.
Until every human life is treated as fully equal.
GOAL
Transform remembrance into action-honoring every child,
speaking every name, and mobilizing the world
to end the genocide in Gaza.
We Write the Names
In 2025, thousands of people marched through Rome carrying a massive white shroud bearing the names of over 18,000 Palestinian children killed in Gaza.
Inspired by this extraordinary act of collective witness, Priests Against Genocide USA, Doctors Against Genocide, and Justice for All are leading the creation of a hand-written Children's Shroud. Every child's name is inscribed by hand by congreations and groups, Christians, Muslims, Jews, people of other faiths, and those of no religious tradition are coming together in a shared act of remembrance, affirming the equal dignity of every child and our common humanity.
The corporal nature of inscribing the names of those is a spiritual practice rooting us in the best of our religious traditions with moral imperative to defend human dignity, to seek justice and peace, and stand up to those who abuse power and destroy lives.
In Gaza, Palestinian parents wrote their children's names on their bodies so they could be identified when homes were bombed and bodies torn apart. Writing their names on their skin was an act of refusing to let their children vanish into the statistics of war.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
•
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace •
Objectives
Lift Up Every Child — every child’s name spoken
Affirm the dignity and life of every child – that they are precious and loved. For each vigil participant, to hold the children as their own and to uplift them and the voices of the Palestinian people. These Palestinian children are the children of the world.
Make Palpable the Loss to the World — it’s a genocide
The overwhelming physical presence of the shroud (120 yards long, 6 feet wide), combined with the sustained public reading of names, makes tangible the magnitude of the tragedy. The naming will be read worldwide, with a global live stream for the world to witness.
Build Global Solidarity & Action — global participation
Engage as many stakeholders as possible across communities, faiths, organizations, and nations to demand the protection of life in Gaza, accountability for the devastation, and freedom for Palestine. Initiate the whole world in ending this genocide.
A Year-Round Global Movement
Doctors Against Genocide (DAG), Priests Against Genocide USA (PAG), and partner organizations are launching The Children's Shroud: A Worldwide Vigil for Gaza—a year-round global movement centered on speaking the name of every child.
The Vigil will begin in New York City from September 20–25, 2026 coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly. In October, the Children's Shroud will travel to Washington, D.C., before continuing its journey to cities around the world.
Each month, the Shroud will travel to a new city, where it will become the focal point of a week-long public vigil dedicated to reading the names of the children, honoring their lives, and expanding the global call to end the genocide in Gaza.
At the heart of this movement is a handwritten memorial shroud bearing the names of all 20,000 children. The writing of all the names is led by Priests Against Genocide (USA) in partnership with Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and other faith communities and organizations across the United States and around the world.
GOAL
END THE GENOCIDE
Success is measured by initiating the whole world in ending this genocide, and all genocides, recognizing the full and equal worth and dignity of all.
Coalition of Partners
Doctors Against Genocide (DAG)
A global coalition of healthcare professionals and allies committed to confronting genocide and protecting civilian life.
Priests Against Genocide (PAG)
An international network of clergy committed to moral witness and action in the face of mass atrocities.
Justice for All
An American human rights organization founded in 2001 that focuses on advocating for the rights of Muslim minorities globally.
We invite organizations around the world to partner with Priests Against Genocide and Doctors Against Genocide by bringing the Children's Shroud to their city and organizing a week-long public vigil centered on reading the names of Gaza's children.
Together, these local actions will become one continuous global movement of remembrance, solidarity, and action.