Winona-Rochester Diocese Bishop Robert Barron encouraged his fellow Catholics to pray the Rosary in May in honor of the Virgin Mary in a tweet published on Monday.

"Friends, will you help us pray 10,000 Rosaries in the month of May for those who have fallen away from the faith?" Barron asked. "Log your Rosary on our website and join us in this powerful movement of prayer"

According to Word on Fire, a multimedia organization founded by Barron, the 10,000 Rosary prayer target was exceeded within 48 hours of Barron's initial tweet.

Within the Catholic Church, May is traditionally honored as the Month of Mary. During this time, Catholics honor Mary through means such as prayer or activities within their specific parishes.

"The month of May is the 'month which the piety of the faithful has especially dedicated to Our Blessed Lady,' and it is the occasion for a 'moving tribute of faith and love which Catholics in every part of the world [pay] to the Queen of Heaven. During this month Christians, both in church and in the privacy of the home, offer up to Mary from their hearts an especially fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration. In this month, too, the benefits of God's mercy come down to us from her throne in greater abundance," said a Catholic Culture article citing Encyclical on the Month of May, no. 1 by Paul VI.

The National Catholic Reporter states that the Catholic Church has been observing the Month of Mary for several centuries. The practice, based on the ancient Greek and Roman cultures, became popular during the Baroque period when it involved daily spiritual exercises throughout the month. While the Month of Mary wasn't always observed in May, the combination of the two was established later on in the aforementioned period. The tradition grew even more popular in the 19th century and has remained a worldwide celebration ever since.

"In the Catholic Church, of course, May is also the month in which we turn our gaze more intently to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who serves as a powerful intercessor for us in prayer to her son," said Barron. "This month, Word on Fire is starting a simple but powerful initiative that I hope you'll consider. We're challenging people to join us in offering a rosary this month for the intercession of all of those who have fallen away from the church. Our goal is to get 10,000 rosaries prayed across the country and around the world in the month of May."

Barron encourages all who want to participate to record themselves praying the Rosary and fill out a short form on the Word on Fire website. The site features a world map displaying the number of Rosaries prayed and each participant's global location. Monetary donations are optional, and those who contribute $50 or more will receive a handmade Word on Fire Rosary and ten "Our Lady of the Rosary" prayer cards to distribute.