The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, better known as the Litany of Loreto, is a chain of short invocations honoring Mary, each answered with “pray for us.” It takes its name from the Marian shrine of Loreto in Italy, where it was sung in the sixteenth century, and Pope Sixtus V approved it for the whole Church in 1587. Catholics often pray it after the Rosary, during May and October, and on Saturdays.
The full text below includes every title the popes have added up to the most recent ones, Mother of mercy, Mother of hope and Solace of migrants, inserted by Pope Francis in 2020.
How to pray the litany
One person, the leader, reads each invocation, and everyone else answers with the words in italics. When praying alone, simply say both parts. The litany takes about five minutes.
Many people begin with the ancient prayer We fly to thy patronage (the Sub tuum praesidium):
We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God! despise not our prayers in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O thou ever glorious and blessed Virgin.
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (full text)
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of the Church, pray for us.
Mother of mercy, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother of hope, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Savior, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honor, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.
Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the covenant, pray for us.
Gate of heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Solace of migrants, pray for us.
Comfort of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Queen of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of Prophets, pray for us.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Queen of Martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of Confessors, pray for us.
Queen of Virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all Saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of families, pray for us.
Queen of peace, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: Have mercy on us.
Christ hear us.
Christ graciously hear us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God;
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may, by his passion and cross, be brought to the glory of his resurrection; through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Another closing prayer
The traditional prayer printed with the litany in the Roman books asks Mary’s help for body and soul. Here it is in Latin with a plain English rendering:
Concede nos famulos tuos, quaesumus, Domine Deus, perpetua mentis et corporis sanitate gaudere: et gloriosa beatae Mariae semper Virginis intercessione, a praesenti liberari tristitia, et aeterna perfrui laetitia. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Grant, we beg you, Lord God, that we your servants may enjoy lasting health of mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be set free from present sorrow and come to the enjoyment of eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Either prayer may be used. The first, Pour forth, is the same prayer that ends the Angelus.
What the titles of Mary mean
Most of the titles come from Scripture or from the way the early Church read the Old Testament as pointing to Christ and his Mother. A few of the less obvious ones:
| Title | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Mirror of justice | Mary reflects the holiness of Christ, the “Sun of justice” (Malachi 4:2), as a mirror reflects light. |
| Seat of wisdom | Christ is the Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24), and he sat on her lap as on a throne. |
| Spiritual vessel, Vessel of honor, Singular vessel of devotion | Mary received and carried God himself, and she was wholly given to him. |
| Mystical rose | An image of beauty and love drawn from medieval poetry about Mary. |
| Tower of David, Tower of ivory | Images of strength and purity from the Song of Songs (4:4; 7:4). |
| House of gold | The Temple of Solomon was overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6:22); Mary was the living dwelling of God. |
| Ark of the covenant | The ark held the signs of God’s presence. Mary held the Presence himself. St. Luke’s account of the Visitation echoes the ark’s journey in 2 Samuel 6. |
| Gate of heaven | Through her the Son of God entered the world. |
| Morning star | The morning star rises just before the sun, as Mary came before Christ. |
| Help of Christians | A title linked to Christians’ prayer in times of danger, with its own feast on May 24 in many places. |
When were the newest titles added?
The litany approved in 1587 has grown as the Church has deepened her understanding of Mary. The later titles and the popes who added them:
| Title | Latin | Added |
|---|---|---|
| Queen conceived without original sin | Regina sine labe originali concepta | Granted by Pius IX from 1846, spreading after the definition of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 |
| Queen of the most holy Rosary | Regina sacratissimi Rosarii | Prescribed for the whole Church by Leo XIII, 1883 |
| Mother of good counsel | Mater boni consilii | Leo XIII, 1903 |
| Queen of peace | Regina pacis | Benedict XV, 1917, during the First World War |
| Queen assumed into heaven | Regina in caelum assumpta | Pius XII, 1950, the year he defined the Assumption |
| Mother of the Church | Mater Ecclesiae | St. John Paul II, 1980 |
| Queen of families | Regina familiae | St. John Paul II, 1995 |
| Mother of mercy, Mother of hope, Solace of migrants | Mater misericordiae, Mater spei, Solacium migrantium | Francis, 2020 |
The Congregation for Divine Worship’s letter of June 20, 2020 placed Mother of mercy after Mother of the Church, Mother of hope after Mother of divine grace, and Solace of migrants after Refuge of sinners. The text above follows that order.
Older and different wordings
English prayer books translate some titles differently. You may see Mother of our Redeemer for Mother of our Savior, Honourable vessel for Vessel of honor, Health of the weak for Health of the sick, and Comforter of the afflicted for Comfort of the afflicted. All translate the same Latin titles. Use the version your parish or prayer group prays.
When to pray the Litany of Loreto
- After the Rosary, especially on Saturdays, the day traditionally dedicated to Mary. See today’s Rosary mysteries.
- In May and October, the months of Mary and of the Rosary.
- On Marian feasts, such as the Immaculate Conception on December 8.
- At Benediction or in a May crowning.
- For a family or a parish in difficulty, using the titles Queen of families, Queen of peace and Solace of migrants as particular intentions.
The Church grants a partial indulgence to those who devoutly pray the litanies approved by the Church, the Litany of Loreto among them (Enchiridion of Indulgences, 1999).
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the Litany of Loreto?
Because it was sung at the shrine of the Holy House at Loreto in Italy, from where its use spread through Europe in the sixteenth century.
How many titles of Mary are in the litany?
The current litany has fifty-four invocations of Mary, from Holy Mary to Queen of peace, after the three titles added in 2020.
What is a litany?
A litany is a prayer of petitions or praises, each followed by a fixed response from the people. The Church’s oldest litany is the Litany of the Saints, sung at Baptisms, ordinations and the Easter Vigil.
Can I add my own titles of Mary?
Not to the official litany used in public worship, which only the Holy See changes. In private prayer you may of course praise Mary in your own words.
More prayers to Mary
- Immaculate Conception novena
- Total Consecration to Mary
- Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7)
- Marian feast days
- Sub tuum praesidium, the oldest prayer to Mary
- What is a litany?
- The Hail Mary
- The Memorare
- Hail, Holy Queen (Salve Regina)
- The Angelus
- The mysteries of the Rosary
- Catholic prayers: the basic prayers every Catholic should know
Texts and sources
- English text: William Gahan, O.S.A., The Complete Manual of Catholic Piety (Dublin, 19th century), “The Litany of the Blessed Virgin,” public domain (Project Gutenberg). Later invocations added in the official order, and some titles given in their more familiar modern wording.
- Congregation for Divine Worship, Letter on the invocations “Mater misericordiae,” “Mater spei” and “Solacium migrantium,” June 20, 2020.
- Angelo de Santi, “Litany of Loreto,” Catholic Encyclopedia (1910): the 1587 approval by Sixtus V and the additions of 1883 and 1903.
- Apostolic Penitentiary, Enchiridion of Indulgences (1999), on litanies.
- The concluding Latin collect Concede nos famulos tuos; English rendering by Bidding Prayers.