Catholic Prayers to Mary: The Hail Mary, Memorare, Hail Holy Queen and Other Marian Prayers

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Catholics pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary not to worship her, which belongs to God alone, but to honor her as the Mother of God and to ask her to pray for us, as she interceded for the couple at Cana. The Church has a rich treasury of Marian prayers, from the Hail Mary, drawn from the words of the angel Gabriel and St. Elizabeth, to the third-century “We fly to thy patronage,” the oldest known prayer to Mary. Below are the best-loved Catholic prayers to Mary in full, with when to pray them, and links to the Rosary, the Angelus, the Litany of Loreto and novenas to Our Lady.

A short prayer to Mary, written for this page:

Holy Mary, Mother of God and my Mother,
I give you my heart and all my cares.
Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, and lead me to Jesus. Amen.

The Hail Mary

The heart of every prayer to Mary, made of the angel’s greeting (Luke 1:28), Elizabeth’s blessing (Luke 1:42) and the Church’s petition:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

See the Hail Mary prayer for its meaning and history.

The Memorare

A prayer of complete confidence, often prayed in urgent need:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help, and sought thy intercession, was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To thee I come; before thee I stand sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

See the Memorare and the “flying novena.”

We Fly to Thy Patronage (Sub Tuum Praesidium)

The oldest known prayer to Mary, found on an Egyptian papyrus from around the third century:

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.

See Sub Tuum Praesidium.

Hail, Holy Queen (Salve Regina)

Prayed at the end of the Rosary and at Night Prayer:

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy! Hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope!

To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.

Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us.

And after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

See the Hail Holy Queen prayer.

Queen of Heaven (Regina Caeli)

Prayed in Easter time in place of the Angelus:

Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
For He whom thou didst deserve to bear, alleluia.
Hath risen as He said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. Because Our Lord is truly risen, alleluia.

See the Regina Caeli.

The Magnificat

Mary’s own prayer of praise at the Visitation (Luke 1:46–55, Douay-Rheims), prayed every evening by the Church at Vespers:

And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.
He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy:
As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

See the Magnificat.

Hail, Thou Star of Ocean (Ave Maris Stella)

An ancient Marian hymn, in Edward Caswall’s translation:

Hail, thou Star of Ocean,
Portal of the sky,
Ever Virgin Mother
Of the Lord most high!

Oh, by Gabriel’s Ave,
Utter’d long ago,
Eva’s name reversing,
‘Stablish peace below.

Break the captive’s fetters,
Light on darkness pour;
All our ills expelling,
Every bliss implore.

Show thyself a mother,
Offer Him our sighs;
Who for us incarnate
Did not thee despise.

Virgin of all virgins,
To thy shelter take us;
Gentlest of the gentle,
Chaste and gentle make us.

Still as on we journey,
Help our weak endeavour;
Till with thee and Jesus
We rejoice for ever.

Through the highest heaven,
To the all-holy Three,
Father, Son, and Spirit,
One same glory be.

See Ave Maris Stella.

More Marian prayers and devotions

Why do Catholics pray to Mary?

Catholics do not worship Mary; worship belongs to God alone. We honor her because God chose her to be the Mother of His Son, and we ask her prayers because, as the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of the Church given to us at the Cross (John 19:26–27), she cares for us and brings our needs to her Son, as she did at Cana (John 2:1–11).

Frequently asked questions

What is the most powerful prayer to Mary?

There is no single “most powerful” prayer, but the Rosary and the Memorare are especially loved for their confidence in Mary’s intercession.

What is the oldest prayer to Mary?

“We fly to thy patronage” (Sub Tuum Praesidium), from around the third century.

Is it right to pray to Mary?

Yes. Catholics ask Mary to pray for them, just as Christians ask one another for prayers. All prayer to Mary leads to Jesus.

More

Texts and sources

  • Memorare: The Little Book of the Most Holy Child Jesus (1876). We Fly to Thy Patronage: William Gahan, The Complete Manual of Catholic Piety (Project Gutenberg). Hail, Holy Queen and Regina Caeli: F. X. Lasance, With God (1911). Ave Maris Stella: trans. Edward Caswall (1849). All public domain.
  • Luke 1:46–55 (Douay-Rheims).