The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, more commonly known as the Litany of Loreto, is one of the best loved prayers of Marian devotion in the Catholic Church. It gathers together dozens of beautiful titles for the Mother of God, each one followed by the same simple plea: "pray for us." Prayed slowly, it becomes a litany of praise and trust, a way of honoring Mary under many names and asking her intercession for our needs.
The litany takes its familiar name from the shrine of the Holy House of Loreto in Italy, where it grew popular in the sixteenth century. It has been recited by the faithful for centuries, most often at the close of the Rosary, and remains a treasured part of Marian prayer today.
What Is a Litany?
A litany is a form of responsive prayer. One voice, whether a priest, a leader, or a person praying alone, calls out a series of short invocations, and the others respond with a fixed answer. The word itself comes from a Greek term meaning supplication or entreaty.
In the Litany of Loreto, the invocations are the many titles of Our Lady, and the response to most of them is the phrase "pray for us." The steady repetition is not empty or mechanical. It works much like the repeated Hail Marys of the Rosary, drawing the heart into a gentle rhythm of praise and petition, so that the mind can rest quietly on the mystery of Mary and her Son.
The Church uses litanies to honor the Lord, His Mother, and the saints. The Litany of Loreto is the most widely known of the Marian litanies and is one of only a handful of litanies approved for public use throughout the whole Church.
The History of the Litany of Loreto
Marian litanies existed in various forms during the Middle Ages, with lists of titles that differed from place to place. The particular arrangement we know today took shape at the Holy House of Loreto, a shrine in the Italian region of the Marches that honors the house of the Holy Family at Nazareth. Pilgrims to Loreto prayed this litany, and from that famous shrine it spread across Europe.
In 1587, Pope Sixtus V gave the litany his formal approval, granting indulgences to those who prayed it and helping to establish it as the standard Marian litany of the Latin Church. Over the following centuries a small number of new titles were added by various popes, reflecting the growth of Marian doctrine and devotion. Titles such as Help of Christians, Queen conceived without original sin, Queen assumed into heaven, Queen of the most holy Rosary, and Queen of peace all entered the litany in this way.
The most recent changes came in 2020, when Pope Francis directed that three invocations be added: Mother of Mercy, Mother of Hope, and Solace of Migrants. These additions carry forward a living tradition, letting each age add its own note of praise to a prayer that reaches back many hundreds of years.
When the Litany Is Prayed
The Litany of Loreto is most often prayed as a conclusion to the Rosary. After the final decade and the closing prayers, many people continue naturally into the litany, so that a time of meditation on the mysteries flows into a hymn of praise to Our Lady.
Common occasions for praying the litany include:
- After the Rosary, as a fitting close to that great Marian prayer.
- During May and October, the two months the Church particularly dedicates to Mary and to the Rosary.
- At Marian devotions and processions, where the responsive form allows a whole congregation to pray aloud together.
- In personal daily prayer, where it can be recited quietly, with the one praying making both the invocation and the response.
The Full Text of the Litany of Loreto
The litany opens with the Kyrie and an appeal to the three Persons of the Holy Trinity, then moves through the many titles of Mary, and closes with the invocations to the Lamb of God and a final prayer.
The Opening (Kyrie and the Holy Trinity)
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
God our Father in heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
The Titles of Mary (respond "pray for us")
Holy Mary,
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of the Church,
Mother of Mercy,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother of hope,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Solace of migrants,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of angels,
Queen of patriarchs,
Queen of prophets,
Queen of apostles,
Queen of martyrs,
Queen of confessors,
Queen of virgins,
Queen of all saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
Queen of families,
Queen of peace.
The Lamb of God and Concluding Prayer
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. Grant, we beseech you, O Lord God, that we your servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, ever virgin, may be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Additions of Pope Francis in 2020
In June 2020, Pope Francis approved three new invocations for the litany, and they now stand alongside the older titles as if they had always belonged there:
- Mother of Mercy, placed among the invocations that begin with the word Mother, honoring Mary as the one who shows us the tender mercy of God.
- Mother of Hope, naming Mary as the mother who carries our hope, especially in times of trial and uncertainty.
- Solace of Migrants, asking Mary to comfort all who are far from home, a title that speaks to one of the deep needs of our own time.
The Meaning of Mary's Poetic Titles
Many of the titles in the litany are drawn from Scripture and from the writings of the early Fathers of the Church. They may sound unusual at first, but each one carries a rich meaning:
- Mirror of justice means that Mary reflects the holiness and righteousness of God so clearly that in her we glimpse His own goodness.
- Seat of wisdom honors Mary as the one who bore Christ, the Wisdom of God, and held Him on her lap as on a throne.
- Mystical rose compares Mary to the most beautiful of flowers, a symbol of her purity and her place in the garden of the Church.
- Tower of ivory and House of gold praise her stately grace and her worthiness to be the dwelling place of the Lord.
- Ark of the covenant recalls the golden chest that held the presence of God among Israel; Mary carried God Himself within her.
- Gate of heaven and Morning star present Mary as the one through whom Christ came into the world, the dawn that announces the coming of the Sun of justice.
How to Include the Litany in Marian Devotion
The most natural way to pray the Litany of Loreto is to add it to the end of the Rosary. A simple pattern looks like this:
- Pray the Rosary in the usual way, meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary through each decade.
- After the final Hail Holy Queen and closing prayer, begin the litany with the Kyrie and the invocations to the Holy Trinity.
- Move slowly through the titles of Mary, answering "pray for us" after each one, letting your heart linger on any title that speaks to you.
- Finish with the invocations to the Lamb of God and the concluding prayer, then close with any personal intentions.
When praying alone, you can say both the invocation and the response yourself. When praying with others, one person leads the titles and everyone answers together. Either way, keep an unhurried pace, since the beauty of the litany lies in its quiet, rolling rhythm.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary
Among the many royal titles near the end of the litany, one holds a special place for those devoted to the Rosary: Queen of the most holy Rosary. This invocation ties the litany directly to the great prayer it so often follows. It honors Mary as the one who, by tradition, gave the Rosary to Saint Dominic and who continues to lead the faithful through the mysteries of her Son's life.
Praying this title is a fitting way to close the Rosary, for it hands the whole prayer back to Our Lady and asks her to carry our petitions to God. If you would like a full guide to the words of the Rosary itself, you can find them on our page of rosary prayers.
Continue Your Marian Prayer
Let the Litany of Loreto lead you deeper into the Rosary and into devotion to the Mother of God.
