The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary — known traditionally as the Litany of Loreto — is the most ancient and beloved Marian litany of the Latin Church. The litany takes its common name from the Holy House of Loreto in the Italian Marches, where pilgrims have prayed it continuously since the late Middle Ages; the tradition holds that the small stone house in which Mary received the Annunciation was translated by angels from Nazareth to Loreto in the thirteenth century, and the litany became the formal prayer of that pilgrimage. Pope Sixtus V formally approved the litany for liturgical and devotional use in 1587, granting indulgences for its public recitation. Over the centuries successive popes have added invocations as the Church's understanding of Marian doctrine has matured: Pope Pius VII added 'Help of Christians' in 1815 after his liberation from Napoleon's captivity; Pope Pius IX added 'Queen Conceived without Original Sin' after the 1854 definition of the Immaculate Conception; Pope Pius XII added 'Queen Assumed into Heaven' after the 1950 definition of the Assumption; Pope St. John Paul II added 'Mother of the Church' in 1980 and 'Queen of Families' in 1995. Most recently, Pope Francis added 'Mother of Mercy,' 'Mother of Hope,' and 'Comfort of Migrants' in 2020. The structure of the litany moves through three categories of invocations: titles drawn from Mary's relationship to the Trinity ('Holy Mother of God,' 'Mother of Christ,' 'Mother of the Church'), titles drawn from Marian virtues and types ('Virgin most prudent,' 'Mirror of justice,' 'Mystical rose,' 'Tower of David'), and titles drawn from Mary's queenship and intercession ('Queen of angels,' 'Queen of all saints,' 'Queen of peace'). The accumulating titles together form a portrait of Mary's place in the economy of salvation as the Church has come to know her.
8 min
Duration
1 day
Commitment
Beginner-Friendly
Level
The litany is prayed responsively. A leader voices each title of Mary ('Holy Mary…' 'Holy Mother of God…' 'Holy Virgin of virgins…') and the gathered company responds 'Pray for us' to each. The litany opens with the Kyrie pattern and the Trinitarian invocation; the body of the litany is the long sequence of Marian titles; the litany closes with three invocations of the Lamb of God ('Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, spare us / hear us / have mercy on us'), a versicle-response pair, and a collect prayer to the Blessed Virgin. Total duration is approximately ten minutes when prayed at unhurried devotional pace. The Litany of Loreto is traditionally prayed: after the Holy Rosary (in many Catholic families this is the close of the daily rosary); during the Marian months of May and October; at the end of the Marian novena before Marian solemnities (the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, Our Lady of the Rosary); at moments of family consecration to Mary. When prayed alone, simply read both the title and the response aloud or silently. May Crowning ceremonies — the traditional Catholic-school practice of crowning a statue of Mary with flowers during May — often incorporate the Litany of Loreto as the central prayer. The Latin original ('Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis…') is still prayed in many parishes that maintain a strong devotional repertoire in Latin alongside the vernacular.
Coordinate sustained prayer for someone you love. Volunteers fill 30-minute slots covering days or weeks; the family receives a spiritual bouquet at the end.
Invite a small group to pray this with you. Everyone gets the same prayer text, the same rhythm, the same intention.