Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Litany of Loreto)
Honoring Mary under her many titles and asking her to pray for us
Morning Prayer editorial team · Updated: November 2026
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Litany of Loreto after the Italian shrine where it was sung, has honored Mary since the sixteenth century. It is usually prayed after the Rosary, during May and October, and on Marian feasts. Below is how it is structured, a selection of its invocations, and a closing prayer.
Let us pray
The litany opens with the Kyrie (Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy) and three invocations to the Holy Trinity. Then come some fifty titles of Mary, each answered with the response Pray for us, and it ends with the threefold Lamb of God and a short collect. Here are a few of its invocations:
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Mother of the Church, pray for us.
Mother of Mercy, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Seat of Wisdom, pray for us.
Mystical Rose, pray for us.
Morning Star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Queen of Peace, pray for us.
Closing prayer: Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, every title the Church gives you is a window onto the goodness of your Son. You are the Morning Star because you announce His coming; you are the Health of the sick because you carried the Healer in your arms; you are the Refuge of sinners because you stood beneath His cross and did not look away.
Take my prayers tonight, those I have spoken and those I could not put into words, and lay them before Jesus. Pray for the sick in my family, for those who have wandered far from God, for the anxious and the grieving. Teach me to say yes to God as simply as you did at Nazareth, and keep me close to you until I see Him face to face. Amen.
Blessing
May the Mother of God, invoked under so many names, keep you beneath her mantle today and lead you ever closer to her Son.
How to pray this prayer
- Find a quiet moment and breathe slowly.
- Read the prayer aloud or in your heart.
- Add your own intention before the Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the Litany of Loreto?
It takes its name from the Marian shrine of Loreto in Italy, where it was sung regularly in the 1500s. Pope Sixtus V approved it in 1587, and later popes have added titles, most recently Mother of Mercy, Mother of Hope, and Solace of Migrants in 2020.
When is the litany prayed?
Traditionally after the Rosary, at the end of May devotions, during October, at Benediction, and on feasts of Our Lady. Many families pray it on Saturdays, the day dedicated to Mary.
How do I pray a litany at home?
One person reads each title and everyone answers Pray for us. Alone, you can say both parts slowly. You do not need to rush through all fifty titles; it is fine to pause on the ones that speak to your situation.
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