Sub Tuum Praesidium

The oldest known Marian prayer, dating to approximately the 3rd century.

The Sub Tuum Praesidium is the oldest known Marian prayer in the Catholic tradition. A Greek papyrus discovered in Egypt in 1917 dates this prayer to approximately the 3rd century, making it one of the earliest preserved prayers of the Church.

The Prayer

We fly to thy protection, O holy Mother of God;
despise not our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin.

About This Prayer

This brief prayer encapsulates the ancient Catholic confidence in Mary’s intercession. The word ‘Theotokos’ (God-bearer, or Mother of God) in the original Greek text predates the Council of Ephesus (431), which formally defined this title. The prayer is still used in the Liturgy of the Hours of many Eastern Catholic Churches.