Salve Regina

Said at the conclusion of the Rosary.

The Hail Holy Queen (Salve Regina) is one of the four Marian antiphons of the Catholic Church and has been sung or recited at the conclusion of the Rosary for centuries. It addresses Mary as Queen of Heaven and implores her maternal intercession.

The Prayer

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy,
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.

About This Prayer

The Salve Regina dates from the 11th century and is attributed to Hermann of Reichenau (d. 1054), though its true authorship is uncertain. It became one of the four seasonal Marian antiphons of the Divine Office and has been attached to the Rosary since the 13th century. Pope Pius V included it in the Rosary’s final prayers in 1569.