Hail, Holy Queen
Traditional Catholic 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 valley 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.
In Latin
Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae; vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae. Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.
At the end of the Rosary:
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 Hail, Holy Queen, traditionally known by its Latin name Salve Regina, is an ancient Marian prayer that asks the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede for us and lead our attention toward her Son, Jesus Christ.
The language is especially honest about the difficulties of Christian life. We come as people who still experience sorrow, weakness and longing, yet the prayer does not end with those things. It looks toward Jesus, the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb, as the true object of Christian hope.
Calling Mary our advocate does not place her in the role that belongs to Christ. Catholics ask Mary to pray for us because all Christian intercession depends on Jesus Christ, the one mediator through whom we come to the Father.
Scripture to pray with
- Luke 1:46-49 – Mary praises God for what He has done and recognizes that generations will call her blessed.
- John 2:1-5 – At Cana, Mary brings a need to Jesus and then directs the servants toward Him: “Do whatever he tells you.”
- Luke 1:42 – Elizabeth calls Mary blessed among women and Jesus the blessed fruit of her womb.
When to pray it
The Hail, Holy Queen is traditionally prayed near the conclusion of the Rosary. After the five decades, Catholics turn once more to Mary and ask her intercession as they place their hope in Christ and the promises He has made.
It can also be prayed on its own, especially during times of grief, discouragement or uncertainty. Its language acknowledges that life can feel like a “valley of tears” without allowing suffering to have the final word.