Hail Mary
It joins the angel Gabriel's greeting (Luke 1:28), Elizabeth's words (Luke 1:42) and a plea of the Church. It is repeated ten times in each rosary decade.
Also known as: Ave Maria
the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
When to pray
In the rosary, the Angelus and at any moment of need.
Latin text
Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.
Origin
The first part of the Hail Mary is biblical in origin, combining the greeting of the Angel Gabriel (Luke 1:28) and that of Elizabeth (Luke 1:42). The second part, "Holy Mary, Mother of God...", developed gradually during the Middle Ages, taking its definitive form around the 15th century. The prayer was formally included in the Roman Breviary by Pope Pius V in 1568 and is central to the devotion of the Rosary.
In other languages
Ave Maria (Português) · Ave María (Español) · Ave Maria (Italiano) · Zdrowaś Maryjo (Polski) · Aba Ginoong Maria (Tagalog)