About the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
About the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also known as The Litany of Loreto after its place of origin. The prayer was in use at the Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto (Italy) since as early as 1558.
About the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
How the Prayer Evolved
Pope Sixtus V approved The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1587. Over the centuries that followed, popes added titles to the Litany. The first title was added by Pope Pius V. In 1814, he added Queen of all Saints.
- Queen Conceived without Original Sin (Pope Pius IX, 1846)
- Queen of the Most Holy Rosary ( Pope Leo XIII, 1883)
- Mother of Good Counsel (Pope Leo XII, 1903)
- Queen of Peace (Pope Benedict XV, 1917)
- Queen Assumed into Heaven (Pope Pius XII, 1950)
- Mother of the Church (Pope John Paul II, 1980)
- Queen of Families (Pope John Paul II, 1995)
- Mother of Mercy (Pope Francis, 2020)
- Mother of Hope (Pope Francis, 2020)
- Solace of Migrants (Pope Francis, 2020)
THE MARIAN SHRINE OF LORETO, ITALY
The Loreto Statue in Italy
This venerated image of Our Lady of Loreto, made from cedar found in the Vatican Gardens, is located in the Basilica Santa Della Casa. This church is in Loreto, Italy. Fire destroyed the original image in 1921. About a year later, on September 5, 1922, Pope Pius XI granted a Canonical Coronation to the replacement image.
History of the Prayer
According to tradition, since about 1531, this prayer was recited in the Marian Shrine of Loreto, Italy. In 1587, Pope Sixtus V officially approved the Litany of Loreto. It is the only Marian litany approved by the Church for more than private devotion. Since then, Popes have added ten additional invocations to the Litany, including “Mother of the Church” (1980) and “Queen of families” (1995) by St. John Paul II during his papacy, and, more recently, the three new invocations by Pope Francis.
THE CHILDHOOD HOME OF MARY
About the Holy House
Tradition holds that the Holy House of Loreto was the childhood home of Mary. Later, the Holy Family lived there. It is a simple structure with stone walls, mortar, and a wood roof.
THE JOURNEY OF THE HOLY HOUSE
Angels Transported It
According to tradition, angels transported it four times. First, on May 10, 1291, it suddenly disappeared from its location in Nazareth. Locals noticed it was gone from its foundation. Three years later, the town suffered an attack that would have destroyed the house.
Where It Was Sighted
The first place it landed was in Trsat, Croatia. Witnesses noticed that it did not have a foundation. The house moved three more times. On December 10, 1294, it went to two locations in Piceno, Italy. Then, on December 1295, it landed in Loreto, where it remains to this day.
Investigation
At the time, the Church investigated the house. They compared the measurements of the marks left on the ground at each place. They all matched. There were also lots of witnesses to interview. Centuries later, scientists used chemical analysis to study the materials. They discovered that the stones, mortar, and wood ceiling were all from that area of Nazareth.
The Marble Structure
In 1507, Pope Julius II asked Donato Bramante to design a structure to protect the house. Artists like Sansovino built it with Carrara marble. The nativity of The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation, and the Birth of Jesus, are part of the design. The artists also sculpted the Arrival of the Santa Casa at Loreto. Countless saints, popes, and pilgrims have visited there.
It is also known as the Litany of Loreto
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CREDITS
The LOGO image of Our Lady of Grace is original artwork by Martin Lariviere in 2009. We have the artist’s permission (my son). It is our exclusive trademark logo image.
A beautifully photographed sky by Donald Tong inspired the website’s colour scheme. Cropped portions of it are the background for the footer Bible verse. He shared it as a free download on pexels.com.
Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato painted The Madonna Praying circa the 17th Century.
The photos of the Our Lady of Loreto statue and the marble enclosure of the holy house are from a priest’s pilgrimage to the church in Loreto, Italy where they are housed.
The photo of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a child is a photo from a framed picture. It was originally painted by a 20th-century artist, Charles Bosseron Chambers.
Raphael painted The Sistine Madonna circa (1513-1514). We made circular cut-outs from the original image.
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo painted The Transportation of the Holy House in the mid-18th Century.
Annibale Carracci painted Translation of the Holy House: The Madonna of Loreto circa 1604 to 1605.
Our information is from general knowledge, experience, and shared internet sources. We’d like you to use it as a starting point for your research to verify facts and build a reference list.
IN REVIEW
Pope Sixtus V approved The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1587.
Since its initial approval by Pope Sixtus V in 1587, popes have added titles to The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Pius V added Queen of all Saints in 1814. Since then, there are 10 more titles, including 3 by Pope Francis (2020).
According to tradition, since about 1531, Catholics recited The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Marian Shrine of Loreto, Italy.
The prayer is also known as The Litany of Loreto.
Tradition holds that The Holy House of Loreto was the childhood home of Mary. Later, the Holy Family lived there. It is a simple structure with stone walls, mortar and a wood roof. According to tradition, angels transported it four times: Croatia, Piceno (2 locations), and Loreto.
In 1507, Pope Julius II asked Donato Bramante to design a structure to protect the holy house. Artists like Sansovino built it with Carrara marble.