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About the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

About the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

painting of Our Lady of Loreto by Tiepolo for our closing prayers and the Litany of Loreto prayer, we sell handmade Catholic items

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.  

More new titles followed:
 
  • 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

Click for a photo of her childhood home

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.

Child Mary painting by Chambers

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. 

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It is also known as the Litany of Loreto

Click for the updated version of the prayer that is easy to follow for a group or individuals.

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Handmade Catholic items by Our Lady of Grace Rosaries are designed to be cherished and built to endure.

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
When did the Catholic Church approve The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary?

Pope Sixtus V approved The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1587.

Has The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary changed?

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).

When did people start praying The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary?

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.

What is the Holy House 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.

What is the marble structure surrounding the holy house in 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.

OUR LADY OF GRACE ROSARIES