Little Prayer Stories
Prayer for kids

Hail, Holy Queen (Salve Regina)

The Hail, Holy Queen (in Latin, Salve Regina) is an ancient prayer to Mary, our mother in heaven, asking her to look on us with mercy and show us Jesus. It’s prayed at the end of the Rosary, and monks have sung it at night prayer for almost a thousand years.

Pray it with Clara
Stained glass of Mary kneeling as she is crowned in heaven, with the Holy Spirit above and angels around her

Hail, Holy Queen

Pray together

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. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Pray it with Clara at bedtime, in the Little Prayer Stories app.Get the app →

How to pray it with your child

  1. 1

    Read it to them first

    It’s long. Let your child listen for a few nights, then join in on the last line.

  2. 2

    Explain one hard word

    “Exile” means being far from home. Heaven is our real home, and Mary helps us get there.

  3. 3

    Try singing it

    The Salve Regina chant is gentle and slow, a lovely last song before sleep.

Questions parents ask

When do you pray the Hail, Holy Queen?

At the end of the Rosary, after the last decade. Many religious communities also sing it at the close of night prayer.

What does “poor banished children of Eve” mean?

It means all of us: since Adam and Eve, people have lived far from the paradise God made for us, and we ask Mary to help us home to heaven.

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