The Memorare is a Catholic prayer asking the Virgin Mary for her help and intercession. To pray it, bring a particular concern to mind, read or recite the prayer attentively, and entrust that concern to God with Mary.
Its confident language expresses trust; it does not promise that every request will be granted in the way or at the time you choose.
You can read the complete English text of the Memorare on Vatican News. Keep it open as you work through the explanation below. You do not need to memorize it before beginning.
What does “Memorare” mean?
Memorare is the Latin opening word, meaning “remember.” The familiar English version begins, “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary.” It then recalls confidence in her help, acknowledges the person praying as a sinner in need, and asks her to receive their petitions.
The older words can make the prayer feel more complicated than it is. Thee means you; thy means your. Intercession means praying on someone else's behalf. A petition is a request.
Read the prayer as an appeal from someone who needs help. Its movement is from confidence, through an honest admission of need, to a request for mercy. You do not have to sound composed or have every concern neatly explained.
Why ask Mary for help?
The Catechism, paragraphs 2673–2679, places Marian prayer within our relationship with Jesus. Paragraph 2674 identifies Jesus as the only mediator and describes Mary as pointing toward him. Paragraph 2677 explains that entrusting our petitions to her belongs with surrender to God's will.
That gives the Memorare its Catholic setting. Asking Mary to pray for you does not mean asking her to overrule God or take Jesus' place.
The prayer's title for her, “Mother of the Word Incarnate,” points to Jesus, the Son of God who became human. It names her relationship with him at the very moment you ask for help.
For a fuller explanation of intercession and worship, read our guide to why Catholics pray to saints.
Does “never was it known” guarantee my request?
These words can be difficult if you have prayed for something important and the situation has not changed. Read within Catholic teaching, the prayer expresses confidence in Mary's help rather than a contract guaranteeing a particular result.
The Catechism's discussion of trust in prayer, paragraphs 2734–2741, takes the difficulty of apparently unanswered petitions seriously. It asks whether we approach God as an instrument for obtaining results, and it describes the transformation of the praying heart as the first response to petition.
You can therefore ask plainly for what you hope for while remaining open to God. You might pray for a relationship to heal, for someone to recover, or for help with a decision. The confidence of prayer does not give you advance knowledge of the outcome.
Nor should someone else's suffering be explained away by saying they must have prayed the Memorare incorrectly. You can pray with a person, listen to their grief and offer practical care without pretending to know why their circumstances remain difficult.
A simple way to pray it attentively
First, name your intention in a sentence. It might concern a person, a responsibility or a choice: someone you are worried about, a conversation you are avoiding, or the patience you need today.
Read the Memorare slowly from the linked text. If a phrase catches your attention, pause with it. For example, the words “sinful and sorrowful” allow you to approach honestly, including when your own choices have contributed to the problem.
After the prayer, remain quiet briefly. You may then speak to God in your own words. This closing prayer is original to Saint Discovery: Lord Jesus, receive the concern I bring to you. Help me trust your goodness, accept the help I need and respond faithfully to the person or task before me. Amen.
Finally, consider an appropriate next step. If you prayed about a strained friendship, that might be a respectful message or an apology. If you prayed for someone who is isolated, it might be a call. Prayer can accompany the care and responsibility the situation requires.
This is a suggested way to begin, not an official rite or a set of extra requirements attached to the Memorare.
Do I need a special time, place or number?
For ordinary personal prayer, you can begin by praying the Memorare once. The prayer text itself does not prescribe a particular number of repetitions, a shrine visit or a devotional object.
You may choose a regular moment, such as before leaving home or before a difficult conversation. Read from a prayer card or a screen if that helps. Learning the words can come gradually through familiarity.
If you decide to include it in a novena, distinguish that chosen devotion from the prayer itself. Our guide to novenas explains how a period of repeated prayer can be approached with trust rather than as a guarantee of results.
You can also pray directly to God. The Memorare is one way to ask for Mary's intercession; it is not a prerequisite for God to hear your concern.
What do we know about its history?
The 1907 Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Claude Bernard credits the seventeenth-century French priest with helping to popularize the Memorare. It also describes the prayer as being of an earlier date.
That supports a distinction between spreading a prayer and writing it. The source does not establish its original author. This guide treats the Memorare as a traditional Marian prayer rather than introducing it as a documented quotation from a particular saint.
Begin with a real concern
Choose something you can actually bring to prayer today. Read the words with that concern in mind, ask for Mary's intercession, and give yourself a moment to listen before returning to the day.
If you would like a different Marian prayer connected more explicitly with the announcement of Christ's Incarnation, our beginner's guide to the Angelus offers another starting point.
Artwork: Sassoferrato, The Virgin in Prayer, 1640–1650, National Gallery, London. Public-domain painting and faithful reproduction via Wikimedia Commons. Displayed as a resized Commons thumbnail without additional editorial cropping or retouching.
