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The Memorare
The Memorare prayer ("Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary…") — full text, its history with St. Bernard and Fr. Claude Bernard, and when to pray it.
Part of the Prayers To Mary prayer collection.
In brief
The Memorare prayer ("Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary…") — full text, its history with St. Bernard and Fr. Claude Bernard, and when to pray it.
Prayer: The Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Source note: Trad., associated with St. Bernard
Memorare: a prayer asking Mary's intercession
The Memorare is a short prayer of confidence and petition. Bring the request honestly, acknowledge sorrow where it is present and ask Mary to pray with you to God; the familiar words can be prayed alone, with a Rosary or during a difficult decision.
The traditional text is shown with a clear source boundary and without interpreting its language as a guarantee that every request will be answered in the form imagined. Intercession is presented within Christ-centered Catholic prayer.
Where it comes from
Long attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153), the prayer in its current form was spread in the 17th century by Fr. Claude Bernard, the "Poor Priest" of Paris, who printed over 200,000 leaflets of it and credited it with countless graces. From there it traveled the world on holy cards — the same route as our site's Unfailing Prayer.
When to pray it
Anytime — but its specialty is urgency: before the result, the diagnosis, the conversation you dread. Pray it once with your whole attention rather than ten times on autopilot. And notice its structure for your own prayers: confidence ("never was it known…"), approach ("I fly unto thee"), honesty ("sinful and sorrowful"), petition.
Keep praying
- Hail, Holy Queen
- The Unfailing Prayer — the St. Joseph companion "seldom known to fail"
- Print the Memorare card