The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace...
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace...
And the Word was made flesh,
And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace...
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord,
thy grace into our hearts,
that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ thy Son
was made known by the message of an angel,
may by his Passion and Cross
be brought to the glory of his Resurrection.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
CATHOLIC 13TH CENTURY AD
The Angelus
Also known as The Angel of the Lord
About this prayer
The Angelus is a Catholic devotion commemorating the Incarnation, the moment when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive and bear the Son of God. Its name comes from the opening Latin words, 'Angelus Domini,' meaning 'The Angel of the Lord.' The prayer alternates between versicles recounting the Annunciation and three Hail Marys, concluded by a collect. The practice of praying the Angelus developed gradually during the 13th and 14th centuries from the custom of saying three Hail Marys at the evening bell. Pope Urban II encouraged a morning Angelus at the Council of Clermont in 1095 AD, and by the 15th century the full three-time-daily form was established. The Angelus bell, traditionally rung at 6am, noon, and 6pm, has marked the rhythm of Catholic daily life for centuries.
When it's said
The Angelus is traditionally said three times daily at 6am, noon, and 6pm, signaled by the ringing of a bell. In Catholic parishes, monasteries, schools, and homes it marks the canonical hours of morning, midday, and evening. During Eastertide (from Easter Sunday to Pentecost), the Angelus is replaced by the Regina Caeli. Pope John Paul II recited the Angelus publicly at noon on Sundays from the window of the Apostolic Palace, a practice continued by his successors.
Notes on the text
The Hail Marys in the Angelus are said in full; the text above abbreviates them to indicate their placement. The versicles draw from Luke 1:26-38 and John 1:14. The concluding collect is an ancient Marian prayer from the Roman liturgy.
Common questions
What is the Angelus?
The Angelus is a brief devotion to the Incarnation of Christ, said three times a day (traditionally at six in the morning, noon, and six in the evening) at the ringing of the Angelus bell. It consists of three biblical verses describing the Annunciation, each followed by a Hail Mary, and concludes with a closing prayer. The devotion takes its name from the Latin opening, 'Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae': 'The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.'
When did the Angelus begin?
Forms of the devotion go back to the 11th century AD, when monastic communities began ringing a bell at evening to mark a brief prayer to Mary. By the 14th century the evening Angelus had become widespread in Western Europe, and morning and midday additions developed gradually through the 15th and 16th centuries. The complete three-times-a-day Angelus in its modern form was established by the 17th century.
Is the Angelus still rung today?
Yes. The Angelus bell is still rung in many Catholic churches, cathedrals, monasteries, and convents around the world, particularly at noon. Vatican Radio broadcasts the Pope leading the Angelus on Sundays at noon Rome time. In some parts of Catholic Europe, particularly Italy, Spain, and parts of Ireland and Portugal, the Angelus bell is rung in towns and villages at midday and is heard publicly.
Is there a special version for Easter season?
Yes. From Easter Sunday through Pentecost, the Angelus is replaced by the Regina Caeli ('Queen of Heaven'), a Marian antiphon celebrating the resurrection. It begins 'Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia': 'Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.' The Regina Caeli is shorter than the Angelus and is said standing rather than kneeling, reflecting the joy of the Easter season.
Source
Traditional Catholic devotion, full form by 15th century AD. Text from F.X. Lasance, The Blessed Sacrament Book, 1913. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.