Salve Regina: (Hail Holy Queen).

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; and, after this our exile, show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus!

"The words are those of a child of Mary, pleading for help," so wrote Most Reverend, John F. Whealon, of the Archdiocese of Connecticut. The Catholic Transcript, May 18, 1990. He noted that the priests in his Archdiocese, after the funeral of a brother priest, sing in Latin the Salve Regina.

With the Feast of Christmas getting ever closer, Catholics all over the world will honour Mary, as Mother of God and our Mother, as she again shows us "the blessed fruit of (her) womb, Jesus!"

Was there ever such a time of need for our Heavenly Mother's help as our advocate to her son, Jesus? But, then, our daily lives constantly require her compassion, protection and guidance, even though today's world seems to be a more daunting challenge than ever before. Father says "the meaning or theology of this prayer expresses the special honour of Mary and our childlike devotion to her powerful intercession as we journey through the problems of this life on earth. This melody in Latin is hauntingly beautiful, perfectly wedded to the words."

The final three invocations (O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary) were later added by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Coming into the Cathedral of Speyer on Christmas Eve, he heard the monks chanting the Salve Regina as a processional. Bernard added these three invocations as a solo, and, they have been kept since then as the conclusion of the hymn.

The Salve Regina came out of the so-called "Dark Ages." The words and music were composed in the 11th century by a monk known as Hermanus Contractus, or, Hermann the Cripple.

Born into a wealthy and noble Wolverad family of Southern Germany, he was baptized Hermann. The 14 children of this family were outstanding in ability and education. But, Hermann was born a crippled person, so was not considered to be a "typical Wolverad."

In time, Hermann entered a monastery on an island, Richenau, in Lake Constance. He was in constant pain. The monks designed a special chair to carry and help him. His mind richly expanded. He learned Latin, Greek and Hebrew. He became a musician and poet. He built an Astrolabe, an instrument for calculating the elevation of the stars. He built many kinds of musical instruments for the monks, and even made docks to keep them punctual.

Though constantly in pain, it was said that Hermanus Contractus never complained. His reason was that he saw Mary as his mother on earth and in heaven. He trusted her, prayed to her, and sang to her. And, he said that Mary taught him to be happy in the midst of his daily sufferings.

Into his masterpiece, Salve Regina, Hermann the Contracted poured all his love for the Blessed Mother. He died in 1054; "probably the best of the Wolverad family," Father Whealon says.

Father adds that the Salve Regina became popular as an evening song in Europe. Guilds and confraternities used to sing it in the open market-places. In time it became the regular conclusion of evening devotions or Vespers in the churches.

Spanish and Italian sailors were fond of this hymn, and, used to sing it while pulling their oars. And, it is said, that every night on the 1492 voyage of Columbus, the sailors chanted this hymn to end their day of sailing. Thus, the Native (American) Indian tribes learned it, and some tribes have this melody as an old tradition among their folk tunes.

It appears that the sentiment "vale of tears" is a universal reason for many "children of Mary" to cry out for the tender love and assistance of Mary, Holy Queen of heaven and earth.

Today, priests recite it every day in their brevaries, at the close of day, and many people recite it at the end of the Rosary.