Ask Fr. Clancy a Question

Parishioner's Question

I am a parishioner of St. Anthonys, and I am wondering why it is that the Hail Mary is only said with specific priests? I do believe that Mary Mother of God did her part in giving us her only Son and I do believe she is worthy of the 2 minutes it would take to acknowledge what she did for us.

Thank you for your time

Fr. Clancy's Response

Thank you for your question. I do not believe that there is any dispute that our Blessed Mother is “worthy of two minutes” of our time to acknowledge her! The issue is whether specific prayers to Mary (or St. Joseph or other saints) are to be included in the Prayer of the Faithful.

The formal prayers of the Mass are directed to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. The Prayer of the Faithful is such a prayer. While in some places it has become a custom to include a Hail Mary in the Prayer of the Faithful, the Holy See has discouraged the practice.

So, for instance, while I pray dozens of Hail Marys a day, I do not include it in the formal prayers of the Mass because it is not prescribed. If parishioners feel strongly that a Hail Mary should be prayed at Mass, I would be happy to adopt a policy that would include it either at the time of announcements or prior to or at the conclusion of Mass in our collaborative.

Sincerely,

Fr. Clancy