Prayer to the Virgin
[Remedy against “spirits of darkness” and forces of hatred and fear]

“ August Queen of Heaven, sovereign Mistress of the Angels, thou, who from the beginning has received from God the power and mission to crush the head of Satan, we humbly implore thee, to send thy holy legions so that under thy command and by thy power, they may drive the devils away, everywhere, fight them, subduing their boldness and thrust them down into the abyss.

Who is like unto God?

O good and  tender Mother, thou willst always be our love and our hope.

O divine Mother, send thy holy Angels to defend me and drive far away from me the cruel enemy.

Holy Angels and Archangels defend us, keep us.”

Imprimatur.
Cameraci.(Cambrai), die 26 februarii 1912
A. Massart, vic.gen.

[ Original text from the prayer dictated by Our Lady to Fr. Cestac on 13 January, 1864. It is an Indulgenced prayer. St Pius X on 8 July, 1908 ]

History of the prayer

“ On 13 January 1864, Father Louis Cestac ( founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Mary, died in 1868) accustomed to the goodness of the Most Blessed Virgin, was suddenly struck by a ray of divine light. He saw the devils scattered throughout the earth, causing inexplicable ravages. At the same time, he had a vision of the Most Blessed Virgin. This good Mother told him that indeed the devils were let loose in the world and that the hour had come to pray to her as Queen of the Angels, asking to send the holy legions to fight and put an end to the powers of Hell”

“Mother”, said the priest, “thou who art so good, couldst thou not send them without being asked?”
“No”, answered the Most Blessed Virgin. “Prayer is a condition set by God Himself to obtain graces”.
“So Mother”, replied the priest, “Wouldst thou thyself teach me how one must pray to thee?”
And he received from the Most Blessed Virgin the prayer: “August Queen”
“My first duty” wrote Fr Cestac, “was to present this prayer to Mgr.Lacroix, Bishop of Bayonne, who condescended to approve it. Having carried out this duty, I had 500,000 printed and had them sent everywhere. We must not fail to mention that at the time of the first printing, the printing press broke down twice!”