Inspired by Oriental and Latin traditions, the Litany of Loreto was born in Loreto (Italy) in the 16th century. The Litany of Loreto is a set of invocations to the Virgin that are usually recited after the rosary and emphasize a quality of soul or action of the Mother of God.
Mary’s Immaculate Conception was likened to a dazzling dawn that heralded salvation:
“In the ‘night’ of the coming,
Mary began to shine like a true ‘morning star’.”
(John Paul II, Encyclical The Mother of the Redeemer §3)
