Regina Coeli, Laetare, Alleluia!

A liturgical trivia question for you:
“What prayer replaces ‘The Angelus’ during the fifty days of the Easter Season?”

If you guessed the “Regina Coeli,” you are correct! From now until Pentecost this is the prayer the church prays whenever the church bells ring at 6:00 am, Noon, and 6:00 pm. Below is the text of the prayer. Perhaps you might want to clip and save it! (When prayed publicly, the prayer is prayed with one person leading and the assembly speaking the parts in italics.)

Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
For he whom you were chosen to bear, alleluia.
Has risen as he said, alleluia.
Pray to God for us, alleluia.

Rejoice and be glad, Virgin Mary, alleluia.
For the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray:
Father, you were pleased to give joy to the world through the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Grant, we beseech you that through the mediation of the Virgin Mary, His mother, we may come to possess the joys of life everlasting. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The “Regina Coeli” has a special place in my heart as a liturgist. I have a personal tradition in regard to it I would like to share with you. It’s something I have done for years every Easter Sunday. I do it after the last Mass has taken place, and after every single stray missalette, piece of sheet music, microphone stand has been neatly put in its place. I stand in the middle of the empty church, face the statue of Mary and sing the “Regina Coeli” both in Latin and English. It is then that I feel Easter has truly arrived for me! My hard work of Holy Week has been completed! It is a huge relief. Yet, just as the solemn liturgies of Holy Week reminded me that the church is so much bigger than just myself, so too does the echo of the now-empty church building, as I sing this song. When I finish singing, I genuflect and say thank you to God for the privilege of being able to help lead his people in prayer during the past week.

In this same Spirit, I would also like to say “thank you” to all of you, the dear parishioners of the Church of Saint Joseph, for the privilege of serving as your Director of Liturgy and Music during these past days. I am truly grateful for all you do to support me personally, as well as the liturgy and music programs. Thanks as well to the many people who worked so hard in making our Triduum liturgies so memorable and beautiful! May God bless all of you!

—from the desk of David Orzechowski, Director of Liturgy and Music