The Catholic Defender: Prayer to Our Lady, Queen of Peace

Prayer to the Immaculate Queen of Peace is a traditional Catholic prayer asking for Mary's intercession for peace in hearts, families, and the world. 

The full text of the Prayer to the Immaculate Queen of Peace, which addresses Mary as the Mother of Jesus, honors her as Queen of peace, and asks for her intercession for the Holy Father, world leaders, and protection for our country, can be found in the referenced source

Most holy and immaculate Virgin, Mother of Jesus and our loving Mother, being his Mother, you shared in his universal kingship. The prophets and angels proclaimed him King of peace. With loving fervor in our hearts we salute and honor you as Queen of peace.

We pray that your intercession may protect us and all people from hated and discord, and direct our hearts into the ways of peace and justice which your Son taught and exemplified. We ask your maternal care for our Holy Father who works to reconcile the nations in peace. We seek your guidance for our President and other leaders as they strive for world peace.

Glorious Queen of peace, grant us peace in our hearts, harmony in our families and concord throughout the world. Immaculate Mother, as patroness of our beloved country, watch over us and protect us with your motherly love. Amen.

The title and prayers associated with Our Lady, Queen of Peace (Regina Pacis) hold a profound place in Catholic history, transitioning from a localized 16th-century French devotion into a universal cry for peace during World War I. 

The structural devotion to Mary under this specific title began in 1500s France. A nobleman named Jean de Joyeuse presented his bride with a unique wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Unlike traditional depictions, this statue featured Mary holding an olive branch in her right hand and the Child Jesus—the Prince of Peace—in her left arm.

The statue eventually passed to their grandson, Henri Joyeuse, who became a Capuchin Franciscan friar in Paris. For the next two centuries, the Capuchins preserved and venerated the statue, formally naming it Notre Dame de Paix (Our Lady of Peace). In 1657, in the presence of King Louis XIV, the statue was solemnly enthroned in a newly built chapel to anchor prayers for a war-torn Europe. 

The definitive historical milestone for the modern prayer occurred during World War I. Dismayed by the brutal stalemate and what he famously termed the "suicide of Europe," Pope Benedict XV exhausted all diplomatic channels to negotiate peace. 

Turning completely to spiritual warfare, on May 5, 1917, the Pope issued a solemn letter directing the entire global Church to turn to Mary's intercession. He permanently commanded that the phrase "Queen of Peace, pray for us" (Regina Pacis, ora pro nobis) be added to the Litany of Loreto. 

 In a striking providential convergence, exactly eight days after Pope Benedict XV universally instituted this prayer framework, the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima occurred on May 13, 1917, bearing a core message of praying the Rosary daily to obtain peace for the world. 

The World War I Intercessory Prayer (Pope Benedict XV, 1915/1917)

This prayer reflects the raw anguish of a world fractured by global warfare, appealing directly to Mary's protection. 

the full text of Pope Benedict XV's World War I prayer—which appeals to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and invokes the Virgin Immaculate, Queen of Peace, to end hostilities and inspire rulers.

Widely distributed in standard Roman Catholic prayer manuals following the 1917 decree, this version focuses heavily on national leadership and familial harmony. 

The full traditional prayer, which salutes Mary as Queen of Peace, asks for maternal care for the Holy Father and heads of state, and requests harmony in families and concord throughout the world.