Prayer to the Queen of the Holy Angels (“August Queen”)

August Queen of Heaven and sovereign Mistress of the Angels,
You received from God, from the beginning the power and the mission
to crush the head of Satan.
Therefore we humbly beg You:
send the heavenly legions to our aid,
that under Your command they may pursue the demons,
combat them everywhere, repel their bold attacks
and drive them back into the abyss.
“Who is like God?”
O good and tender Mother,
You will always be our love and our hope!
O Mother of God, send us the holy Angels,
that they may defend us and keep the cruel enemy far from us.
Holy Angels and Archangels, defend and protect us!
Amen.

On January 13, 1864, the founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Mary, Fr. Cestac (1801–1868), in the shrine of Our Lady of Refuge in Anglet (Pyrenees), was suddenly shaken as if by a ray of divine clarity. He saw the demons spread throughout the whole world, doing unspeakable harm everywhere. At the same time he had a vision of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, who told him that the demons were indeed unleashed throughout the whole world. For that reason, the hour had come to invoke her as Queen of the Angels and to ask her to send legions of holy angels to fight the powers of the underworld. “My Mother,” said the priest, “You are so good; could You not send them without being asked?” – “No,” the Most Blessed Virgin answered, “prayer is a condition set by God, even when one wishes to receive graces.” – “If that is so, my Mother, would You then teach us how we must pray?” Thereupon he received from the Most Blessed Virgin the prayer “August Queen,” and, after episcopal approval, spread it throughout the whole world. This prayer, accompanied by extraordinary graces, was recommended by Pope Pius IX and enriched with a plenary indulgence by Leo XIII and Pius X.