April 6, 2026
Context & Tradition
The Marian antiphon of Eastertide, sung at Compline from Holy Saturday through Pentecost Saturday, replacing the Salve Regina. Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia — Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia. Tradition holds it was first heard from angels in Rome in the 590s, during Gregory the Great's plague procession.
In Use
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia, resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia — For He whom you were worthy to bear, alleluia, has risen as He said, alleluia.
How to Pronounce Church Latin
In Ecclesiastical (Church) Latin: c before e/i sounds like ch (Deus = DAY-oos); ae sounds like ay; v sounds like v. The pronunciation shown above follows this Roman tradition — the one used in every Catholic church.
Want to deepen your Latin?
The best entry point for Mass Latin is a hand missal with parallel Latin-English text. Following along weekly — even slowly — builds vocabulary naturally. See our recommended missals and Bibles →