Praying in Latin with Kids

Katie Fitzgerald shares resources and ideas for families who want to pray in Latin at home.  

Everyone can pray in Latin  

Since my oldest daughter was a preschooler, my family has enjoyed praying together in Latin. We love feeling connected to the Church throughout the ages and really immersing ourselves in the beauty of the official language of our faith. If you’ve ever wanted to pray more in Latin with your kids, but haven’t been sure how to start, I have some suggestions based on what has worked well in my home.  

You don’t need to be a scholar to start. When I first introduced Latin prayers to my own children, I knew about as much Latin as they did. It’s a rewarding bonding experience when the whole family learns together. Your kids also don’t have to be any particular age. My three oldest kids were four, two, and an infant when we first started, and I think their brains absorbed it better because they were so young. Even if they just listen, they are getting something out of what you’re doing.  

Signum Crucis and Gloria Patri  

The first thing we did with little kids was introduce the Sign of the Cross (Signum Crucis) in Latin. To this day, we open the blessing before meals with the Sign of the Cross in English and close it with the Signum Crucis. The Catechism Guy provides a great guide for both translating and pronouncing the words of this prayer, along with a graphic to help little kids remember how to make the Sign of the Cross.   

Once you know the Signum Crucis, it’s not too big of a leap to learn the Glory Be (Gloria Patri), as many of the Latin words are similar. Loyola Press provides the Latin text for this and other prayers on its website. 

Marian antiphons and the Liturgy of the Hours  

The next step for us after those basic prayers was to introduce the Marian Antiphons. These are traditionally sung following Night Prayer (Compline) from the Liturgy of the Hours. Each of the four antiphons corresponds to a season in the liturgical year. Alma Redemptoris Mater (O Loving Mother of our Redeemer) is sung from the first Sunday of Advent through February 2. From February 3 through Lent, the antiphon is Ave Regina Caelorum (Welcome, O Queen of Heaven). During the Easter season, until Pentecost, we sing Regina Caeli (Queen of Heaven), and the rest of the year, we sing Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen).  

For me, the easiest way to learn these was by listening to them on YouTube. A quick search of the name of any antiphon will bring up several recordings, and you can choose the one that best suits your vocal range. Once I had one memorized, I would sing it with my kids until they memorized it too. I was shocked by how quickly preschool and kindergarten kids learn to sing along, and they never forget! We occasionally hear these antiphons at Mass, and my kids are always ready to join right in.  

If you find you enjoy singing the Liturgy of the Hours, I also recommend the Sing the Hours podcast. The singers alternate between English and Latin as they pray each hour of the day, and since many prayers repeat daily, it’s a good way to get exposure to some common Latin phrases we hear a lot in the context of our faith.  

The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

Finally, now that I have tweens who have a strong foundation in these other Latin prayers, we have started chanting the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Right now, we only do Prime because it’s the shortest hour and easiest to learn, but we are planning to work our way through every hour.

The expert on the Little Office is Australian Catholic mother Veronica Brandt, whose website, Officium Parvum Beatae Mariae Virginis, has everything you could possibly need to learn about this beautiful office. Her booklets, videos and recordings (all available free on the site) are invaluable resources. We also have a pocket-sized leather-bound edition that we purchased from Baronius Press, which includes English translations alongside the Latin text.  

If you have been intimidated by learning Latin prayers in the past, let this be the year you conquer that fear. Learning even just one prayer in Latin can be so rewarding, and it’s also a fun way to connect with your kids and deepen your connection to the long, rich history of our Catholic faith. I pray that these resources will be a help and a blessing to you, and that they may enrich your family’s prayer life. Per Christum Dominum nostrum (through Christ our Lord), Amen.  

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Copyright 2025 Katie Fitzgerald
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