Quick Answer
The prayer said at the end of the Rosary is the Hail, Holy Queen, also called the Salve Regina. Most traditions then add a short versicle and response asking Mary to pray for us so we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ, followed by a closing prayer that asks God to grant what we have meditated on in the mysteries.
Many people also add the Memorare, a prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father, or a Glory Be in thanksgiving. The Hail, Holy Queen is the universally fixed part.
The Hail, Holy Queen in Full
This is the standard English text published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the version most people pray after the last decade.
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
The Versicle, Response and Closing Prayer
Straight after the Salve Regina, the leader says, "Pray for us, O holy Mother of God," and everyone answers, "That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ."
The closing prayer that follows is, "O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen."
Why the Hail, Holy Queen Closes the Rosary
The Salve Regina dates to the 11th century and was a common evening hymn long before it was attached to the Rosary. Once Dominican spirituality formalised the Rosary in the late medieval period, the Salve Regina became the natural sign off because it gathers up the whole prayer: a petition addressed directly to Mary, a confession of our condition as "poor banished children of Eve," and a request to be shown "the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus." The Rosary spends most of its decades on the life of Christ. The closing prayer turns and asks His mother to keep walking with us when we put the beads down.
Optional Additions Most People Pray
Outside the fixed closing, three additions show up almost every day in Catholic homes and parishes.
- Prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father. An Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be offered for whatever the current Pope is praying for that month, often required for a plenary indulgence.
- The Memorare. "Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided." A warm personal sign off.
- The Fatima Prayer. Some people insert "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell" after each decade rather than at the end. Either placement is valid.
The Full Closing in Order
- Hail, Holy Queen.
- Versicle and response: "Pray for us, O holy Mother of God." "That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ."
- Closing prayer: "O God, whose only begotten Son..." through to "...obtain what they promise, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen."
- Optional Memorare, prayer for the Pope's intentions, or a final Sign of the Cross.
Tips for Praying It Well
The closing is the moment most people rush. Slow down. Read the words once on the page if it helps, then say them from memory the second time. The Salve Regina is a love letter, not a checklist. If you are leading the Rosary in a group, give the response line a clear pause so everyone can join in instead of mumbling over you.
If you are praying alone, end with a slow Sign of the Cross. That small physical act bookends the whole prayer and is the quiet signal to step back into your day.
One Last Encouragement
If you have been praying the Rosary for years, the closing prayer is the part most often rushed. Slow it down for one week and notice the difference. If you are brand new, do not let the unfamiliar phrasing put you off. Read it from the back of any Catholic missal until it is yours by heart. Either way, the prayer at the end of the Rosary deserves the same care as the decades that came before it.
The Salve Regina is also a beautiful sung prayer. Many monastic communities sing it in Latin every night at the end of Compline. If you ever get the chance to sit through it sung, take it. It will quietly change how you pray the spoken version.
Bottom Line
The Rosary ends with the Hail, Holy Queen, a short versicle and response, and a closing prayer asking God to let the mysteries we meditated on bear fruit in our lives. Add the Memorare or a prayer for the Pope's intentions if you want, but the Salve Regina is the essential closing that every Catholic Rosary tradition agrees on.
