Three Hail Marys of conscience, before going to bed. St. Virgilius Council 185, Knights of Columbus, in Newtown, Connecticut, initiated a Three Hail Mary's Prayer Drive in support of those affected by the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The Council requested other Knights Councils and religious organizations to encourage the praying of one Hail Mary for the deceased and their families, one for first responders and teachers, and one for the community. It is a common practice for Catholics to offer three Hail Marys for any given problem or petition. Three Hail Marys Three Hail Marys is a traditional Roman Catholic devotional
Hail Mary Luke, the prayer takes different forms in various traditions. It has often been set to music. The prayer incorporates two greetings to Mary in Saint Luke's Gospel: "Hail, the Lord is with thee." and "Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." In mid-13th-century Western Europe the prayer consisted only of these words with the single addition of the name "Mary" after the word "Hail", as is evident from the commentary of Saint Thomas Aquinas on the prayer. The first of the two passages from Saint Luke's Gospel is the greeting of the Angel Gabriel