The origin of the word is Greek, and means an entreaty or supplication. The Litany of the Saints is so called because by it we beg the intercession of those in heaven, addressing them sometimes collectively, according to their different classes of Apostles, Martyrs, confessors, etc., and sometimes individually. The Litany of the Saints is of ancient origin and was used in the East in the time of St. Basil the Great who died in 397 AD. The Litany of the Blessed Virgin has been recited from the earliest ages, both in public and in private. It is believed to have originated with the twelve Apostles.
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