Angelus

Angelus, a Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. It consists of three recitations of the Hail Mary with versicles and a collect. It is recited three times daily, about 6:00 am, noon, and 6:00 pm. After the final recitation, the Angelus bell is rung. In a simpler form the devotion can be traced back (as a night observance) to the 13th century, but it did not become widely used until the 17th.