Words before "gratia plena, Dominus tecum" (3,5)

I believe the answer is:

ave maria

(Other definitions for ave maria that I've seen before include "Prayer to the Virgin Mary" , "Work of Schubert" , "Hail Mary (Lat.)" , "Hail Mary, in Latin" , "Hail Mary in prayer (3.5)" .)

I've seen this clue in The New York Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.