Rosary for the Dead: How to Pray It for a Loved One or Wake

Praying the Rosary for the dead is one of the oldest and most loved ways Catholics help their departed. Families pray it at the wake or vigil before the funeral, at the grave, on anniversaries and through November, the month of the holy souls. The Rosary for the dead is the ordinary Rosary, offered for the deceased, with the Eternal Rest prayer added after each decade and the Church’s prayers for the dead at the end. Below is exactly how to pray it, which mysteries to choose, and how to lead it at a wake.

How to pray the Rosary for the dead, step by step

Make the intention. Hold the crucifix, make the Sign of the Cross and say: “We offer this Rosary for the soul of (name), and for all the faithful departed.”
Pray the opening prayers on the crucifix and first beads: the Apostles’ Creed, an Our Father, three Hail Marys and a Glory Be.
Pray five decades. For each decade, announce the mystery, then pray an Our Father, ten Hail Marys and a Glory Be.
After each decade, pray the Eternal Rest prayer (in place of the Fatima prayer, or after it):

Eternal rest grant unto him (her), O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him (her).
May he (she) rest in peace. Amen.

End with the Hail, Holy Queen and the closing prayer for the dead below.

All the Rosary prayers in full are on our Rosary prayers page.

Which mysteries to pray for the dead

The Glorious Mysteries (the Resurrection, Ascension, Pentecost, Assumption and Coronation of Mary) are especially fitting: they proclaim the hope of eternal life and the resurrection of the body. Many families choose them for a wake.
The Sorrowful Mysteries unite the death of our loved one with Christ’s Passion and death.
Or pray the mysteries of the day. See which Rosary mysteries to pray today.

Some families add a short intention before each decade, for example: “First Glorious Mystery, the Resurrection: that (name) may share in Christ’s resurrection.”

Closing prayers for the dead

After the Hail, Holy Queen, pray one of the Church’s prayers for the dead, from Archbishop Moran’s Catholic Prayer Book (1883). For a man:

Hear, we beseech thee, O Lord, our prayers, which we humbly address to thy mercy, that the soul of thy servant N., which thou hast called out of this world, may be received into the region of light and peace, and be numbered amongst the blessed: through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

For a woman:

We beseech thee, O Lord, according to thy great goodness, to show mercy to the soul of thy servant N., that, being now delivered from the corruptions of this mortal life, she may be received into the inheritance of eternal bliss: through Christ our Lord. Amen.

For all the faithful departed:

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, give to the souls of thy servants departed the remission of all their sins; that, through pious supplications, they may obtain the pardon which they have always desired: who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Many also pray Psalm 129 (130), the De profundis:

Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord:
Lord, hear my voice. Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall stand it.
For with thee there is merciful forgiveness: and by reason of thy law, I have waited for thee, O Lord. My soul hath relied on his word:
My soul hath hoped in the Lord.
From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord.
Because with the Lord there is mercy: and with him plentiful redemption.
And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Leading the Rosary at a wake

At a wake or vigil, the Rosary is usually led by a priest, deacon, family member or friend:

Before you begin, thank everyone for coming and say a few words: “We gather to pray for (name), entrusting him (her) to the mercy of God through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
Announce each mystery and, if you like, a short intention. The leader says the first half of each prayer, everyone answers with the second half.
Invite different people (children, grandchildren, friends) to lead a decade each.
After each decade, pray the Eternal Rest together.
At the end, pray the closing prayer, and invite everyone to pray one more Hail Mary for the family.

The whole Rosary takes about 20 minutes. If time is short, pray a single decade. The Church’s own Vigil for the Deceased (the Liturgy of the Word at the wake) can be followed by the Rosary. See Catholic funeral prayers.

Why Catholics pray the Rosary for the dead

Prayer for the dead is a holy and ancient practice (CCC 1032), and the Rosary lets everyone, from small children to grandparents, pray together. In it we ask Mary, who stood at the foot of the Cross, to pray for our loved one “now and at the hour of our death,” and we meditate on the death and resurrection of Christ, the source of all our hope.

It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.

Frequently asked questions

Do you say the Fatima prayer when praying the Rosary for the dead?

You may. Many families replace it with the Eternal Rest prayer for the dead; others say both, the Fatima prayer first.

What mysteries are prayed at a funeral Rosary?

Usually the Glorious Mysteries, or the Sorrowful Mysteries. Some follow the mysteries of the day.

Can a layperson lead the Rosary at a wake?

Yes. Any family member or friend can lead it.

How long do Catholics pray the Rosary after a death?

Many pray it every night for nine nights after the death or the funeral, as a novena for the dead.

More prayers for the dead

Texts and sources

Prayers for a deceased man, woman and all the faithful departed: Patrick F. Moran, The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations (1883), Prayers for the Dead, public domain (Wikisource).
Scripture: Psalm 129 (130 in modern Bibles); 2 Machabees (Maccabees) 12:46, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1032; Order of Christian Funerals, Vigil for the Deceased.