Prayer for a Deceased Brother or Sister: Catholic Prayers

When a brother or sister dies, you lose someone who shared your childhood, your family and your memories. The Gospel tells of two sisters, Martha and Mary, who lost their brother Lazarus, and of Jesus, who wept at his tomb and then raised him to life. The Catholic faith invites you to pray for your brother’s or sister’s soul and to bring your grief to that same Jesus. Below are prayers for a deceased brother or sister, the Church’s traditional prayer for relatives, prayers for the funeral and the anniversary, and Scripture of comfort.

A short prayer for my brother or sister, written for this page:

Lord Jesus, you wept for your friend Lazarus.
Have mercy on my brother (sister), (name). Forgive his (her) sins, and bring him (her) into the light of your face.
Comfort our family, and keep us together in your love. Eternal rest grant unto him (her), O Lord. Amen.

A traditional prayer for a deceased brother or sister

The Church’s prayer “for brethren, relations and benefactors,” from a Catholic prayer book of 1883:

O God, the giver of pardon, and lover of the salvation of mankind, we beseech thy clemency in behalf of our brethren, relations, and benefactors, who have departed this life; that the blessed Mary ever Virgin and all thy saints interceding for them, they may come to the fellowship of eternal happiness: through Christ our Lord. Amen.

For a brother, you can also pray the Church’s prayer for a man who has died:

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.

Martha, Mary and their brother Lazarus

John 11:21–27 (Douay-Rheims):

Martha therefore said to Jesus: Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
But now also I know that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
Jesus saith to her: Thy brother shall rise again.
Martha saith to him: I know that he shall rise again, in the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live:
And every one that liveth, and believeth in me, shall not die for ever. Believest thou this?
She saith to him: Yea, Lord, I have believed that thou art Christ the Son of the living God, who art come into this world.

When Jesus came to the tomb (John 11:35, Douay-Rheims):

And Jesus wept.

Prayer for the funeral

Written for this page.

Lord, we say goodbye to our brother (sister), (name).
Thank you for the life we shared, the laughter and even the quarrels.
Receive him (her) into your peace, and give our parents and our family your comfort. Amen.

Prayer on the anniversary

Lord, today I remember my brother (sister), who died on this day.
I offer you my prayers and this Mass for him (her).
Bring him (her) into your joy, and help me to carry his (her) memory with love. Amen.

A brother’s grief in Scripture

King David’s lament for his friend Jonathan, whom he called his brother (2 Kings 1:26, Douay-Rheims):

I grieve for thee, my brother Jonathan: exceeding beautiful, and amiable to me above the love of women. As the mother loveth her only son, so did I love thee.

Prayer for comfort

Lord, part of my story is gone with my brother (sister).
Heal what remains unsaid or unresolved between us,
and give me the hope of seeing him (her) again in your kingdom. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good prayer for a deceased brother?

The Church’s traditional prayer for relatives and for a man who has died, above, followed by “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.” Having a Mass offered for him is the greatest prayer.

How can I help my parents after my sibling’s death?

Pray with them and for them, stay close, and remember the anniversary together. See the prayers for parents in grief.

Can I pray for my sister if she had left the Church?

Yes. We entrust everyone who has died to the mercy of God, who alone knows the heart.

More prayers

Texts and sources

Patrick F. Moran, The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations (1883), Prayers for the Dead, public domain (Wikisource).
John 11:21–27 and 11:35; 2 Kings 1:26 (Douay-Rheims).