Catholic Funeral Prayer Cards: Prayers and Verses for Memorial Cards

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A Catholic funeral prayer card (memorial card or holy card) is a small card given at the wake and funeral, with a sacred image on the front and, on the back, the name and dates of the person who died and a short prayer asking for prayers for their soul. The cards are kept in missals and prayer books for years, so that the deceased will be remembered in prayer. Below are the traditional prayers and Scripture verses most used on Catholic funeral prayer cards, layouts for the back of the card, and tips for choosing an image.

What to print on a funeral prayer card

Front: a sacred image: the Sacred Heart, the Divine Mercy, Our Lady, the Good Shepherd, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, or the person’s patron saint.

Back, in order:

  1. “In Loving Memory of” or “Of your charity, pray for the soul of”
  2. Full name (and religious or professional title if any)
  3. Dates of birth and death (or “Born into eternal life on [date]”)
  4. A prayer or Scripture verse (see below)
  5. Optional: “Sweet Jesus, have mercy on the soul of [name],” or “Eternal rest grant unto him (her), O Lord.”
  6. Optional: the funeral home or parish name, in small print

The Eternal Rest prayer

The most common prayer on Catholic funeral cards:

Eternal rest grant unto him (her), O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him (her). May he (she) rest in peace. Amen. May his (her) soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

See the Eternal rest prayer.

Traditional prayers for funeral cards

For a man (Patrick F. Moran, 1883):

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 a father and mother:

O God, who hast commanded us to honour our father and mother, have mercy on the souls of my father and mother; and grant that I may see them in the glory of eternity, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Short invocations often printed on cards

  • “Sweet Jesus, have mercy on his (her) soul.”
  • “Merciful Jesus, grant him (her) eternal rest.”
  • “Mary, Mother of God, pray for him (her).”
  • “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.”
  • “Of your charity, pray for the repose of the soul of…”

Bible verses for funeral prayer cards

Jesus said (John 11:25–26, Douay-Rheims):

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?

Wisdom 3:1–3 (Douay-Rheims):

But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them.
In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure was taken for misery:
And their going away from us, for utter destruction: but they are in peace.

Jesus said (John 14:1–3, Douay-Rheims):

Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you: because I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I shall go, and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself; that where I am, you also may be.

Psalm 22:1–4 (Douay-Rheims; Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd,” in other Bibles):

A psalm for David. The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing.
He hath set me in a place of pasture. He hath brought me up, on the water of refreshment:
He hath converted my soul. He hath led me on the paths of justice, for his own name’s sake.
For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.

Apocalypse 21:4 (Douay-Rheims):

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away.

Ecclesiastes 3:1–2 (Douay-Rheims):

All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.

Choosing an image

  • Divine Mercy or the Sacred Heart for trust in God’s mercy.
  • The Good Shepherd carrying the lost sheep home.
  • Our Lady of Sorrows or the Pietà for a mother or a young person.
  • St. Joseph, patron of a happy death, for a father or grandfather.
  • The person’s patron saint or a favorite devotion of theirs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the purpose of a Catholic funeral prayer card?

To ask everyone who receives it to pray for the soul of the person who died, and to keep their memory alive.

Can a funeral prayer card include a poem?

Yes, but the Catholic tradition is to include a prayer for the soul of the deceased. Many families print a prayer on the back and a short verse or poem inside a folded card.

Can I put a photo on the card?

Yes. Many modern cards have the person’s photo on the back, with the sacred image on the front.

More funeral pages

Texts and sources

  • Patrick F. Moran, The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations (1883), Prayers for the Dead, public domain (Wikisource).
  • John 11:25–26; Wisdom 3:1–3; John 14:1–3; Psalm 22:1–4; Apocalypse 21:4; Ecclesiastes 3:1–2 (Douay-Rheims).
  • Eternal Rest prayer: traditional Catholic prayer.