Catholic prayer for the dead

Anastasija Vujic | Shutterstock

Philip Kosloski - published on 05/19/22

The most common Catholic prayer for the dead is to pray, "Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord."

When someone dies, a Catholic will offer a short prayer for the dead. This prayer has been used for centuries and can be found in cemeteries around the world, abbreviated by the letters R.I.P (the initials of the phrase requiescat in pace, Latin for “rest in peace”).

Here are the words of this brief Catholic prayer for the dead.

V. Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O LORD
R. And let perpetual light shine upon him/her.
V. May he/she rest in peace.
R. Amen.

Enjoying your time on Aleteia?

Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you.

Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting Catholic news, stories, spirituality, and more.

Donate now!