Prayers for the Faithful Departed

It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead,
that they may be loosed from sins."--2 Machabees 12:46


The Holy Souls are those who have died in the state of grace but who are not yet free from all punishment due to their unforgiven venial sins and all other sins already forgiven for which satisfaction is still to be made. They are certain of entering Heaven, but first they must suffer in Purgatory. The Holy Souls cannot help themselves because for them the night has come, when no man can work (John 9:4). It is our great privilege that we can shorten their time of separation from God by our prayers, good works, and, especially, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The doctrine of Purgatory gives to Catholics comfort and joy. They feel the black gulf of death is bridged across, and they are still knit together to those near and dear to them in the bonds of love and sympathy. The sting of death and the sharpness of its sorrow is mitigated by the thought that they are still bound to these departed by the golden chain of prayer.

The Council of Trent told us "That there is a Purgatory and that the souls there detained are assisted by the most acceptable sacrifice of the altar."




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Invocation for the Holy Souls


Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

(Indulgence of 300 days, applicable only to the holy souls. (582)



For the Holy Souls in Purgatory


My Jesus, by the sorrows Thou didst suffer in Thine agony in the Garden, in Thy scourging and crowning with thorns, in the way to Calvary, in Thy crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls in purgatory, and especially on those that are most forsaken; do Thou deliver them from the dire torments they endure; call them and admit them to Thy most sweet embrace in paradise.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Eternal rest, etc. (Indulgence of 500 days. (596))




A Prayer for Deceased Parents


O God, Who hast commanded us to honor our father and our mother, in Thy mercy have pity on the souls of my father and mother, and forgive them their trespasses, and make me to see them again in the joy of everlasting brightness. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen


(The Roman Missal)



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A Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory


O most gentle Heart of Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever consumed with burning love for the poor captive souls in Purgatory, have mercy on the souls of Thy departed servants. Be not severe in Thy judgments, but let some drops of Thy Precious Blood fall upon the devouring flames. And do Thou, O Merciful Saviour, send Thy holy angels to conduct them to a place of refreshment, light and peace. Amen





Another Prayer for the Poor Souls


O Lord, Who art ever merciful and bounteous with Thy gifts, look down upon the suffering souls in purgatory. Remember not their offenses and negligences, but be mindful of Thy loving mercy, which is from all eternity. Cleanse them of their sins and fulfill their ardent desires that they may be made worthy to behold Thee face to face in Thy glory. May they soon be united with Thee and hear those blessed words which will call them to their heavenly home: "Come, blessed of My Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Amen

(The faithful who recite prayers or perform other devout exercises in supplication for the faithful departed during the month of November, may gain: an indulgence of 3 years once on each day of the month: a plenary indulgence on the usual conditions, if they perform these devotions daily for the entire month.)




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The De Profundis.

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall abide it. For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and because of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul hath waited on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

( Indulgence of 100 Days)



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Prayers For the Poor Souls
Each Day of the Week



FOR SUNDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the garden, deliver the souls in purgatory, and especially that soul amongst them all which is most destitute of spiritual aid; and vouchsafe to bring it to Thy glory, there to praise and bless Thee forever. Amen.

Pater, Ave, De Profundis.



FOR MONDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine Son Jesus shed in His cruel scourging, deliver the souls in purgatory, and that soul especially amongst them all which is nearest to its entrance into Thy glory; that so it may forthwith begin to praise and bless Thee forever. Amen.


Pater, Ave, De Profundis.



FOR TUESDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine Son Jesus shed in His bitter crowning with thorns, deliver the souls in purgatory, and in particular that one amongst them all which would be the last to depart out of those pains, that it may not tarry so long a time before it come to praise Thee in thy glory and bless Thee forever. Amen.


Pater, Ave, De Profundis.



FOR WEDNESDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the precious Blood which thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the streets of Jerusalem, when He carried the Cross upon His sacred shoulders, deliver the souls in purgatory, and especially that soul which is richest in merits before Thee; that so, in that throne of glory which awaits it, it may magnify Thee and bless Thee forever. Amen.


Pater, Ave, De Profundis.



FOR THURSDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Body and Blood of thy Divine Son Jesus, which He gave with His own hands upon the eve of his Passion to His beloved Apostles to be their meat and drink, and which He left to His whole Church to be a perpetual sacrifice and the life-giving food of His own faithful people, deliver the souls in purgatory, and especially that one which was most devoted to this mystery of infinite love, that it may with the same Thy Divine Son and with thy Holy Spirit, ever praise Thee for Thy love therein in eternal glory. Amen.


Pater, Ave, De Profundis.



FOR FRIDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine Son shed on this day upon the wood of the Cross, especially from His most sacred hands and feet, deliver the souls in purgatory, and in particular that soul for which I am most bound to pray; that no neglect of mine may hinder it from praising Thee in Thy glory and blessing Thee forever. Amen.


Pater, Ave, De Profundis.



FOR SATURDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I beseech Thee, by the Precious Blood which gushed forth from the side of thy Divine Son Jesus, in the sight of, and to the extreme pain of His most holy Mother, deliver the souls in purgatory, and especially that one amongst them all which was the most devout to her; that it may soon attain unto Thy glory, there to praise Thee in her, and her in Thee, world without end. Amen.


Pater, Ave, De Profundis.



(Indulgence of 100 Days, once a day. Leo XII, November 18, 1826.)



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Indulgenced Prayer for the Pour Souls

My Jesus, by that copious sweat of blood with which Thou didst bedew the ground in the garden, have mercy on the souls of my nearest relations who are suffering in purgatory.

Pater, Ave, Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen



My Jesus, by that cruel scourging which Thou didst suffer, bound to the column, have pity on the souls of my other relations and friends who are suffering in purgatory.

Pater, Ave, Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen



My Jesus, by that crown of sharpest thorns which pierced thy sacred temples, have mercy on that soul which is most neglected and least prayed for, and on that soul which is furthest from being released from the pains of purgatory.

Pater, Ave, Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen



My Jesus, by those sorrowful steps which Thou didst take with the Cross on thy shoulders, have mercy on that soul which is nearest to its departure from purgatory; and by the pains which Thou didst suffer together with thy most holy Mother Mary, when Thou didst meet her on the road to Calvary, deliver from the pains of purgatory those souls who were devout to this beloved Mother.

Pater, Ave, Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen



My Jesus, by thy most holy body stretched on the Cross, by thy most holy hands and feet pierced with hard nails, by thy most cruel death, and by thy most holy side laid open with a lance, have pity and mercy on those poor souls; free them from the awful pains they suffer, call and admit them to thy most sweet embrace in Paradise.

Pater, Ave, Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen


(Indulgence of 100 Days, once a day. Leo XIII, December 14, 1889.)




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Prayer to the Holy Souls in Purgatory

O Holy Souls, tormented in most cruel pains, as one truly devoted to you, I promise never to forget you, and continually to pray to the Most High for your release. I beseech you to respond to this offering which I make to you, and obtain for me from God, with whom you are so powerful on behalf of the living, that I may be freed from all dangers of soul and body ; I beg both for myself and for my relations and benefactors, friends and enemies, pardon for our sins, and the grace of perseverance in good, whereby we may save our souls.

Set us free from all misfortunes, miseries, sicknesses, trials and labors. Obtain for us peace of heart; assist us in all our actions; succor us promptly in all our spiritual and temporal needs; console and defend us in our dangers. Pray for the supreme Pontiff, for the exaltation of holy Church, for peace between nations, for Christian princes, and for tranquillity among peoples ; and obtain that we may one day all rejoice together in Paradise. Amen.




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Litany of the Faithful Departed


Lord have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of heaven,
have mercy on the souls of the faithful departed.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy on the souls of the faithful departed.

God the Holy Ghost,
have mercy on the souls of the faithful departed.

Holy Trinity, one God,
have mercy on the souls of the faithful departed.


Holy Mary,
pray for the souls of the faithful departed.*


Holy Mother of God,*
Holy Virgin of virgins,*
St. Michael,*
All ye angels and archangels,*
All ye orders of blessed spirits,*
St. John the Baptist,*
St. Joseph,*
All ye holy patriarchs and prophets,*
St. Peter,*
St. Paul,*
St. John,*
All ye holy apostles and evangelists,*
St. Stephen,*
St. Lawrence,*
All ye holy martyrs,*
St. Gregory,*
St. Ambrose,*
St. Augustine,*
St. Jerome,*
All ye holy bishops and confessors,*
All ye holy doctors,*
All ye holy priests and levites,*
All ye holy monks and hermits,*
St. Mary Magdalene,*
St. Catherine,*
St. Barbara,*
All ye holy virgins and widows,*
All ye saints of God,*


Be merciful, spare them O Lord.
Be merciful, graciously hear us O Lord.


From all evil,
O Lord, deliver them.**


From Thy wrath,**
From the rigor of Thy justice,**
From the power of the devil,**
From the gnawing worm of conscience,**
From long-enduring sorrow,**
From cruel flames,**
From intolerable cold,**
From horrible darkness,**
From dreadful weeping and wailing,**
Through Thy admirable conception,**
Through Thy Holy Nativity,**
Through Thy most sweet name,**
Through Thy baptism and holy fasting,**
Through Thy most profound humiliation,**
Through Thy prompt obedience,**
Through Thine infinite love,**
Through Thy sorrow and anguish,**
Through Thy bloody sweat,**
Through Thy bonds,**
Through Thy scourging,**
Through Thy crowning with thorns,**
Through Thy carrying of the cross,**
Through Thy most cruel death,**
Through Thy five holy wounds,**
Through Thy most bitter cross and passion,**
Through Thy holy Resurrection,**
Through Thine admirable Ascension,**
Through the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete,**
In the day of judgement,**


We sinners,
we beseech Thee, hear us.***


Thou Who forgavest Magdalen and didst hearken to the prayer of the thief,***

Thou Who savest freely Thine elect,***

Thou Who hast the keys of death and hell,***

That Thou wouldst be pleased to deliver the souls of our parents, relations, friends, and benefactors from the pains of hell,***

That Thou wouldst be pleased to have mercy on those whom no special remembrance is made on earth,***

That Thou wouldst be pleased to grant them all the pardon and remission of their sins,***

That Thou wouldst be pleased to fulfill all their desires,***

That Thou wouldst be pleased to recieve them into the company of the blessed,***

King of awful Majesty,***

Son of God,***


Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Grant unto them rest.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Grant unto them rest.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Grant unto them rest everlasting.


Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
From the gates of hell,
Deliver their souls, O Lord.
O Lord hear my prayer.
And let my cry come unto thee.


Let us pray:

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all faithful, grant unto the souls of Thy servants departed the remission of all their sins; that, by pious supplication, they may obtain that pardon which they have always desired. Grant this, O God, Who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.

O eternal God, Who besides the general precept of charity, hast commanded a particular respect to parents, kindred, and benefactors, grant, we beseech Thee, that, as they were the instruments by which Thy Providence bestowed on us our birth, education, and innumerable other blessings, so our prayers may be the means to obtain for them a speedy release from their excessive sufferings, and free admittance to Thine infinite joys. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.





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