Prayer Card Wording: What to Put on a Funeral Prayer Card

A funeral prayer card is small – roughly the size of a playing card – but it is often the most lasting piece of funeral stationery. People slip prayer cards into wallets, missals, Bibles, car visors and jewellery boxes, and keep them for decades. Many of us have a stack of them from grandparents, aunts and neighbours, and we remember the faces on them long after we have forgotten the service.

Because there is so little room, every word matters. This guide explains the traditional layout, gives the full text of prayers commonly printed on prayer cards, offers short verses and non-religious alternatives, and covers the practical side: size, paper, lamination and quantity.

What is a funeral prayer card?

A prayer card (also called a holy card, memorial card, or remembrance card) is a small card given to mourners, usually at the visitation, wake or church door. The tradition is especially strong among Catholics, where cards often carry an image of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary or a saint on the front, and a prayer for the deceased on the back. Many Protestant, Orthodox and non-religious families now use them too, often with a photo of the person instead of a religious image.

The difference between a prayer card and a memorial card is mostly content: a prayer card carries a prayer; a memorial card might carry a poem or quote. We compare them fully in funeral program vs memorial card vs prayer card.

The traditional layout

Front

• A religious image (Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Joseph, the Good Shepherd, a cross) or a photo of the person or a peaceful scene (a sunrise, a lily, the sea)

Back

• An opening line such as "In Loving Memory of" or "In Memory of"
• The person's full name
• Dates of birth and death
• A prayer, verse or poem
• Optionally, a closing line such as "Rest in Peace" or "Forever in our hearts"
• Optionally, the name of the funeral home or church, in very small type

Some families put the photo on the back with the name, and keep the religious image alone on the front. Others put the photo on the front and everything else on the back. Both are common.

Wording for the name and dates

• In Loving Memory of / Margaret Anne Collins / March 12, 1942 – November 3, 2026
• In Memory of / Joseph Patrick Byrne / 1954 – 2026
• Remembering / Rosa Elena Martinez / Born into this life: May 1, 1935 / Born into eternal life: November 5, 2026
• In Loving Memory / Robert "Bob" Hale / Sunrise: June 4, 1947 · Sunset: October 28, 2026

Traditional prayers for prayer cards

The prayers below are traditional and in the public domain. Adjust pronouns as needed.

Eternal Rest (the prayer for the dead)

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord,

and let perpetual light shine upon her.

May she rest in peace.

May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

This is the most traditional Catholic prayer card prayer. Use "him," "her" or "them" as appropriate.

The Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,

that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,

implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.

To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.

O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions,

but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Often chosen for someone with a strong devotion to Mary.

Prayer of St. Francis (Peace Prayer)

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

The full prayer is longer; this first half fits a card comfortably. Although traditionally associated with St. Francis of Assisi, it is first recorded in the early twentieth century.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;

thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Psalm 23 (shortened)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil: for thou art with me. – Psalm 23 (KJV)

Anima Christi (extract)

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.

Body of Christ, save me.

Blood of Christ, inebriate me.

Water from the side of Christ, wash me.

Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

O good Jesus, hear me.

Within thy wounds hide me.

An Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields

and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

A favourite for families of Irish heritage, and gentle enough for mixed audiences.

Short invocations

• "Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on her soul."
• "Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul."
• "Merciful Jesus, grant her eternal rest."
• "Jesus, I trust in You." (associated with the Divine Mercy image)
• "Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us." / "Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, ruega por nosotros."

Choosing a prayer that fits the person

With dozens of possible prayers, a useful way to choose is to think about how the person actually prayed – or what they would have wanted said over them.

• A daily-Rosary grandmother: the Hail Mary or the Memorare, perhaps with a small image of Our Lady on the front.
• A man of few words and steady faith: the Eternal Rest prayer, or simply Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
• Someone devoted to service: the Prayer of St. Francis, which describes a life given to others.
• A person who loved the outdoors or travel: the Irish Blessing, with its road, wind, sun and rain.
• Someone who suffered a long illness: a prayer or verse about rest, such as Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
• A young person: many families choose a short line rather than a long prayer – a verse, a single invocation, or the young person's own words.

If the person kept a well-worn prayer card of their own – tucked in a purse, a missal or a drawer – look at what it says. Printing the same prayer on their own card is a quiet and moving way to complete the circle.

Short Bible verses for prayer cards

• "I am the resurrection, and the life." – John 11:25
• "In my Father's house are many mansions." – John 14:2
• "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." – Matthew 5:4
• "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." – 2 Timothy 4:7
• "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." – Psalm 23:1
• "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." – Psalm 116:15

More are in Bible verses for funeral programs.

Popular poems used on prayer cards

Some of the most popular prayer-card poems are modern and under copyright, or of uncertain authorship. Families still use them, but it is worth knowing:

• "Safely Home" – a nineteenth-century poem ("I am home in Heaven, dear ones; Oh, so happy and so bright!"), generally treated as anonymous.
• "God Saw You Getting Tired" – widely used, authorship disputed.
• "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" – widely attributed to Mary Elizabeth Frye.
• "Footprints in the Sand" – authorship disputed.

If you are using a poem of uncertain authorship, "author unknown" is an honest credit. If you know a poem is under copyright, ask permission or choose a traditional prayer instead. See funeral poems for programs for more.

Non-religious memorial card wording

For a family without religious faith, a memorial card follows the same format with a poem, quote or personal message instead of a prayer:

• "Those we love don't go away; they walk beside us every day."
• "To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die." – Thomas Campbell
• "Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality." – Emily Dickinson
• "Home is the sailor, home from sea, and the hunter home from the hill." – Robert Louis Stevenson
• "Gone fishing." (for the right person)
• A favourite saying of the person, in quotation marks, with their name beneath

See our memorial cards page for designs.

Prayer cards in other languages

Many families print bilingual cards, with the prayer in the language the person prayed in and the name and dates in both. Spanish ("En Amorosa Memoria de"), Polish ("Wieczny odpoczynek racz mu dać, Panie"), Italian ("In Memoria di"), Tagalog, Vietnamese and Portuguese cards are all common. If you print a prayer in another language, ask a fluent family member to check spelling and accents – a missing accent is easy to overlook and hard to correct afterwards.

Choosing the front image

• Religious image: choose a saint or image that meant something to the person – their patron saint, Our Lady of a particular title, the Divine Mercy, the Sacred Heart. Some families choose the saint associated with the person's profession (St. Joseph for a carpenter, St. Luke for a doctor).
• Photo: a clear head-and-shoulders photo works best at this small size. Group photos and distant landscapes become hard to read.
• Scene or symbol: a lily, dove, sunrise, ocean, or a simple cross.

Make sure you have the right to use any image you choose. Many traditional religious paintings are in the public domain; modern illustrations may not be.

Size, paper and finish

• Size: the classic prayer card is about 2.5×4.25 inches (roughly 64×108 mm), similar to a playing card. Some families use larger 3.5×5 inch or 4×6 inch cards for more text or a larger photo.
• Paper: a heavy card stock, so it feels substantial and lasts.
• Finish: gloss or silk makes images vibrant; matte is easier to write on.
• Lamination: many families laminate prayer cards so they survive years in a wallet. Print shops can laminate and round the corners.
• Two-sided printing: prayer cards are printed on both sides; check the alignment on a proof.

How many to print

Prayer cards are often given more widely than programs – at the wake, the service, and afterwards by mail – and people take extras for family members. Many families print more prayer cards than programs. Keep a stack aside for people who ask later, and for the anniversary of the death.

Laying out the back of a prayer card

With so little room, layout matters:

1. Opening line (small): "In Loving Memory of"
2. Name (largest text on the card)
3. Dates (small)
4. A thin divider or a small cross
5. The prayer (at least 8 point – check by printing at actual size)
6. Optional closing line

If the prayer does not fit at a readable size, choose a shorter prayer or extract rather than shrinking the text.

Prayer cards, Mass cards and anniversary cards

Families are sometimes confused by the different cards that circulate after a Catholic death:

• A prayer card (or memorial holy card) is produced by the family and given to mourners as a keepsake.
• A Mass card is given *to* the family by friends. It indicates that a Mass will be offered for the person who died, arranged through a parish or religious community. Families often keep Mass cards together and mention them in their thank-you notes.
• An anniversary or "month's mind" card is sometimes printed for a memorial Mass one month or one year after the death, with the same image and a short line such as "First Anniversary Mass for Margaret Collins."

If you think you may want anniversary cards later, keep the design file. Reusing the same image and layout makes the set feel continuous.

Handing out prayer cards

Practical arrangements make a difference on the day:

• Place a basket or tray by the guest book at the visitation, and another at the church door, so people can take a card without asking.
• Ask an usher or family friend to offer cards as people leave, particularly to older guests who may not notice the tray.
• Keep an envelope of cards aside for the immediate family, before they are all taken.
• Mail cards with thank-you notes to people who could not attend; a prayer card tucked into a note is a thoughtful touch.
• Bring a few to the reception or repast, where people often ask for an extra copy for a relative.

Timing your order

Prayer cards are small, but if you want lamination or rounded corners, a print shop may need extra time. If the visitation is the evening before the funeral, aim to have cards ready for that, as it is often where they are most widely taken. If time is short, print the program first and the prayer cards second; cards can also be mailed afterwards to those who missed them.

Common mistakes

• Text too small. Print one at actual size before ordering in quantity.
• Pronouns not changed in prayers ("grant unto him" for a woman).
• Name or dates misspelled – the most common and most painful error.
• Low-resolution photo, which looks soft even at small sizes.
• Copyrighted images or poems used without permission.

Frequently asked questions

What is written on the back of a prayer card?

Usually "In Loving Memory of," the person's name and dates, and a prayer, verse or poem.

Are prayer cards only for Catholics?

No. They are traditional in Catholic families but are used by many Christians and, as memorial cards, by non-religious families.

When are prayer cards handed out?

Typically at the visitation or wake, at the funeral, and sometimes mailed afterwards with thank-you notes.

Should the photo or the religious image go on the front?

Either. Traditional Catholic cards put the holy image on the front and the name on the back; many families today put the person's photo on the front so the card is instantly recognisable in a wallet or a drawer years later.

Can I make prayer cards at home?

Yes, on card stock with careful cutting, but a print shop gives cleaner edges, lamination and rounded corners.

Make matching prayer cards

Our funeral prayer cards come in the same 14 designs as our programs, at the classic 2.5×4.25 inch size with crop marks for the print shop. They are included in the memorial bundle ($9.99) along with the print-ready program, a matching thank-you card, a social media announcement and the obituary PDF. Start in the maker and the prayer card fills itself in from the program details.