What to Write on a Prayer Card

Finding the Right Words

Choosing the words for a prayer card or memorial card is one of those tasks that can feel impossibly heavy during grief. You want to get it right. You want the words to capture something true about the person you lost. And you are making this decision while carrying so much else.

Here is the reassurance you may need: there is no wrong choice. Whether you call it a prayer card, a remembrance card, or a memorial card, it is a gift to the people who receive it, and any words chosen with love will be meaningful.

Traditional Prayers by Faith

Catholic

Catholic memorial cards and prayer cards have the longest tradition. The most common prayers:

• The Eternal Rest Prayer (Requiem Aeternam). "Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."
• The Prayer of St. Francis. "Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love..."
• The Hail Mary. For families with deep Marian devotion.
• Psalm 23. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."

Orthodox

Greek Orthodox prayer cards draw from centuries of liturgical tradition:

• The Trisagion. "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us."
• The Kontakion of the Departed. "Give rest, O Christ, to Your servant with the Saints..."
• "Memory Eternal" (Aionia i mnimi).

Protestant

• The Lord's Prayer.
• Psalm 23.
• John 14:1-3. "Do not let your hearts be troubled..."
• Romans 8:38-39. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life..."

Jewish

• El Malei Rachamim. "God, full of compassion..."
• A portion of the Mourner's Kaddish.
• Proverbs 31:10-31 (Eshet Chayil). For mothers and grandmothers.

Non-Denominational and Interfaith

• Psalm 23.
• The Serenity Prayer.

Secular Poems and Readings

Not every family follows a religious tradition, and that is perfectly fine. These poems and readings carry deep comfort without requiring a specific faith:

• "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" by Mary Elizabeth Frye.
• "Death Is Nothing at All" by Henry Scott-Holland.
• "Remember" by Christina Rossetti.
• "You Can Shed Tears" by David Harkins.

Personal Words

Sometimes the most meaningful words on a prayer card are not from a prayer book at all. They come from the person themselves, or from the family who knew them best:

• A favorite saying. Something they repeated so often it became part of who they were.
• Their own words. A line from a letter, email, or text message in their voice.
• A family phrase. An inside joke, a bedtime ritual, a greeting that belonged only to your family.
• A brief tribute. Two to three sentences that capture who they were at their core.

What Else to Include on a Memorial Card

Beyond the prayer or poem, most memorial card templates include:

• Full name (including maiden name or nickname)
• Dates of birth and death
• A photo
• Service details (date, time, location)

For digital prayer cards, you can link to a full memorial page with additional photos, a guestbook, and extended text that would not fit on a printed card.

Length Guidelines

Printed cards: Four to six lines of text. Physical cards are small, so choose a short prayer, a single verse, or a two-sentence tribute.

Digital cards: Keep the card itself concise, but you can link to an expanded page with the full prayer, a longer poem, or a personal essay about the person's life.

Frequently Asked Questions