Prayers for the Souls in Purgatory

10 traditional prayers for the souls in purgatory, and 1 passage from the Bible to pray with them. Choose one, read it aloud, or print it as a card to keep.

Prayers

Eternal Rest

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

Latin

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.

Latin from Medulla pietatis Christianae (1868)

From the Mass: The Holy Sacrifice (1915)

Also on Eternal Rest Prayer

Remember Thy Servant, O Lord

Remember thy servant, O Lord, according to the favour which thou bearest unto thy people, and grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, he may go from strength to strength, in the life of perfect service, in thy heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

From the Book of Common Prayer (1928)

Also on Funeral Prayers

For All the Faithful Departed

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of thy servants departed the remission of all their sins, that through pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

From the Raccolta (1910)

Also on Eternal Rest Prayer

For the Holy Souls on 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 for ever. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De profundis (Psalm 130).

From the Raccolta (1910)

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For the Holy Souls on 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 for ever. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De profundis (Psalm 130).

From the Raccolta (1910)

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For the Holy Souls on 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 for ever. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De profundis (Psalm 130).

From the Raccolta (1910)

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For the Holy Souls on 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 for ever. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De profundis (Psalm 130).

From the Raccolta (1910)

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For the Holy Souls on 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.

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De profundis (Psalm 130).

From the Raccolta (1910)

Also on Thursday Prayers

For the Holy Souls on 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 for ever. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De profundis (Psalm 130).

From the Raccolta (1910)

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For the Holy Souls on 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.

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De profundis (Psalm 130).

From the Raccolta (1910)

Also on Saturday Prayers

Bible verses

Out of the Depths (Psalm 130)

1Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. 2Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 5I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 6My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. 7Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Psalm 130, King James Version

Also on Funeral Prayers

Questions

Which prayer for the souls in purgatory should I start with?

Start with "Eternal Rest" and pray it each day, with Out of the Depths (Psalm 130) (Psalm 130) to read alongside it.

Are these Catholic or Protestant prayers?

Both. They come from Catholic prayer books, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer and the Bible. Most can be prayed by any Christian.

Can I change the words to fit my situation?

Yes. Where a prayer says "N." or "thy servant", put in the name of the person you are praying for.

Why are the prayers in old-fashioned English?

They keep the words of the older prayer books and the King James Bible, the words generations have prayed. "Thee" and "thou" are the old familiar forms of "you".