For a visit to the cemetery

What to say when you visit.

People stand at graves not knowing what to do. These are the prayers the Church gives — short, and enough. Visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead carries an indulgence, applicable to the holy souls, on any day of the year.

At the Grave

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

May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

A Longer Prayer

Lord, I am standing where they are buried,
and this ground holds someone I love.

Bless them and keep them.
Bless everyone else who lies here,
especially those nobody visits any more.

Give me the faith to believe that this is not the end of the story,
and the patience to wait for the rest of it.

And bless this ground until the resurrection. Amen.

The Indulgence

A partial indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted for devoutly visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead. From 1 to 8 November, and on All Souls’ Day, the indulgence is plenary under the usual conditions: confession, Communion, prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions and detachment from all sin.

About This Practice

Catholics bring flowers, tidy the stone, and pray. The tidying counts too. Care for the bodies of the dead is a corporal work of mercy, and it does not stop at the funeral.