Choosing the words for a memorial card is one of those small, hard jobs that falls to you at the worst possible time. We’ve gathered these verses, prayers and blessings to make it a little easier — so you have somewhere plain and gentle to start.
There is no wrong choice here. A few words chosen with love are worth more than a long verse that doesn’t quite sound like the person. Take what feels right, change a word if you need to, and leave the rest.
How to choose — a short guide
Most memorial cards follow a simple shape. You don’t have to use all of it.
- An opening line or heading — something like In loving memory of or Always in our hearts, usually above the name.
- The name, with dates — the full name, or the name they were known by. Birth and passing dates, or just the year.
- A verse, prayer or blessing — the part these pages will help with.
- A closing line — Sadly missed by and the family, or simply Rest in peace.
A few gentle pointers as you decide:
- Match the length to the card. A short verse sits better beside a photo. A longer verse needs room to breathe.
- Read it aloud. If it sounds like something you’d actually say about them, it’s right.
- Faith is your choice. Use a prayer, a blessing, a plain verse, or a mix. All of it belongs on a memorial card.
- You can blend the languages. An Irish blessing beneath an English verse is a lovely, common choice.
Opening lines and headings
Short phrases for the top of the card, usually above the name.
- In loving memory of
- In memoriam
- Treasured memories of
- Forever in our hearts
- Always in our thoughts
- Cherished memories of
- In loving remembrance of
- Precious memories of
- Remembering [name]
- Sadly missed by
Short verses
A few lines — ideal for a small card or beside a photograph.
Held in our hearts, kept in our prayers,
loved every day, missed everywhere.
A gentle soul, a steady hand,
now resting in a quiet land.
Not gone, not far — just out of sight,
loved in the day and missed at night.
We carry you with us in all that we do,
and everything good reminds us of you.
Rest now, and be at peace;
your work was love, and love does not cease.
Treasured always, forgotten never —
loved today, and loved forever.
Gone from our table, our door, our day,
but never, for one moment, away.
Your kindness stays when you have gone;
it lives in us, and carries on.
Quietly remembered, gently missed,
a life well lived, a love well kept.
Until we meet, we’ll hold you near
in every memory we keep here.
Longer verses
When there’s room to say a little more.
We did not get to say goodbye,
there was no time, no parting word.
But love like yours does not depend
on goodbyes — it simply stays,
steady as it ever was,
in every heart you made your home.
Think of me, but let me rest;
of all my days, your love was best.
And when the evening shadows fall,
know that I am not gone at all —
only quiet, only near,
in all the things you hold most dear.
Do not weep too long for me;
I had my share of sky and sea,
of good days and of ordinary ones,
of love enough to last.
Be glad of that.
And keep me where the warmth is.
The house is quieter now, it’s true,
the chair, the coat, the cup — all you.
But grief is only love, gone looking
for the one it cannot find;
so let it look, and let it soften,
and let the loving stay behind.
A well-known and freely usable passage, from a sermon by Henry Scott Holland (1847–1918):
Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I, and you are you; whatever we were to each other, that we still are.
Catholic prayers and blessings
The traditional prayers, suitable for a Catholic funeral or memorial card.
Eternal Rest
Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him/her.
May he/she rest in peace. Amen.
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 thy 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.
A short invocation
May the angels lead you into paradise.
Safe in the arms of God.
If you’d like a prayer to Our Lady of Knock, your parish or the Knock Shrine can give you the full approved wording.
Irish blessings
The best known of the old blessings — traditional, and often used on its own or beneath an English verse.
May the road rise up to meet you,
may the wind be always at your back,
may the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rain fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
May you rest in the soft arms of those who went before you.
As Gaeilge — verses and blessings in Irish
The traditional Irish phrases said at a death and a remembrance. A line of Irish on a memorial card is a quiet, meaningful touch.
A note on his and her: Irish changes the word for soul depending on whether you’re speaking of a man or a woman. For a man it’s a anam; for a woman it’s a hanam. The forms below are shown for a man — your printer can give you the her version. The pronunciations are an approximate guide only.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
May his faithful soul be at God’s right hand.
(er yesh Day guh rev uh AH-num DEE-lish)
Suaimhneas síoraí dá anam.
Eternal peace to his soul.
(SOO-iv-nyas SHEE-ree daw AH-num)
Go dtuga Dia suaimhneas dá anam.
May God grant peace to his soul.
Beannacht Dé lena anam.
God’s blessing on his soul.
(BAN-akht Day LEH-nuh AH-num)
Codladh sámh, a chroí.
Sleep peacefully, dear heart.
(KUL-uh sawv, uh khree)
The road blessing also begins, in Irish:
Go n-éirí an bóthar leat…
May the road rise to meet you…
If the exact form matters to you — and it often does — it’s worth confirming the wording and the his/her ending with a native speaker or your printer before the card goes to press.
Verses by relationship
A few plainer lines, written with one person in mind.
For a mother
Gentle in her ways, steady in her love —
a mother missed beyond all words.
For a father
A steady man, a gentle guide,
forever missed, forever our pride.
For a husband
My companion and my friend,
loved from the first day to the end.
For a wife
She made a house a home,
and a life worth coming home to.
Loved, and loved still.
For a child
Small in years but vast in love,
you filled our days and fill them still.
Sleep softly, little one.
For a grandparent
A warm lap, a kind word, a hand to hold —
a grandparent’s love never grows cold.
For a friend
Not bound by blood but close as kin,
a friend like that comes once, and stays within.
Non-religious and humanist verses
Gentle words without prayer, for a humanist or non-religious card.
Look for me in the ordinary things:
the morning light, the well-worn chair,
the song half-sung.
I’m there.
Nothing loved is ever lost;
it changes shape and stays.
Carry me lightly.
Laugh when you remember.
That is all I’d ask.
No need for grand farewells —
just keep me where the good days are,
in stories told and kettles on,
in every place we loved.
The body rests, the love goes on
in those who knew and carry me along.
Personalising the card
These verses are a starting point, not a script. Swap a word, join two together, add the name — whatever makes it sound like the person you’re remembering. If you’d like help settling on the wording, or you’re not sure how a verse will sit on the card, we’re glad to talk it through before anything is printed.