Need a little help with a prayer to conclude a memorial service

[rmstexas]

I posted this to Ask an Apologist, but time is of the essence so here it goes…

I will try and make this brief.

My Grandmother died on January 1 at the age of 94. Her last years were spent in a very bad state of dementia. She was Baptized Catholic and Confirmed Catholic. When she married my Grandfather (he died in 1998), they attended Methodist services.

We arranged for her to receive the Sacrament of Anointing Of The Sick 2 days before she died.

Her side of the family is still practicing Roman Catholic, but many will not be attending due to their age and distance. The other side is mixed with Protestants and a few agnostics. So it is going to be a mixed bunch of family.

There is a memorial service at a funeral home tomorrow and I was asked to give the benediction. They decided on a funeral home because the siblings planning the service wanted “neutral” territory.

I wanted some help choosing a Catholic specific prayer to conclude the memorial service. My Grandmother was a very compassionate person and an ER nurse by trade, so perhaps I can work something in for the Patron Saint of nursing.

Thanks for any suggestions/help.

 

[Castello]

The Our Father is always a fitting prayer.

Please, have a funeral Mass said for your grandmother.

 

[triumphguy]

Catholic Prayer for a Woman

We beseech Thee, O Lord,
in Thy mercy,
to have pity on the soul of Thy handmaid;
do Thou, Who hast freed her
from the perils of this mortal life,
restore to her the portion of everlasting salvation.
Through Christ our Lord,

Amen.

or

Prayer for funerals

God our Father,
we thank you that you have made each of us
in your own image,
and given us gifts and talents with which to serve you.
We thank you for [Name] ,
the years we shared with her,
the good we saw in her,
the love we received from her.
Now give us strength and courage
to leave her in your care,
confident in your promise of eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

 

[EasterJoy]

Ask your pastor to help you out. There is a ritual book of blessings that includes prayers appropriate for laypeople to offer. He can also give you pointers on navigating funerals that include “a mixed bunch.”