At the Bedside
The hours and days beside a dying person are among the most sacred and most disorienting of human experience. You may feel helpless — there is nothing you can do to reverse what is happening — and yet the tradition of the Church offers specific, meaningful action: prayer, presence, and the sacraments.
This page gathers the prayers the Church has offered at the moment of death for two thousand years, alongside guidance for family members and friends who want to accompany someone through this passage.
First: Call a Priest
If the dying person is Catholic and has not yet received the Last Rites (Anointing of the Sick, Viaticum, and the Apostolic Blessing), this should be the first call. Hospitals can contact a Catholic chaplain around the clock. Your parish priest is also available for emergencies — do not hesitate to call.
The Anointing of the Sick is not only for the unconscious or the imminently dying — it should ideally be received while the person is still conscious enough to participate. Viaticum — the Eucharist given as "food for the journey" — is the Church's sacrament specifically for this moment.
Do not wait until you are certain death is hours away. Call as soon as serious illness or the approach of death is evident.
The Commendation of the Dying
The Church has a rite called Commendatio Animae — the commendation of the soul — intended for use in the final moments of life. These are its central prayers:
Traditional Catholic prayer for the moment of death:
Go forth, Christian soul, from this world
in the name of God the almighty Father,
who created you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
who suffered for you,
in the name of the Holy Spirit,
who was poured out upon you.
Go forth, faithful Christian.May you live in peace this day,
may your home be with God in Zion,
with Mary, the virgin Mother of God,
with Joseph, and all the angels and saints.
This prayer can be prayed aloud at the bedside, even if the person appears unconscious. Hearing is understood to persist close to the moment of death.
A Prayer for a Peaceful Death
Lord Jesus, You called Yourself the resurrection and the life. I ask You to be present with name in this final passage. Let it be peaceful. Let them know they are loved — by those of us here and by You who have known them since before their birth. Give them the courage to let go when the time comes, the freedom from fear, and the trust that what comes next is held in Your hands. May the angels guide them, and may they see Your face. Amen.
The Divine Mercy Chaplet
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is traditionally prayed at 3:00 PM — the Hour of Mercy, commemorating the hour of Christ's death — and specifically for the dying. St. Faustina recorded that Christ said: "When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the merciful Savior."
The chaplet can be prayed at any time, at any bedside, as an act of mercy for the dying. See the full guide at /guides/divine-mercy-chaplet-guide/.
A Prayer for Those Keeping Vigil
For family members and friends sitting with someone who is dying:
Lord, I am here and I do not know how to help. There is nothing I can do to stop what is happening, and I feel the helplessness of it in my whole body. I ask You to help me be a good presence in this room — calm, loving, not filling the silence with my fear. Help me to give name the gift of peaceful company. Help me to say what needs to be said if there is still time, and to hold in peace what cannot be said. And help me to trust that the One who is receiving them knows what they need far better than I do. Amen.
What to Say at the Bedside
If the dying person is conscious, simple and honest is better than elaborate. Some things the dying consistently report as meaningful:
- "I love you."
- "Thank you for something specific."
- "I forgive you." / "Please forgive me."
- "It's okay to go." — permission, when the person seems to be holding on
- Reading Psalm 23 aloud — many dying people find this specifically comforting
- Silence and physical presence — holding a hand, being in the room
If the person is unconscious, continue speaking — hearing may remain. Pray aloud. Read Scripture. The presence and the prayer matter.
Psalm 23 — For the Bedside
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
After the Death
When the person has died, the Church offers the Prayer After Death:
Saints of God, come to his/her aid!
Hasten to meet him/her, angels of the Lord!
Receive his/her soul and present him/her to God the Most High.May Christ, who called you, take you to himself;
may angels lead you to the bosom of Abraham.
Receive his/her soul and present him/her to God the Most High.Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him/her.
May he/she rest in peace.
Amen.
Related Guides
- Catholic Prayer for Grief — for those left behind
- Catholic Prayer for the Dead — prayers for the soul after death
- Divine Mercy Chaplet Guide — the chaplet for the dying
- Patron Saint for Grief and Mourning — intercession in bereavement
- When to Speak to a Priest — how to request the sacraments