This page is intended for parish priests, members of prayer groups, funeral teams, or parishioners looking for resources to organize a time of prayer for the deceased in your parish or family. All Saints’ Day marks a key moment in the liturgical year; it reminds us of our closeness to the saints, including those from our own families. On November 2, we remember in prayer those who have left us, not knowing when or how we will be reunited with them.
At the cemetery on All Souls’ Day; on the subway on the way to work; while visiting a loved one in the hospital… these are all places where we can offer “a little tenderness to those we love beyond death.” Sometimes, it’s also an opportunity to entrust to God someone who has hurt us.
The chaplains at the Shrine of Our Lady of Montligeon have made a collection of resources available for you to view or download. These resources are designed to accompany your parishioners, support their prayer, and nourish their hope. Thank you for your interest and for your connection with the Fraternity of Notre-Dame de Montligeon.
In communion,
Prayers to Prepare Me for Death
There is no longer any doubt about the outcome: my departure from this world is near. I leave behind parents, children, and friends. I will die in the coming weeks. Added to the pain of impending death is sometimes another, even more heart-wrenching pain: the impossibility of seeing my loved ones again, of embracing all those I have loved during this life. To hold their hands one last time, to tell them of my friendship, my love, and how much they mean to me.
The Stages of Grief
The difficult journey of grief is a journey of resilience that takes time and turns one’s world upside down.
When we lose a loved one—a parent, a husband or wife, a friend, and sometimes, sadly, a child—we go through a painful time and suffer from the separation.
We knew—and perhaps lived our lives with—this person, with whom we had built our lives, and now they are no longer here.
Where are our deceased loved ones
?
What does the Church say about judgment, heaven, purgatory, and hell?
This brochure offers some essential guidelines to help us
understand where our deceased loved ones go and how to support them
through prayer.
Praying for
our deceased loved ones
Some Catholic prayers for our departed loved ones.
“If the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Rom 8:11)
at the Shrine of Our Lady of Montligeon
I ask
for a plenary indulgence
In Montligeon and in many churches around the world, it is possible to receive a plenary indulgence, either for oneself or for a deceased person. To receive confession and an indulgence, one must first be baptized.
Follow the guide.
“Thank You-Sorry” Card
Write a postcard to someone who has passed away? It’s possible with the “Thank You-I’m Sorry” card
In Montligeon, writing a postcard to a deceased loved one is a simple process. All you need to do is take a “Merci-Pardon” card, fill it out, and drop it off (or have us drop it off for you) in the “mailbox” located beneath the statue of Our Lady the Liberator. Ask the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, to convey your thanks or your request for forgiveness to your loved one who has passed away. You can return the downloaded version to the shrine by mail or email.
Drawing in particular on Pope Benedict XVI’s second encyclical, *Spe Salvi* (Saved in Hope), Don Paul Denizot reminds us that we can do good for our deceased loved ones even after death (read more here…)
I have learned of the death
of a loved one
He or she has gone to be with the Father, and I wasn’t there. Of course, we always die alone. But I would at least have liked to accompany him or her to the threshold of that passage, to tell him or her, “We love you. Go in peace. You can leave this earth now.”
A loved one is
dying
There’s no doubt about it: my father, my mother, a friend, or a loved one is going to die in the coming days. I’ll have only one desire: to jump in my car or hop on the first train that comes along to be with him or her.
How do you pray for someone who has died?
At home, in a church, outdoors, or even on the subway… I can pray. There, in the privacy of my heart, I am never alone. Here are a few tips for easily entering into prayer.
How can I support him through this transition, and how can I move forward on my own journey of grief? I don’t necessarily know how to pray; I may not even be a believer. But I can always cry out, “God, if you exist, have mercy on the one I love”…
Prayer service at the cemetery and blessing of the graves
For priests, funeral teams, and families
Praying the Rosary with Our Lady of Montligeon (
)
The Rosary is a meditative prayer that invites you to contemplate Christ through the eyes of Mary. It consists of 20 mysteries, divided into four sets: the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries. Join us in prayer for the souls in purgatory with the “Rosary of Our Lady of Montligeon.” Download it now from our website or pick up a copy in the Basilica to pray with Mary.
Today, I Seek Comfort in God.”
I lost a child
Many young women describe feeling stunned at first: their whole world comes crashing down, even though they had already begun to envision themselves as mothers.
Guilt often arises, especially in the case of abortion: “What have I done?” “Did I do the wrong thing?” There is also a deep sense of loneliness, because they feel that those around them do not understand the magnitude of their loss and often prefer to avoid the subject. The emptiness is also there, viscerally present.
Furthermore, they express a sense of injustice or absurdity: “Why is this happening to us?”
I was expecting a child, and he died.
Today, I am seeking comfort from God.
On the first Tuesday of every month, a Mass is celebrated for children who were never born (due to abortion or miscarriage) and for young children who died without being baptized. Once a year, on Divine Mercy Sunday, the shrine organizes a pilgrimage for deceased infants.
Follow this link to learn more:
Praying the Rosary with Montligeon
Through its magazine *Chemin d’Eternité*, the Shrine of Our Lady of Montligeon offers monthly meditations
on the Rosary for the souls in Purgatory. The four series of meditations presented here are a specific example of this.
‘s Litanies of Our Lady of Montligeon
A litany is a prayer of invocation. The Church responds with a repeated acclamation. This rhythm soothes and sustains the faith. It carries the intention to God through the intercession of the saints. We pray in this way as a community, in procession, or alone. The litany trains the heart in trust. It provides simple and fitting words for petition, praise, and supplication. Repetition nourishes hope. It opens the heart to charity toward those who suffer, whether living or deceased. See the Catechism of the Catholic Church, on petition and intercession.
The litanies of Our Lady of Montligeon direct this prayer toward the departed. We entrust to Mary the souls who await full communion with God. We name our loved ones. We entrust their failings and our own wounds to her. In this way, the prayer extends to the entire suffering Church. It calls for mercy and consolation. It also strengthens the living by transforming their grief. We learn to hope for the promised reunion. We choose charity over bitterness. Furthermore, these litanies teach us about the communion of saints. They remind us of the bond that unites earth, purgatory, and Heaven. Consequently, praying to Montligeon does not distract us from reality. On the contrary, it guides our steps and our decisions. It makes us more willing to serve. You can pray these litanies at home, with your family, or in a group. The shrine offers prayer gatherings and prayer communities. If you wish, join a group dedicated to praying for the deceased.
Other resources on montligeon.org
1. Praying for the Dead
2. Rosary Booklets
The Rosary pages in the shrine’s magazine, *Chemin d’éternité*, allow you to join the Church in prayer with the Montligeon Rosary. Each quarter, a 20-page Rosary booklet is available for free download.