The Chaplet for the Dead
On the Cross, the De Profundis:
Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord;
℟: Lord, hear my voice.
Let thine ears be attentive
℟: to the voice of my supplication.
If thou, O Lord, shalt observe our iniquities,
℟: O Lord, who shall endure it?
For with thee there is merciful forgiveness;
℟: and by reason of thy law, I have waited for thee, O Lord.
My soul hath relied on his word:
℟: my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
From the morning watch even until night,
℟: let Israel hope in the Lord.
Because with the Lord there is mercy,
℟: and with him plentiful redemption.
And he shall redeem Israel
℟: from all his iniquities.
On the first Pater (red bead):
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
℟: And let perpetual light shine upon them.
Act of Faith (first black bead):
My God, I believe in thee,
℟: because thou art truth itself; I firmly believe the truths revealed to the Church.
Act of Hope (second black bead):
My God, I hope in thee,
℟: because thou art infinitely good.
Act of Charity (third black bead):
My God, I love thee with all my heart, and above all things,
℟: because thou art infinitely perfect; and I love my neighbor as myself, for the love of thee.
On all the Paters (red beads):
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
℟: And let perpetual light shine upon them.
On All the Aves (black beads):
Sweet Heart of Jesus, ℟: be my love.
Sweet Heart of Mary, ℟: be my salvation.
At the End:
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
℟: And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
℟: Amen.
May the love of God and the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ bless us and console us and gently wipe every tear from our eyes.
℟: Amen.
What is the Chaplet for the Dead?
A partial indulgence is granted and applied to the souls in Purgatory for each recitation of the Chaplet. The Chaplet was established by the Archconfraternity of Our Lady of Suffrage in Nimes, France, and approved by Pope Pius IX in 1873.
The Chaplet resembles a standard Rosary, except it has only four decades instead of five, for a total of forty-eight beads. Traditionally, there is no center medal, and the Crucifix is normally a Pardon Crucifix.
According to custom, the colors are typically red Paternoster (Our Father) beads, and black Ave (Hail Mary) beads. The five red beads represent the five wounds of Christ. The forty black beads are in memory of the forty hours which Our Lord is thought to have spent in Limbo.
