Planning an annual commemoration: Announcement on the 1st anniversary of death, annual requiem (Catholic), Protestant service, costs, checklist & sample texts.
This guide shows you the different forms of annual remembrance – from the Catholic tradition of the annual Requiem Mass (Jahresseelenamt) to a secular memorial gathering. You’ll find practical instructions, wording tips, and sample texts for your annual remembrance notice.
What is an annual remembrance?
An annual remembrance is a public or private act of remembering a deceased person on the anniversary of their death. Unlike the death notice, which announces the death, an annual remembrance focuses on keeping the memory alive.
Meaning and purpose
An annual remembrance serves several important purposes:
- Keeping the memory alive: The deceased remains part of family life
- Including the community: Friends and acquaintances can take part in remembering
- Making space for grief: A conscious moment to pause in everyday life
- Spiritual connection: For believers, an opportunity for intercessory prayer
When is an annual remembrance published?
| Occasion | Frequency | Typical scope |
|---|---|---|
| First anniversary of death | Very common | Notice + service + visit to the grave |
| Annual remembrance (2nd–4th year) | Within a close circle | Often private only or a small notice |
| Milestone anniversaries (5, 10, 25 years) | Common | Notice, sometimes a service |
Forms of remembrance at a glance
Private remembrance
Not every annual remembrance needs to be public. Many families intentionally shape the day in a small circle:
- Visiting the grave with fresh flowers or a candle
- Looking at photos together and sharing memories
- Cooking the deceased person’s favorite meal
- Visiting a place connected to the deceased
Public annual remembrance notice
With a notice in the newspaper or online, you allow others to share in the remembrance. The notice can stand alone or invite people to a service. Online notices have the advantage of staying visible longer and being easy to share.
Service or memorial gathering
Depending on denomination and personal belief, there are different options:
- Catholic: Annual Requiem Mass (Holy Mass in remembrance)
- Protestant: Memorial devotion or intercessions during a service
- Secular: Private memorial gathering at a meaningful place
The Jahresseelenamt (Catholic tradition)
In Catholic regions – especially in Bavaria, Austria, and the Rhineland – the Jahresseelenamt is a deeply rooted tradition. It is a Holy Mass celebrated specifically in remembrance of a deceased person.
What is a Jahresseelenamt?
The Jahresseelenamt (also: annual remembrance, annual Mass, or anniversarium) is a Eucharistic celebration in which prayers are said for the deceased by name. In Catholic understanding, the Mass benefits the soul of the deceased – a form of intercession beyond death.
How to arrange a Jahresseelenamt
- Contact the parish office: Call the parish office 4–6 weeks before the desired date
- Agree on a date: Give your preferred date (as close to the anniversary as possible). Popular times may involve waiting periods
- Provide the Mass intention: Name of the deceased, date of birth, and date of death
- Offer a Mass stipend: A voluntary donation (typical: 5–15 euros)
How much does a Jahresseelenamt cost?
The Mass stipend is usually 5–15 euros, depending on the diocese. It is not a payment, but a voluntary offering. If you have financial difficulties, speak openly with the priest – no one will be turned away because of money.
How a Jahresseelenamt typically proceeds
The Jahresseelenamt follows the normal order of Mass. Special aspects:
- The deceased person’s name is mentioned at the beginning and in the intercessions
- Relatives often sit in the front rows
- Sometimes family members bring the gifts (bread and wine) to the altar
- After Mass: often a brief gathering or a joint visit to the grave
Regional особенности
| Region | Particulars |
|---|---|
| Bavaria / Austria | Strongly rooted tradition, often with church choir or brass band. A notice in the parish newsletter is common. |
| Rhineland | Often combined with a visit to the graves. Sometimes All Souls’ Masses are held for all who died during the year. |
| Northern Germany | Less common in Catholic communities, but possible upon request. |
Protestant and secular alternatives
Protestant remembrance
The Protestant church does not have a Requiem Mass in the Catholic sense – the theological background differs. Nevertheless, there are ways to commemorate the anniversary within the congregation:
- Intercessions in Sunday service: The deceased person’s name is included in the prayers of intercession
- Memorial devotion: A short devotion at the grave or in the chapel in a small circle
- Remembrance on Eternity Sunday: On the last Sunday of the church year, the names of those who died during the year are read out
Speak with your pastor or minister – together you can find a suitable form.
Secular memorial gathering
For non-religious families, or as an addition to a service, a secular memorial gathering can be a good option:
- Meeting at the deceased person’s favorite place (park, café, viewpoint)
- A shared meal where everyone tells a memory
- Planting a tree or organizing a fundraising campaign in the deceased person’s name
- Watching photos and videos, telling stories
Designing the annual remembrance notice
Structure of an annual remembrance notice
An annual remembrance notice typically includes these elements:
- Headline: “In loving remembrance”, “On the first anniversary of death”, etc.
- Name and life dates: Full name, date of birth, and date of death
- Memorial verse: A quote, poem line, or personal text
- Photo: Optional, but increasingly common
- Invitation: If there is a service: date, time, place
- Sign-off: “With love – The family”, etc.
Language and tone
An annual remembrance notice can be more personal than the original death notice. After a year, grief has changed – gratitude and loving remembrance come more to the foreground.
- Less formal, more personal
- Express gratitude for the time shared
- Direct address (“you”) is common and appropriate
Photo: yes or no?
Photos make annual remembrance notices more personal. You can use the same photo as in the death notice or choose another favorite picture – perhaps one showing the deceased smiling.
When to publish?
Publish the notice 3–7 days before the anniversary. If you are inviting people to a service, publish earlier so acquaintances can plan. Online notices can also be posted on the day itself.
Costs
The costs are roughly similar to those of a newspaper death notice. Annual remembrance notices are often slightly smaller. Online notices are cheaper and remain visible longer.
Wording tips and sample texts
Use these building blocks as inspiration for your own notice. Adapt the texts – the more personal, the more moving.
Openings for annual remembrance
Classic
One year without you – and yet you are so close to us.
On [date] marks the day we had to say goodbye.
On the first anniversary of death, we remember with love.
Modern and personal
365 days. Every single one with you in our hearts.
A year has passed – the memory of you remains alive.
Time passes. Love remains.
Religious (Catholic)
On the first anniversary, we remember in a Holy Mass.
United in prayer, we remember on [date].
Religious (Protestant)
Safe in God’s hands – in our hearts forever.
Sheltered in God’s love, unforgotten by us.
Memorial verses
Further inspiration can be found in our collection of over 200 funeral and condolence quotes.
Comforting
What remains is love. What comforts is memory.
You are no longer where you were. But you are everywhere we are.
As long as we think of you, you live on in our hearts.
Grateful
For all the love you gave us – thank you.
Your life was a gift. Your memory a blessing.
Thank you for every day we shared.
Religious
Lord, grant him eternal rest, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
With God nothing is impossible – not even seeing each other again.
I am the resurrection and the life. (John 11:25)
With nature metaphors
Like a star in the sky – no longer within reach, but always visible.
Only love remains when everything else fades.
Closing phrases
- With love and gratitude
- In quiet mourning
- We miss you
- Forever in our hearts
- Unforgotten
- Your family / Your children / Your loved ones
Complete sample notices
Example 1: With invitation to the Jahresseelenamt
In loving remembrance
Maria Müller
née Schmidt
* 15 March 1945 † 20 February 2025One year without you –
and yet you are so close to us every day.On the first anniversary, we invite you
to the Holy Mass on Thursday, 20 February 2026,
at 18:30 in St. Michael’s Parish Church.With love and gratitude
Your family
Example 2: Secular, without a service
On the first anniversary of death
Hans Becker
* 8 June 1952 † 25 February 2025You are no longer where you were.
But you are everywhere we are.We remember you with love.
Ingrid, Thomas and Sabine
with families
Example 3: Protestant, with devotion
Safe in God’s peace
Elisabeth Schneider
* 22 April 1938 † 28 February 2025What remains is love.
What comforts is memory.
What sustains is hope.On Friday, 28 February 2026, at 15:00
we remember her in a devotion
at the woodland cemetery.The children and grandchildren
Example 4: For a milestone anniversary (10 years)
Ten years
Unforgotten
Peter Hoffmann
* 3 January 1960 † 1 March 2016Time passes,
memory remains.
We miss you.Your Ute and the children
Example 5: Short and simple
In quiet remembrance
Anna Weber
* 1940 † 2025One year without you.
Unforgotten.Your family
Checklist: planning an annual remembrance
4–6 weeks beforehand
- Decide: service, devotion, or private remembrance?
- If a service: contact the parish office and arrange a date
- Inform family members and involve them in the planning
- Consider: should a notice be published?
2–3 weeks beforehand
- Draft the text for the notice
- Select a photo (if desired)
- Design the notice
- Invite acquaintances personally (if desired)
1 week beforehand
- Publish the notice or send it to the newspaper
- Order flowers or grave decorations
- If having a shared meal: reserve a restaurant
On the day itself
- Visit the grave
- Service or devotion
- Sharing memories in the family circle
Dos and don’ts
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Involve the family in the design | Decide and organize everything alone |
| Allow enough time to create the notice | Publish the notice too late (if inviting to a service) |
| Add a personal touch | Copy templates unchanged |
| Listen to your own needs | Let yourself be pressured by others’ expectations |
| Accept support | Think everything has to be perfect |
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to publish an annual remembrance?
No. An annual remembrance is voluntary. Many families remember privately at the grave or at home – without a notice, without a service. A notice is one way to let others share in the remembrance, but it is not required.
Can you still place a notice after several years?
Yes. Especially for milestone anniversaries (5, 10, 25 years), annual remembrance notices are common. There is no rule that limits this by time.
What does a Jahresseelenamt cost?
The Mass stipend is usually between 5 and 15 euros – depending on the diocese. It is a voluntary offering, not a fixed price.
Can a non-Catholic arrange a Jahresseelenamt?
In principle, yes, if the deceased was Catholic. This is also possible for non-religious relatives. If you have questions, contact the parish office – parishes are generally open to this.
When should the notice appear?
Ideally 3–7 days before the anniversary. If you are inviting to a service, publish earlier so acquaintances can plan.
Can you name several deceased people in one notice?
Yes. Especially for spouses, or when several anniversaries fall close together, a joint notice is possible and common.
Useful links
- Our annual memorial designer
- Our free Word templates for obituaries and thank you notes can also be used for annual memorials
- Comprehensive collection of eulogies
- Design inspiration in the gallery of the most beautiful obituaries