Letter from the Pastor
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July 25, 2021Pope Francis declared that the fourth Sunday of July every year was to be celebrated as the World Day For Grandparents and the Elderly. He chose this day because of the feast day of St. Joachim and St. Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus, on July 26.
Many countries have special days to honor grandparents. The United States, celebrates on the second Sunday of September. However, the vast majority of the world’s 197 countries don’t have a day to honor our parents’ parents. The United Nations, which has 190 international days, does not have one for grandparents.
With Catholics present in every country, the Pope hoped the commemoration will help to have a fitting appreciation for grandparents across the world.
The Pope was moved to establish it not just because of the importance of grandparents but particularly because of the neglect and isolation so many grandparents and seniors experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The vocation of a grandparent, Pope Francis wrote, is “to preserve our roots, to pass on the faith to the young, and to care for the little ones… keeping memory alive and sharing it with others, is a true mission for every elderly person.”
Surveys have shown that 72% percent of seniors think that being a grandparent is the single most important and satisfying thing in their life; 90% enjoy talking about their grandchildren to everyone and 63% confess they do a better job caring for their grandchildren than they cared for their own children.
The role played by all grandparents in completing the loving family and nurturing the faith of future generations is vital to the Church and society. Grandparents play an important part in the upbringing and training of their grandchildren. They also play a role in teaching them to love the Lord, His Church and to follow His commandments. It was the model of Saints Anne and Joachim who cultivated in the young Mary a love for God, preparing her for her role in the story of divine redemption.
The world is so much better because of the way so many grandparents live out their vocation. Together with the whole Church, we celebrate them, thank them and pray for them.
PRAYER FOR GRANDPARENTS
Lord Jesus,
you were born of the Virgin Mary,
the daughter of Saints Joachim and Anne.
Look with love on grandparents the world over.
Protect them! They are a source of enrichment
for families, for the Church and for all of society.
Support them! As they grow older,
may they continue to be for their families
strong pillars of Gospel faith, guardian of noble domestic ideals,
living treasuries of sound religious traditions.
Make them teachers of wisdom and courage,
that they may pass on to future generations the fruits
of their mature human and spiritual experience.
Lord Jesus,
help families and society to value the presence and roles of grandparents.
May they never be ignored or excluded, but always encounter respect and love.
Help them to live serenely and to feel welcomed in all the years of life which you give them.
Mary, Mother of all the living,
keep grandparents constantly in your care, accompany them on their earthly pilgrimage,
and by your prayers, grant that all families may one day be reunited in our heavenly homeland,
where you await all humanity for the great embrace of life without end. Amen!
Happy Grandparents Day!
