Third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly – 23 July 2023
From a message issued by Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare & Leighlin and Chair of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Council for Marriage & the Family:
Sunday, July 23rd marks the Third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. I look forward to leading the ceremonies for the Annual Catholic Grandparents Association Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine with anointing of the sick at 2.30pm and Mass at 3pm followed by the procession.
In his message for this day Pope Francis places a strong emphasis on the connection young people have with their older relatives. I still recall one of the family testimonies at the WMOF2018 in Croke Park where a grandchild described her grandparents house as “an open house”. Pope Francis says “friendship with an older person can help the young to see life not only in terms of the present and realize that not everything depends on them and their abilities”. In his message he makes a clear connection between this World Day for Grandparents & the Elderly and the celebration of World Youth Day in Lisbon, encouraging the young to visit their grandparents or the elderly who live alone before they travel.
The Council for Marriage & the Family want to draw your attention to the already referenced excellent suite of resources for this day from the Dicastery for Laity, Family & Life which are attached, also to consider visiting the website of the Catholic Grandparents Association www.catholicgrandparentsassociation.org
The theme for this year is “His Mercy is from Age to Age” (Lk.1:50) using the image of Mary visiting her elderly cousin Elizabeth.
God of mercy, who has given the gift of long life to Your children,
grant them your blessing;
let them feel the sweetness and strength of your presence:
Turning back to the past, let them rejoice in Your mercy
And looking to the future, let them persevere in the hope that does not die.
Praise and glory to You for ever and ever.
+ Denis Nulty
.