The Gift of Grandparents

In 2021, Pope Francis announced that the recognition of grandparents and the elderly should be a regular and celebrated event in Catholic communities. This week, on Wednesday July 26, the church recognised the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary, the mother of Jesus. This feast is celebrated each year on this day, a recurring reflection of the important role that grandparents play as a link between the generations. 

Each of us has memories of our own grandparents, special members of our family who shared in our formation as the people we became and also, in many cases, who participated in the development of our faith. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, reminds us that, “We must treasure the spiritual and human wealth that has been handed down from generation to generation”. In this, the importance of the thoughts and wisdom of the elderly is recognised and emphasised by the Church.

Saint Joachim and Saint Anne have been a part of the Church's liturgical calendar for many centuries. They are celebrated in the modern Church as the patron of grandparents. At this time, grandparents themselves are reminded that old age is a gift, as is their important role of passing on their experience of life and faith to the young.

Passing on these ideals and truths to our children is so important and one of the most enjoyable roles we, the adults in their lives, play in their development and learning. More than ever, using the celebration of our grandparents, we commit ourselves to making every effort to dismantle the ‘throwaway’ culture in favour of enhancing the true value of grandparents and the elderly. 

“Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.” 

Psalm 92:14