Dear Parishioners and Visitors,
“Our grandparents and elderly are treasures for us,” said Pope Francis, “like fine vintage wine … grandparents and the elderly pass on history, doctrine, and faith, and they leave them to us as an inheritance.”
When people think of Jesus being raised as a boy, they usually think only of Mary and Joseph. But his grandparents played a vital role, too. They were Saints Anne and Joachim, whose feast day is July 26. Anne and Joachim were the Blessed Virgin Mary’s parents. They knew she was a gift from God because they’d had great difficulty conceiving a child. Their faith, patience, wisdom and love had a profound influence on Mary, and on Jesus as well. St. John Damascene described them as a “blessed and spotless” couple to whom all creation is indebted.
In 2013, Pope Francis called all grandparents a “treasure,” and said that Anne and Joachim were part of a long chain of people who had transmitted their love for God and expressed it in the warmth and love of family life. We owe so much to our grandparents, not least for our very existence. They, and all the elderly, have played a significant role in our lives, both directly and indirectly, and despite any flaws, we have much to thank them for as we celebrate “World Day of Prayer for Grandparents and the Elderly” on Sunday, July 27, 2025.
With prayerful best wishes,
Fr. John Mahoney
The theme of Pope Leo XIV’s first message for the Fifth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, celebrated on Sunday, July 27, 2025, is ‘Blessed are those who have not lost hope’ (Sir 14:2) and fits into the context of the Jubilee of Hope 2025. These words, taken from the Book of Sirach, express the blessedness of the elderly and indicate hope placed in the Lord as the way to a Christian and reconciled old age. The Holy Father invites us to recognize the elderly not only as recipients of pastoral care, but as witnesses of hope who are active protagonists in the life of the Church. In the Jubilee year, the Day is intended to be an opportunity to reflect on how the presence of grandparents and the elderly can become a sign of hope in every family and church community.