World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
Sunday, July 28, 2024, is the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Established by Pope Francis in 2021, the day is celebrated annually on the fourth Sunday of July near the liturgical memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.
It is meant to serve as a joyful and renewed encounter between young and old. The theme for this year’s celebration, selected by the Holy Father, is “Do not cast me off in my old age" (Psalm 71,9). The Vatican says the theme was "meant to call attention to the fact that, sadly, loneliness is the bitter lot in life of many elderly persons, so often the victims of a throwaway culture."
Pope Francis asked that on this fourth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, we show our love for the grandparents and the elderly members of our families.
"Let us spend time with those who are disheartened and no longer hope in the possibility of a different future. In place of the self-centered attitude that leads to loneliness and abandonment, let us instead show the open heart and the joyful face of men and women who have the courage to say “I will not abandon you”, and to set out on a different path."
