"Do not cast me off in my old age"
World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly is celebrated worldwide on July 28, 2024.
Pope Francis celebrated the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly in 2021 and decreed that it be observed each year on the Sunday closest to the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Jesus' grandparents. This year’s theme of “Do not cast me off in my old age” is a passage taken from Psalm 71.
As the Catholic Church prepares for the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis has asked each of us to focus on prayer. The pope added that 'By cherishing the charisms of grandparents and the elderly, and the contribution they make to the life of the Church, the World Day seeks to support the efforts of every ecclesial community to forge bonds between the generations and to combat loneliness.’
Acknowledging the crucial importance of their Christian witness and good example. Chairperson Patrick Daly “expresses words of deep gratitude to all grandparents for the significant contribution to Catholic Education and the enormous positive difference they make in the lives of children and youth.”
Pope Francis greets 100-year-old Lucilla Macelli before celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican for last year's celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly July 23, 2023. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)