Day of the Grandparents & the Elderly

Day of the Grandparents & the Elderly

Next Sunday, the Church will observe the “World Day for Grandparents and Elderly” a celebration established by Pope Francis on the Fourth Sunday of July for its  proximity to the Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Our Lord. The theme for this year's celebration is "In Old Age They Will Still Bear Fruit" (Ps. 92:15), emphasizing how grandparents are a gift both to society and the Church.

In addition to the prayers offered at the weekend Masses, our parish, joined by the parishes of our Lumen Christi Cohort—St. Raphael-Holy Angels and St. Gregory the Great—will be holding a Special Mass for Grandparents and their grandchildren at St. Anthony Church—Tuesday, July 26, at 12:15 pm. Please come, even if your grandchildren can't come or your grandparents can't come. You can remember the missing with a written prayer request, which will be brought up to the altar during the Mass.

On this weekend for the elderly, Bishop O’Connell, concerned for the care and support of our retired priests, has asked that a special collection be taken up in all parishes. We thank the wonderful “senior priests” many of whom reside at Villa Vianney, for their witness of faith and for the assistance they offer our area parishes. Let us show them a sign of our gratitude by making a generous gift to this collection.