“It makes no difference how old you are, whether you still work or not, whether you are alone or have a family, whether you became a grandmother or grandfather at a young age or later, whether you are still independent or need assistance. Because there is no retirement age from the work of proclaiming the Gospel and handing down traditions to your grandchildren. You just need to set out and undertake something new.” (Pope Francis’ Message for the First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, 2021).

With an increasingly older Catholic population, the Church has set out in recent times to speak about the value and meaning of old age. Below are a range of resources for grandparents and the elderly, as well as links to relevant Church documents.

Resources

• The Gift of Grandparents (Australian Catholic Marriage and Family Council)
  A short brochure highlighting some of the gifts that grandparents provide, produced by the Australian Catholic Marriage and Family Council for the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life.

• World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
  In 2021, Pope Francis established throughout the Church the celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and Elderly on the fourth Sunday of July, near the liturgical memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.
• Resources from the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life
  The resources include links to a series of 11 catecheses – many of them reflecting on biblical figures (eg Naomi, Judith, Job).

• Pope Francis’ Catechesis on the meaning and value of old age
  On February 23, 2022, Pope Francis began a catechesis series on the meaning and value of old age at his weekly General Audience. The series includes reflections on the lives of several Biblical figures.
• Pope Benedict XVI’s Prayer for Grandparents
  A prayer for grandparents written by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
• Catholic Grandparents Association (Ireland and UK)
  The Catholic Grandparents Association seeks to provide advice and information to help Grandparents pass on the faith and keep prayer in the heart of family life.

Relevant Church Documents

• Letter to the Elderly (Pope John Paul II, 1999)
  Written on the occasion of the International Year of the Elderly, Pope John Paul II’s letter shares and cherishes the experiences, beauty, agony, and dignity of growing old and drawing closer to God.
• Pope Francis’ Message for the First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (2021)
  Pope Francis reassures the elderly that God is always with them in his message for the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. He also reminds them of their vocation to preserve our roots and to pass on the faith.

• Pope Francis’ Message for the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (2022)
  In the message, Pope Francis encourages the elderly to persevere in hope and reminds them of their great power to transform the world through prayer and tenderness.
• Blessings of Age (USCCB, 1999)
  The 1999 pastoral message from the US bishops invites older persons, their families, and their faith communities to develop new initiatives that encourage the participation of older persons in society and in the Church.