“That is why Pope Francis wanted the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly to be celebrated primarily through an effort to seek out elderly persons who are living alone. For this reason, those who are unable to come to Rome on pilgrimage during this Holy Year may “obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if they visit, for an appropriate amount of time, the elderly who are alone… making, in a sense, a pilgrimage to Christ present in them (cf. Mt 25:34–36)” (APOSTOLIC PENITENTIARY, Norms for the Granting of the Jubilee Indulgence, III). Visiting an elderly person is a way of encountering Jesus, who frees us from indifference and loneliness …”
Message of the Holy Father for the 5th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly 2025
As I realized that we were approaching July 26, the Feast of Sts. Joachim and Ann, parents of Mary, our Blessed Mother, grandparents of Jesus, and patron Saints of grandparents, I recalled that, in recent years, Pope Francis had designated a special day for grandparents and the elderly, although I did not recall all the details. As is the case in these days of internet searches (and AI), we can find information very quickly. In this case, I learned from the USCCB website that, as Catholics in the United States, we have two opportunities to have a special day for Grandparents and the Elderly:
“In 2021, Pope Francis established 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 (July 26). The theme for the 2025 celebration selected by the pope is “Blessed are those who have not lost hope” (cf. Sir 14:2)…
The U.S. bishops have approved the transfer of the celebration of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly in the U.S. to the first weekend after Labor Day (Sept. 6 and 7, 2025) to coincide with National Grandparents (and the Elderly) Day in the United States as many local communities, schools, and parishes have celebrated for some time.
Marriage and Family Life Ministries — World Day for Grandparents and Elderly
There is also a very good article on the Vatican News website, which summarizes the Message of Pope Leo XIV for this fifth World Day of Prayer for Grandparents and the Elderly.
As good as the Vatican News article is, I encourage you to read the full message, written by Pope Leo a month ago. I quoted the message at the beginning of this column and wanted to highlight or offer a reminder that there are many different ways to gain a Jubilee Indulgence during this Holy Year, and visiting an elderly person who is alone is one way to do so. As I think about the importance of “seek(ing) out (and visiting) elderly persons who are living alone…,” I recall the blessed opportunities I had as a seminarian and parish priest to visit elderly parishioners, especially those who were alone. Although these visits can be challenging in different ways, they can also be, as Pope Leo reminds us, an experience of an encounter with Jesus by serving the “least” of our sisters and brothers. (cf. Mt.25:34-36)
As I think about celebrating and giving thanks for grandparents, I think of the four years that my Mom spent in assisted living and in a nursing home, and how blessed she was to receive frequent visits from her five grandchildren. I also reflect on how blessed my five nieces and nephews were to be able to get to know and spend time with their “grandma Agnes” by taking the time to visit her, especially in her later years.
After an introduction, Pope Leo’s message has three (brief) sections: 1. The elderly as signs of hope, 2. Signs of hope for the elderly, 3. As elderly persons, we can hope. In the first section, he focuses on the Scriptures: “In the Bible, God repeatedly demonstrates his providential care by turning to people in their later years…” In the second section, he focuses on the Jubilee Year: “Looking at the elderly in the spirit of this Jubilee, we are called to help them experience liberation, especially from loneliness and abandonment. This year is a fitting time to do so…,” leading to the reminder of the opportunity for a Jubilee Indulgence, mentioned above.
In the third and final section of his message, Pope Leo is even more personal, discussing the challenges of aging, sharing one of the last messages of Pope Francis on “love and prayer,” and speaking of the experiences of families when the strength of a loved one “wanes”:
“The Book of Sirach calls blessed those who have not lost hope (cf. 14:2). Perhaps, especially if our lives are long, we may be tempted to look not to the future but to the past. Yet, as Pope Francis wrote during his last hospitalization, “our bodies are weak, but even so, nothing can prevent us from loving, praying, giving ourselves, being there for one another, in faith, as shining signs of hope” (Angelus, 16 March 2025). We possess a freedom that no difficulty can rob us of: it is the freedom to love and to pray. Everyone, always, can love and pray.
Our affection for our loved ones – for the wife or husband with whom we have spent so much of our lives, for our children, for our grandchildren who brighten our days – does not fade when our strength wanes. Indeed, their own affection often revives our energy and brings us hope and comfort…”
In the rhythms of parish and family life, as well as in the diocesan (and bishop’s) offices, it can be a little more difficult to plan for special feast days and/or days of prayer during the months of July and August. At the same time, if schedules and activities are a little slower in the summer, it could be a great time to “stop and think, reflect and pray.” As we will celebrate the Feast of Sts. Joachim and Ann on this Saturday, July 26 and the Church will mark the fifth World Day of Prayer for Grandparents and the Elderly on Sunday, July 27, maybe this can be a “great time” to stop and think of an elderly person in our family, parish or community, especially an elderly person who is living alone? Maybe this is a great time to give them a call or, even better, to make the time for a visit?
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