July 27th Fifth World Day for Grandparents & the Elderly
GRANDPARENTS AND ELDERLY: JOIN US AT KNOCK SHRINE!
SUNDAY 27 JULY AT 2:30 PM
CELEBRATE THE NATIONAL GRANDPARENTS PILGRIMAGE AND THE WORLD
DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY. A DAY OF GRACE, BLESSING
AND PRAYER FOR FAMILIES, OUR CHURCH, AND OUR FUTURE.
ALL ARE WELCOME
BRING YOUR FAMILY – BRING HOPE AND JOY
ANOINTING
MASS
ROSARY (WEATHER PERMITTING)
CELEBRANT ARCHBISHOP FRANCIS DUFFY
MUSIC UNA NOLAN AND CHOIRS
GUEST SOLOIST DANA
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR RESOURCES:
www.catholicgrandparentsassociation.org.
Today is World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly which
is celebrated on the Sunday closest to the feast of Ss Joachim
& Anne, parents of Mary and the grandparents of Jesus.
In an increasingly secularized world where individualism
threatens the very fabric of life, grandparents have never been
more essential.
Today’s grandparents face challenges unimaginable to
previous generations; complex family structures, strained
relationships, threats to life at its beginning and end and a
culture that dismisses faith as something of the past.
Grandparents know better; faith is a treasure for today and
tomorrow, and it is their sacred duty to pass it on. In these
times, grandparents remain God’s secret weapon – the quiet,
persistent force keeping families anchored in truth, the glue
that holds them together when all else falls apart.
Grandparents love deeply, pray fervently, and hold fast to
what others have forgotten: that faith, wisdom and life’s
experience are gifts that cannot be replaced by social media or
artificial intelligence. Bishop’s Conference
Grandparents Day
We ask God’s blessing on all our grandparents on this
special day. We thank them for the great work they
continue to do as baby sitters, child minders and great
examples of all that best reflects our society and
Christian values—our hidden treasures
Prayer for Grandparents and the Elderly
Lord,
faithful God,
You who created us in
Your Image,
You who never leaves us alone
and who accompanies us
through every season of life,
do not abandon us,
take care of us,
and grant us, once again,
the ability to discover ourselves
and recognise that we are all
Your children.
Renew our hearts with your Word
and do not allow anyone to
be cast aside.
May your Spirit of love fill us
with Your tenderness
and teach us to say:
“I will not abandon you!”
to those we meet on our journey.
With the help of your beloved Son,
may we not lose the taste for fraternity
and may we not conform
to the sadness of loneliness.
Help us to look to the future
with renewed hope.
Make the World Day for Grandparents
and the Elderly
a day without loneliness,
and a day abundant
with the first-fruits of Your peace.