The Vatican announced on Thursday that the third annual World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly is set to take place on July 23.
This year’s event will be held on the Sunday before the feast day of Sts. Anne and Joachim, the grandparents of Jesus.
Pope Francis has selected “His mercy is from age to age” (Lk 1:50) as the theme for this year’s celebration.
The Vatican’s Department for Laity, Family, and Life emphasized the connection between this year’s theme and the theme for World Youth Day 2023, which is also based on a passage from the Gospel of Luke’s first chapter: “Mary arose and went with haste” (Lk 1:39).
Pope Francis will preside over a unique Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica to mark the occasion. He has also urged parishes, dioceses, associations, and communities around the globe to recognize the day within their local pastoral settings.
As an 86-year-old himself, Pope Francis has persistently advocated for the respect and dignity of older people, often emphasizing the vital role that grandparents have in passing on the Catholic faith.
He established the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly in 2021. The theme of last year’s celebration came from Psalm 92:15: “In old age they will still bear fruit.”
