Category: Age Friendly

World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly – Sunday 28th July

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Pope Francis established a World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly which took place for the first time on Sunday 25 July 2021.

In 2024, the celebration is this this Sunday, 28 July – the Sunday closest to the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, Grandparents of Jesus.

The theme chosen by Pope Francis for this year’s celebration is:

“Do not cast me off in my old age” (cf. Psalm 71:9).

As the Pope says, we should cherish the elderly and recognise that there’s no retirement age from the work of proclaiming the Gospel and handing down traditions to grandchildren.

Here you can read the full message from the Holy Father.

Also here are prayers and links from the Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales to help you celebrate the day.

If you are a grandparent and are able to attend Mass, you could invite your grandchildren to attend with you.

The Catholic Grandparents Association has been at the forefront in campaigning for a greater recognition of Grandparents for their role and vocation in passing on their faith to the next generation. They have also produced resources that you might wish to use.

Prayer for Grandparents’ Day

(Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales)

We pray for grandparents; keep them and make them courageous, wise and caring.

We pray for the elderly who feel isolated at this time, so that they know they are never alone, as you continue to be with them.

We pray for all who are ill, that they may experience your healing power and grace.We pray for those who have died, that they are taken into your loving care and into their eternal resting home.

Let us say the prayer that Jesus taught us and what we heard in our Gospel: Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Gracefully by Sister Kate Holmstrom

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Image from Freepik

Gracefully is written by Sister Kate Holmstrom, a Holy Child Sister, resident at a care home in Harrogate, who has just turned 85 years old.

Sister Kate has contributed a number of pieces to Growing Old Grace-fully.

Sister Kate introduces Gracefully as follows:

“Many sights, gestures or even sounds may be perceived as graceful. They resonate, perhaps, with an inner grace inhabiting a person – an open, positive attitude attuned to what is good, true, righteous, beautiful. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they are ready to welcome countless riches and enjoy life!”

Gracefully

Growing old gracefully. With grace. Ageing: a grace.
Graceful rhymes with grateful,
And gracefully sounds like: graciously.
Little girls dancing, gymnasts leaping and bounding,
Flying, seemingly without effort, defying gravity.
Why do graceful movements, or the clear song of a blackbird
Strike an almost physical chord of beauty within us?
A smile is a grace, irradiating a tired face
And gracing the recipient.

How is it that an ageing body can seem clumsy, ungainly
Even painful, to the one who inhabits it?
Yet the soul within can be stirring, growing, soaring forward
Borne up by the Spirit, the very breath of her Creator.
Hail Mary, full of grace, pray for us as we are now,
In this moment, (this Moment)
That the hour of our death may be grace-filled,
That final, gracious grace.

Online Event – Learning From Each Other

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The third of Growing Old Grace-fully‘s 2024 online sessions is Learning From Each Other: Sharing Experience from Parishes on Thursday 18th July, 7:00-8:00pm. 

This session is about hearing examples of great work already happening, with contributions from:

* Maureen Connolly from Immaculate Heart Parish, Huddersfield 
* Breda Theakston from the Elizabeth Prout Centre, talking about Bereavement support
* Andrew Winfield from St John Vianney Parish, Leeds

There will also be breakout groups to share other experiences and ideas as to how to enhance the spiritual life of older people in your own parish community and lives. The session will start and finish with prayer and reflection led by Rev. Joe Cortis, who is a Growing Old Grace-fully trustee.

The session will start at 7pm and at 8pm, a Zoom link will be circulated to all attendees and the waiting room will be open from 6:55pm.

To reserve your place, please book a free ticket on Eventbrite here.  

Reconciling with Our Past – Pippa Bonner reflection

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This is the reflection, written by Pippa Bonner, from the Growing Old Grace-fully online session Reconciling With Our Past on Wednesday 12th June 2024, which led by Pippa Bonner and Cath Mahoney.

Pippa Bonner is a parishioner at St Aelred’s, Harrogate, a widow, mother and grandmother, with a background in social work, then running a hospice bereavement service and currently working in pastoral care with older people. Pippa is also a Trustee of Growing Old Grace-fully. 

Download the reflection here.

Online Event – Reconciling With Our Past

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Growing Old Grace-fully is hosting six online sessions in 2024.

The second is Reconciling With Our Past is on Wednesday 12th June, 2:30-3:30pm led by Pippa Bonner and Cath Mahoney.

Cath Mahoney is parishioner of Mother of Unfailing Help, mother and grandmother, with a background in community development, a former Growing Old Grace-fully worker and now a trustee.

Pippa Bonner is a parishioner at St Aelred’s Harrogate, a widow, mother and grandmother, with a background in social work, then running a hospice bereavement service and currently working in pastoral care with older people. Pippa is also a Trustee of Growing Old Grace-fully. 

Cath and Pippa will lead the session, which will involve breakout groups. 

The session will start at 2:30pm and finish at 3:30pm, a Zoom link will be circulated to all attendees in advance and the waiting room will be open from 2:25pm.

To reserve your place, please book a free ticket on Eventbrite here.  

Praying Without words – summary

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This is a one page summary, produced by Paula Shanks, of the Growing Old Grace-fully online session Spirituality in Later Life: Praying Beyond Words, which was on Tuesday 14th May, 7:00-8:00pm with Fr Donal Lucey and Paula Shanks. Paula has a background in teaching and is trained in Ignatian spiritual accompaniment.

Please download the PDF here.

Online Event – Spirituality in Later Life

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Growing Old Grace-fully is hosting six online sessions in 2024.

The first is Spirituality in Later Life: Praying Beyond Words, on Tuesday 14th May, 7:00-8:00pm with Fr Donal Lucey and Paula Shanks. 

The session, with reflections and music, is being led by Father Donal Lucey and Paula Shanks. Fr. Donal is a retired Catholic priest of the Leeds Diocese, he was latterly parish priest in Garforth and in Harrogate and is the Chaplain to Faith and Light. Paula has a background in teaching and is trained in Ignatian spiritual accompaniment.

The session will start at 7pm and finish at 8pm.

To reserve your place, please book a free ticket on Eventbrite here.  

Please do also share this with anyone you think may be interested in this session and the work of Growing Old Grace-fully. 

The next two online sessions will be on these dates:

Wednesday 12th June – 2:30-3:30pm
Thursday 18th July – 7:00-8:00pm

Best wishes,
Carol Burns
On behalf of the Trustees of Growing Old Grace-fully

Stations of the Cross, Longford, Ireland – a reflection

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Photo courtesy of St. Mel’s Cathedral, Longford (Facebook page)

These beautiful modern Stations of the Cross were sculpted by Ken Thompson for St. Mel’s Cathedral in Longford, County Longford in Ireland, to replace the wooden ones burned in a fire at Christmas 2009.

The Cathedral was badly damaged but the beautiful new sculptures are part of the resurrected Cathedral. (It is the local home Cathedral of Fr. Jim Leavy known to many of us in the Leeds Diocese).

Why show two Stations of the Cross at Easter tide?

13th Station

You may notice that in the 13th Station that the inscription is “Indeed this Man was the Son of God”. (Mk. 15:39.)

And if you look at the foot of the Cross, the Devil, depicted from one old tradition as a mouse, is rushing headlong into the trap!

Christ has overcome evil.

14th Station

In the 14th Station Jesus lies on what is portrayed as an altar, as the Eucharist.

Looking out of the door the Cross is growing green shoots: Life…The inscription: “Why seek you the living among the dead?” was the question the angel put to the women rushing to the Tomb.

The angel proclaims “Gloria”!

The word NIKA above the entrance to the Tomb means VICTORY and the Tomb is no longer dark but full of light.

When Fr. Jim Leavy showed me a book of these amazing sculptures they made an impression on me. The Lenten Practice of making the Stations of the Cross transitions to the Resurrection. Instead of having a 15th Station of the Resurrection, which increasingly occurs in modern Stations, we are visually made aware of Christ’s Resurrection in signs and scripture. Christ rises from the dead, the Cross is transformed to a source of life and we are given the Eucharist.

As an older person who has lived through many Lents and Easters, like many of us, I am aware of the cyclical nature of life and death, death and life. There are many struggles, pain and disappointments but also hope, happiness and life.

After the dark comes the dawn…After Lent comes Easter…

Pippa Bonner, March 2024

Lent Resources 2024

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Pope Francis Lent message 2024

In his message for Lent 2024, Pope Francis invites the faithful to “pause” for prayer and to assist our brothers and sisters in need, in order to change our own lives and the lives of our communities.

Read more

Cafod Lent resources 2024

CAFOD have a range of Lent resources including prayers, reflections and an interactive calendar.  Sign up to the calendar and receive daily Lent emails of prayer, reflection and practical actions, offering an opportunity to pause, reflect and pray as we prepare for Easter.

See resources

Independent Catholic News resources

Independent Catholic News have published a series of resources for Lent 2024, from books, to apps, online series, email reflections and activities to choose from – listed in alphabetical order.

See resources

Age Proud Festival Leeds 2021

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BE OLDER. BE BOLDER. BE PROUD.

It’s time to feel good about ageing. This is the message of the first Age Proud Festival in Leeds from Monday 6th September to Friday 17th September.

It will kick off officially on Monday 6th Sept 10.30am at West Yorkshire Playhouse with a range of events and tasters for you to try – watch the Heydays dancers, listen to the People’s Choir, have a go at putting on a Sari, create a collage of sunflowers….you choose!

There is a dizzying array of events being held throughout the two weeks both in Leeds City Museum and in many local communities – see THIS PAGE and click on a date for the full lists of local events. Enjoy a swim at Bramley Baths for £2 any weekday of the Festival at 12 noon, learn how to start a family history using Ancestry.com at an interactive session at Armley Community Hub, go on a tour of Leeds Central Library, join a webinar about ‘being an ancient in a modern world….the list goes on.

Now that we can go out and mix more, why not give some of these events a try!

https://www.ageproudfestivalleeds.org/