Tuesday 13th October 2026, 10am-1:30pm
Cathedral Hall, St Anne’s Cathedral, Leeds
Growing Old Grace-fully is hosting an in-person event, “It’s Beautiful to Be Old” – Older People & Catholic Social Teaching, on Tuesday 13th October 2026, 10am-1:30pm in Cathedral Hall, St Anne’s Cathedral, Leeds.
Older People are invited to attend this event, with speaker Dr Peter Kevern and reflection on what Catholic Social Teaching says about growing old and ageing.
Modern secular culture presents us with two visions of what it is to be old: either as a period of aimless self-indulgence, or as a decline into illness and irrelevance. However, the Catholic Church (and particularly the three most recent Popes) has spent a lot of time reflecting on the theology of ageing and painting a more hopeful and inspiring picture. In this half-day session we will look at some of the key ideas growing out of this process, reflecting on what they mean for us as individuals, and on the prophetic challenge they bring to the western world in a time of change.
The speaker is Dr Peter Kevern, who until recently was Professor of Values in Health and Social Care at the University of Staffordshire.
A theologian by background and training, most of his research has been on the connection between religion and ageing, with a particular interest in dementia.
He is the author of two books (Touching God: dementia and the bodies of Christ and Asking the Beasts: a theological bestiary for the ecological crisis) and was recently appointed Academic Dean for the Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education, Birmingham.
To register interest, just email growing.old.gracefully@dioceseofleeds.org.uk. We will then send you an invitation to register nearer to the event.