Grandparents / Senior Adult Ministry
The Office for Discipleship & Parish Life is please to sponsor programs for Senior members of our faith community.
Pope Francis reminds us constantly of the important role that the elderly play in our lives:
“Prayer incessantly purifies the heart. Praise and supplication to God prevent the hardening of the heart in resentment and selfishness. How sad it is to see the cynicism of an elderly person who has lost the sense of his or her own testimony, who is disdainful towards the young and does not communicate the wisdom of a lifetime! Instead, it is beautiful to see the encouragement that an elderly person is able to transmit to the young in search of the meaning of faith and life. It is truly the mission of grandparents, the vocation of the elderly. The words of the elderly hold something special for the young. And they know this. The words my grandmother wrote to me on the day of my priestly ordination I still carry with me now, in my breviary; I often read them and this does me good.”
— Pope Francis to General audience, St. Peter’s Square, March 11, 2015
In Partnership with Sister Mary Heather McKinnon the Office for Discipleship and Parish Life has been and continues to offer programming specifically serving the senior sector of the Catholic Community.
If you would like to offer programming specific to your parish for grandparents and seniors please contact David Dayler, Director of the Office for Discipleship and Parish Life. There are numerous options for in-parish programs that you might explore or workshops/retreats that can be offered for you during the day or in the evening.
We look forward to being of continued support to you in this very important ministry in your parish.
GRANDPARENTS NEED FORMATION TOO...
We need to recognize and affirm the powerful vocation of the grandparent in the faith formation of children. Many consider the grandparents role to be a vocation – a calling from God. This vocation is a vocation of love rooted in the desire for their grandchildren to experience the joy of the faith that they as grandparents have known. St. John Paul II said that our faith is not “taught” it is “caught.” As, grandparents living out our faith we can offer the perfect opportunity to model authentic faith lived in our daily lives. More than anything this can have an enormous influence on the lives of our grandchildren.
We have spent so much time on the faith formation of our young people that we have neglected the group who could have the greatest influence on these young people – their parents and their grandparents.
If we reach the parents and the grandparents the children will follow.
Grandparents are an untapped resource for faith formation. We rely on them so much for so much of our family life from being care givers to historians and baby sitters to role models – we need to be able to tap into the wonderfully rich faith experiences that they can share.
In order to do this we need to concentrate our energies on forming, deepening and growing their personal faith experiences.
The Discipleship Office has many programs and opportunities for growing in faith as adult disciples.
If you are looking for solid adult faith formation for Seniors and/or Grandparents in your parish contact our office and we can help you structure program opportunities that will both enhance and enrich the lives of the participants.
Some Presentations of Interest
Sharing Our Stories: Sharing Our Faith …the role of story in our lives
The Many Roles a Grandparent Plays
Inter-Generational Ministry: A Parish Family Experience
G.I.F.T.: Growing in Faith Together
Retreat Opportunities Available to Parishes:
The Nativity Icon – an Advent Retreat
From Cana to Calvary and Beyond – a Lenten Retreat
Reflections on Rembrandt's The Prodigal Son – a Lenten Retreat
For further information on any of your Senior Ministry needs, contact:
David Dayler, Director, Discipleship & Parish Life Office , Diocese of Hamilton
dgdayler@gmail.com
905-528-7988 ext 2251
