Theme for 2023

The theme for “World Day For Grandparents and the Elderly” in 2023 is “His mercy is from age to age”. In the United States, this “World Day” will be celebrated on September 10, 2023.

In his 2023 Message, Pope Francis recalls the meeting between the elderly St. Elizabeth and the youthful Blessed Virgin Mary. You may read his full message online at the Vatican website or download the PDF document from the Diocese of Fargo website:

Read Online   PDF Document

Catechesis on Old Age

In 2022, Pope Francis’ Wednesday audience catecheses were reflections on old age. The 18 talks are available online from the Vatican website. It has also been compiled into a downloadable PDF document for those who do not have access to or prefer not to read the texts on a web browser:

Pope Francis’
Catechesis on Old Age

For additional resources, visit the Diocese of Fargo World Day For Grandparents and the Elderly page.

A Brief History

In 2021, Pope Francis established a “World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly”, to take place each year on the fourth Sunday in July (this date was chosen because it is close to the feast day of Sts. Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus). The bishops in the United States transferred the celebration to the Sunday in September after Labor Day to coincide with National Grandparents Day in the United States (see the USCCB website).