GIBBSBORO – On the day Pope Francis celebrated the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, dozens of parishioners in Saint Andrew the Apostle, Gibbsboro, were recognized for their years of faith and guidance.
During Mass, Msgr. Louis A. Marucci, parish pastor, asked grandparents and the elderly to stand for special prayer intentions. A handful of seniors also were presented with prayer shawls.
“Lord Jesus, you were born of the Virgin Mary, the daughter of Saints Joachim and Anne. Look with love and bless grandparents and elderly the world over. Protect them … they are the source of enrichment for families, for the Church and for all of society. May they cast on future generations the fruits of their mature human and spiritual experience,” Msgr. Louis A. Marucci, parish pastor, prayed July 23.
“Lord Jesus, help families and society to value the presence and role of grandparents and the elderly. May they never be ignored or excluded, but always encounter respect and love,” he said.
Timothy Mulranen, a seminarian for the Diocese of Camden, preached the day’s Gospel, also urging those in the pews to “learn from those who are wise, those who are learned, those who have lived their lives fully.”
Among those to a receive a knitted wrap, crafted by the parish prayer shawl ministry, were Maria and Nelson Saraiva, 91 and 88, respectively.
“I pray that young people will be more open to listening to those who are older,” Maria Saraiva said.
In 2021, Pope Francis established the celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on the fourth Sunday of July – near the feast day of Saints Joachim and Anne, which is July 26. (The U.S. bishops have transferred the celebration to the first weekend after Labor Day to coincide with National Grandparents Day in the United States.)
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