To honor thy grandparents is a mission

In 2021, Pope Francis declared the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly to take place every fourth Sunday of July in honor of St. Anne and St. Joachim, the grandparents of Jesus, whose feast day is celebrated on July 26. Simultaneously, the Fil-Mission Sunday is observed every last Sunday of July, making these celebrations coincide.

These events encourage Catholics to consider visiting elderly individuals who live alone as a personal ministry and mission in celebration of the day. Our culture dictates respect for the elderly. In fact, statistics from the Department of Social Welfare and Development show that of around 45 homes for the aged in the country, eleven are government-owned facilities, and 34 are accredited non-governmental groups or private social welfare agencies, including Church-led home-care institutions.

The data falls short in comparison to other countries, where home-for-the-aged facilities are far more numerous because family members would rather send their elderly to hospice care than personally taking care of them. In contrast, it is an unwritten rule for Filipino families to provide care and services to their grandparents and elders, making it their mission but with love and confidence.