The World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly is an annual celebration of the Church’s love and pastoral care for older people. It is usually observed on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.
In 2026, the day falls on Sunday 26 July, the feast day itself.
Pope Francis established the day in 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many elderly people had experienced deep isolation. From the beginning, the celebration has highlighted the dignity, faith, wisdom and vocation of grandparents and older people, while also calling younger generations to draw close to them.
The day invites parishes, schools, families and communities to recognise older people not as a burden, but as beloved members of the Body of Christ: keepers of memory, witnesses of faith, intercessors for the Church, and companions for younger generations.
It is also a reminder that every community has a responsibility to notice those who may be unseen — particularly older people who live alone, are housebound, are in care homes, or receive few visitors.
Theme for 2026
The theme chosen by Pope Leo XIV for the 6th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly is “I will never forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).
In his message, the Holy Father reflects on God’s promise through the prophet Isaiah: a love so faithful and personal that every face is “engraved” on the palms of God’s hands. This promise is offered as comfort and hope to all people, and especially to elderly people who may feel overlooked, isolated or forgotten.
Pope Leo acknowledges the painful reality that many older people experience loneliness, whether living at home, in care facilities, or far from family. Against this anonymity, he reminds the Church that God’s love forgets no one, and that the Christian community is called to make that love visible through concrete gestures of tenderness, presence and care.
A central invitation of the message is simple and practical: visit. Pope Leo encourages everyone, especially young people, to revive the custom of visiting grandparents, elderly family members, and older people who have no one to visit them. The words “I will never forget you” are meant to become, in parishes and families, a tender and affectionate encounter.
The Pope also speaks directly to older people, encouraging them not to be afraid of fragility. Old age, he says, remains a time of vocation: a time to pray, to seek reconciliation, to grow in faith, hope and love, and to intercede for peace in a world marked by violence and social unrest. He thanks elderly people for the daily support of their prayers, especially the Rosary, and asks them to join him in praying that peace may come soon to the whole world.
Practical things you can do
The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life encourages communities to mark the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly through simple, concrete gestures of prayer, presence and care.
Below are a few practical ways parishes, schools, families and communities can help make sure older people feel remembered, valued and close to the heart of the Church.
