Nurturing Relationships
There are many reasons that grandchildren should spend time with their grandparents & the elderly, and if you are fortunate enough to have active grandparents? Well, treasure it.
Here at St Joseph’s Nursing Home Ferrybank Waterford we will use any opportunity to hold a celebration? His HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS message asking all of us to celebrate World Day for Grandparents & the Elderly Day on Sunday 23rd July 2023 . Here at St. Joseph’s we chose the 26th, Feast of St. Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary simply because we had more help in welcoming 30 children and so many adults.
We produced a booklet for each grandparent, which gave an insight into each resident about where they came come, how they travelled to school, hobbies they had etc., and we were not expecting the turn out that we received? We had grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren that came along, our home was electrified. We held many games with the children, who in turn did not fail to entertain us, we had gymnasts, singers, dancers, and to see the delight in all of our resident’s faces was wonderful.
Refreshments and treats were in abundance to the great delight of the children.
There’s a fruitful encounter between different generations which we have witnessed over the past few years in my role at St Josephs, and its truly magical between young and old.
God wants us to bring joy to the hearts of the elderly, and that was certainly in abundance yesterday as we celebrated this joyful day and event.
