We are all familiar with World Youth Day, but the fact that Pope Francis is inviting us for the third time to a "World Day of Grandparents and Elders" is new to many; this year it will be celebrated on 23 July. Well, as members of the Union of Catholic Apostolate, we know that Pallotti was never tired of emphasising that "everyone is called", everyone is called, always and at all times, to be an apostle, to participate in the mission of the Church and to bring faith and love to the world - everyone, including the elderly.
In the prayer to the Queen of Apostles, Pallotti points out all the ways to respond to this vocation of ours and makes us pray: "and if all else is denied us, let us not cease to pray that soon the one flock may be united under the one Shepherd Jesus Christ!" and for all of us - young and old - what Pallotti says applies: "... therefore the life of Jesus Christ, which is his apostolate be the model for the apostolate of each one" (OOCC III, 142).
What was Pallotti's time like? Elderly care as we know it today was still unknown. Pallotti did not know his grandparents, either on his father's or mother's side. But we know how worried he was about his parents growing old and becoming ill. As a student, Pallotti was not only active in youth work, but also helped at the St. Galla Hospice, a home for the homeless. His connection with San Michele a Ripa, in Trastevere, was also multifaceted.
For almost 30 years, Bernardino Fazzini was our founder's confessor and spiritual director. For many years he was parish priest of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere and from 1825 until his death (1837) he was rector and parish priest of the Apostolic Hospice of San Michele a Ripa. This huge complex of buildings on the Tiber housed an orphanage, a youth prison and also a rest home for lonely old men and women. Since Pallotti often visited Fazzini, he must have also visited and cared for young and old people there.
The theme of this year's 'World Day of the Grandparents and the Elderly' chosen by Pope Francis is: 'From generation to generation his mercy' (Lk 1:50) and mercy is probably one of the key words that characterise Pallotti's life and work. Mercy addresses the whole person, and his physical and spiritual needs. In his 'enlightenment', his experience of prayer, on 9 January 1835, he became clearly aware of his vocation to also found "an institution of universal Charity in the exercise of all the spiritual, and corporal Works of Mercy, so that in every way possible You may be known in man; for You are infinite Charity." (OOCC X,199). His proxy plan shows how Pallotti envisioned this; it was a plan for thirteen working groups for the most diverse areas of the apostolate. Today this is probably a task for the Coordination Councils at all levels. The task of the ninth Procura (procura - from the Latin pro-curare, to care) was to care for the sick.
In the first half of the 19th century there were hardly any old people's homes. Therefore, the elderly who could not be cared for at home were often found in hospitals. Pallotti emphasized that works of corporal mercy open the sick to works of spiritual mercy. The task of the Twelfth Procura was Caritas, the care of the poor and needy - and the elderly were - and still are today - often present in both groups at the same time. When Pallotti saw people in need and in difficulty, he always tried to help them. There is nothing in his instructions for the work of this office that he himself did not experience. His instructions testify to both his love and his sober knowledge of human nature.
In many countries of the world the number of elderly people is increasing and many of them suffer from loneliness due to illness and the death of close relatives. That is why the most beautiful and precious thing we can give the elderly is our time: time to visit them, time to spend with them, time to listen to them. And sometimes it helps us to remember: I too will grow old and become old. There is no maybe! I too will grow old one day.
Last year, Pope Francis spoke about the dignity and beauty of old age in several of his Catechesis at the General Audiences. In the catechesis of 22 June 2022, he went so far as to talk about the dialogue between the risen Jesus and Peter in the last chapter of John's Gospel. The Pope emphasizes here that we all grow old, can no longer help ourselves and need help. But 'the following of Jesus always goes on', with good or bad health; 'always follow Jesus, on foot, walking, slowly, in a wheelchair, but always following him'. And we pray that the Lord, who has called us all to follow him, will help us to do so.
In the Union we have many people who, despite their advanced age, are witnesses who continue to live their apostolate to the full. We share two examples that give us tenderness, joy and hope:
My name is Sister Guglielmina, I belong to the Congregation of the Pallottine Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate.
For over forty years I have been carrying out my apostolic mission in Riposto (Sicily). For several years I taught in the kindergarten, and at the same time I took care of the boys who were in boarding school. To this day I take care of the children in the residential community: 'Piccoli Gabbiani'. All the children I take care of are scarred by big wounds: children with parents in prison, some of them abused in the family and other situations of poverty. All of them express their need for affection in their own way, sometimes even through big tantrums
and bullying. Of course, welcoming these frailties is not easy, and it takes a lot of human and spiritual strength to be there for all of them. I thank the Lord, because despite my 77 years of age, He always gives me new energy to deal with the daily grind of dealing with: anger, aggression, opposition from the children. This truly free service has enriched me and made me a happy woman and nun. I exercise my motherhood in this way and every day I bring to the Lord, in my prayers, the pain and hopes of the little ones and their families. (Sr Guglielmina Vozzo, CSAC - Italy)
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I am Dayse, Brazilian, widowed, with a family of four children, five grandchildren, two sons-in-law and two daughters-in-law. We should live the stages of life intensely, with much love, experiencing and living God's Love. I am 73 years old and try to live this stage by serving God and my family. I am active in my parish, serving in visiting the sick, in formation, in leading retreats and in the UAC. In the family I am the pillar because I try to lead and be present in everyone's life. I am now experiencing one of the most rewarding phases of life, that of being a grandmother. As the matriarch of my family, I try to be the living memory of the family history and thus transmit the values of the Gospel, so that they can feel and experience the value of family. I try to live and thus teach through the testimony of life, acceptance, understanding, sharing and brotherly love. We must not get stuck in the past and think that we can no longer contribute to building a just and fraternal world. As long as there is life and health, let us reconcile our apostolic work with our family.
PRAISE TO GOD FOR HIS INFINITE MERCY.
(Dayse da Conceição Barros da Conceição - Lay Pallottine Brazil)
Limburg, July 2023
P. Wolfgang Weiss SAC
