Background: World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
July 25, 2026
On July 26, the Church commemorates the 6th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Pope Leo XIV’s message for the day is entitled “I will never forget you“ (Isaiah 49.15).
On January 31, 2021, Pope Francis announced the establishment of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, “which will be held throughout the Church every year on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, Jesus’ ‘grandparents.’”
“The Holy Spirit still stirs up thoughts and words of wisdom in the elderly today: their voice is precious because it sings the praises of God and safeguards the roots of peoples,” Pope Francis explained. “They remind us that old age is a gift and that grandparents are the link between generations, passing on the experience of life and faith to the young. Grandparents are often forgotten, and we forget this wealth of preserving roots and passing on.”
The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life has published resources for the day. In addition to Pope Leo’s messages (2025-2026), Pope Francis’s messages for the day (2021-2024) are available on the Vatican website.
In the United States, the bishops’ conference transferred the commemoration of the day to the weekend after Labor Day, to coincide with National Grandparents Day.
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